Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - sloka 20

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Adidevananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

What the spiritual aspirant must do - sloka 19-26

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yoga - Sloka 20

Karmana aiva hi samsiddhim asthitah janaka adayah I   

loka sangraham eva pi sampasyam kartum arhasi II sloka 20 

कर्मणा ऐव हि संसिद्धिं आस्थितः जनक आदयः I

लोक संग्रहं एव पी संपस्यं कर्तुं अर्हसि  II श्लोक २० 

Indeed by karma yoga alone did Janaka and others reach perfection. Even recognising its necessity for the guidance of the world, you must perform action. 


It is also declared that by Karma yoga alone Janaka and others reached perfection. 


Because karma Yoga is teh best means for securing the vision of the self even for a person who is qualified for Jnana yoga, royal sages like Janaka & others, who are foremost amongst the jnanis, preferred karma yoga as the means for attaining perfection.
Thus having first declared previously that karma yoga must be practised by an aspirant for release who is qualified for karma yoga alone, as he is unfit for jnana yoga \, it was next stated with reasons that even for those qualified for jnana yoga, karma yoga is better than jnana yoga. Now it is being declared (in verses 20-26) that karma yoga must be performed ny one who is virtuous.


Atleast for the guidance of the world, you should do work even if there is no need of it for yourself.