Bhagavad Gita: Understanding One Shloka at a time. (Chp. 3, Verse 17) – HBR Patel

Trying to understand Bhagavad Gita, one Shloka at a time…

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: |
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते || 17||

But the one who remains ecstatic within oneself, and who is content and satisfied within the self only; for him, there is no duty to perform.

This verse and the upcoming one highlights the individual who have no duty or action to perform. The earlier verses highlighted the importance of the sacrificial action or Yajna in attending the self-relaization or ultimate truth. However, in this verse, we will see the qualities of the individual who have no duty to perform and are content and satisfied with the self only.

Those individuals who have realized the importance of the eternal bliss and one who is spiritually developed in knowledge of the eternal soul knows that how meagre is the material pleasure infront of that. Our desires for the attainment of the material pleasure is the reason due to which we are deprived of happiness. Once the material desires…