13. The Vedas classify people into four categories of occupations, not according to their birth, but according to their natures. Such varieties of occupations exist in every society. Even in communist nations where equality is the overriding principle, the diversity in human beings cannot be smothered. There are the philosophers who are the communist party think-tanks, there are the military men who protect the country, there are the farmers who engage in agriculture, and there are the factory workers.
The Vedic philosophy explains this variety in a more scientific manner. It states that the material energy is constituted of three guṇas (modes): sattva guṇa (mode of goodness), rajo guṇa (mode of passion), and tamo guṇa (mode of ignorance). The Brahmins are those who have a preponderance of the mode of goodness. They are predisposed toward teaching and worship. The Kshatriyas are those who have a preponderance of the mode of passion mixed with a smaller amount of the mode of goodness. They are inclined toward administration and management. The Vaishyas are those who possess the mode of passion mixed with some mode of ignorance. Accordingly, they form the business and agricultural class. Then there are the Shudras, who are predominated by the mode of ignorance. They form the working class. This classification was neither meant to be according to birth, nor was it unchangeable. Shree Krishna explains in this verse that the classification of the Varṇāśhram system was according to people's qualities and activities.
Although God is the creator of the scheme of the world, yet he is the non-doer. This is similar to the rain. Just as rain water falls equally on the forest, yet from some seeds huge banyan trees sprout, from other seeds beautiful flowers bloom, and from some thorny bushes emerge. The rain, which is impartial, is not answerable for this difference. In the same way, God provides the souls with the energy to act, but they are free in determining what they wish to do with it; God is not responsible for their actions.
14. God is all-pure, and whatever he does also becomes pure and auspicious. The Ramayan states:
samaratha kahuñ nahiṅ doṣhu gosāīṅ, rabi pāvaka surasari kī nāīṅ. [v15]
"Pure personalities are never tainted by defects even in contact with impure situations and entities, like the sun, the fire, and the Ganges." The sun does not get tainted if sunlight falls on a puddle of urine. The sun retains its purity, while also purifying the dirty puddle. Similarly, if we offer impure objects into the fire, it still retains its purity—the fire is pure, and whatever we pour into it also gets purified. In the same manner, numerous gutters of rainwater merge into the holy Ganges, but this does not make the Ganges a gutter—the Ganges is pure and in transforms all those dirty gutters into the holy Ganges. Likewise, God is not tainted by the activities he performs.
Activities bind one in karmic reactions when they are performed with the mentality of enjoying the results. However, God's actions are not motivated by selfishness; his every act is driven by compassion for the souls. Therefore, although he administers the world directly or indirectly, and engages in all kinds of activities in the process, he is never tainted by any reactions. Lord Krishna states here that he is transcendental to the fruitive reactions of work.
Even Saints who are situated in God-consciousness become transcendental to the material energy. Since all their activities are effectuated in love for God, such pure-hearted Saints are not bound by the fruitive reactions of work. The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam states:
"Material activities never taint the devotees of God who are fully satisfied in serving the dust of his lotus feet. Nor do material activities taint those wise sages who have freed themselves from the bondage of fruitive reactions by the power of Yog. So where is the question of bondage for the Lord himself who assumes his transcendental form according to his own sweet will?"
15. The sages who aspire for God are not motivated to work for material gain. Why then do they engage in activities in this world? The reason is that they wish to serve God, and are inspired to do works for his pleasure. The knowledge of the previous verse assures them that they themselves will never be bound by welfare work that is done in the spirit of devotion. They are also moved by compassion on seeing the sufferings of the materially bound souls who are bereft of God consciousness, and are inspired to work for their spiritual elevation. The Buddha once said, "After attaining enlightenment, you have two options—either you do nothing, or you help others attain enlightenment."
Thus, even sages who have no selfish motive for work still engage in activities for the pleasure of God. Working in devotion also attracts the grace of God. Shree Krishna is advising Arjun to do the same. Having asked Arjun to perform actions that do not bind one, the Lord now begins expounding the philosophy of action.
16. The principles of dharma cannot be determined by mental speculation. Even intelligent persons become confused in the maze of apparently contradictory arguments presented by the scriptures and the sages. For example, the Vedas recommend non-violence. Accordingly in the Mahabharat, Arjun wishes to follow the same course of action and shun violence but Shree Krishna says that his duty here is to engage in violence. If duty varies with circumstance, then to ascertain one's duty in any particular situation is a complex matter. Yamraj, the celestial god of Death, stated:
"What is proper action and what is improper action? This is difficult to determine even for the great ṛiṣhis and the celestial gods. Dharma has been created by God himself, and he alone is its true knower." Lord Krishna says to Arjun that he shall now reveal to him the esoteric science of action and inaction through which he may free himself from material bondage.
17. Work has been divided by Shree Krishna into three categories—action (karm), forbidden action (vikarm), and inaction (akarm).
Action. Karm is auspicious actions recommended by the scriptures for regulating the senses and purifying the mind.
Forbidden action. Vikarm is inauspicious actions prohibited by the scriptures since they are detrimental and result in degradation of the soul.
Inaction. Akarm is actions that are performed without attachment to the results, merely for the pleasure of God. They neither have any karmic reactions nor do they entangle the soul.
18. Action in inaction. There is one kind of inaction where persons look upon their social duties as burdensome, and renounce them out of indolence. They give up actions physically, but their mind continues to contemplate upon the objects of the senses. Such persons may appear to be inactive, but their lethargic idleness is actually sinful action. When Arjun suggested that he wishes to shy away from his duty of fighting the war, Shree Krishna explained to him that it would be a sin, and he would go to the hellish regions for such inaction.
Inaction in action. There is another kind of inaction performed by karm yogis. They execute their social duties without attachment to results, dedicating the fruits of their actions to God. Although engaged in all kinds of activities, they are not entangled in karmic reactions, since they have no motive for personal enjoyment. There were many great kings in Indian history—Dhruv, Prahlad, Yudhisthir, Prithu, and Ambarish—who discharged their kingly duties to the best of their abilities, and yet because their minds were not entangled in material desires, their actions were termed Akarm, or inaction. Another name for akarm is karm yog, which has been discussed in detail in the previous two chapters as well.