Chapter 3: Karma-yoga
Bg 3.31
TEXT 31
ye me matam idam nityam
anutisthanti manavah
sraddhavanto 'nasuyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhih
SYNONYMS
ye—those; me—My; matam—injunctions; idam—this; nityam—eternal function; anutisthanti—execute regularly; manavah—humankind; sraddhavantah—with faith and devotion; anasuyantah—without envy; mucyante—become free; te—all of them; api—even; karmabhih—from the bondage of the law of fruitive action.
TRANSLATION
One who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows this teaching faithfully, without envy, becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions.
PURPORT
The injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom, and therefore is eternally true without exception. As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Krsna consciousness is also eternal. One should have firm faith in this injunction, without envying the Lord. There are many philosophers who write comments on the Bhagavad-gita but have no faith in Krsna. They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive action. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Krsna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Krsna consciousness.