**3.33** All beings follow their nature. Even a wise man acts according to his own nature. What can restraint accomplish then?
**Commentary:** 'All beings follow their nature' – All actions that are performed are done by keeping one's inherent disposition (svabhāva) or principle (siddhānta) in view. Disposition is of two kinds: free from attachment and aversion (rāga-dveṣa), and imbued with attachment and aversion. For example, while walking on a road, if one sees a board and reads what is written on it, this act of reading is neither due to attachment-aversion nor due to any principle; rather, it happens spontaneously from a disposition free from attachment-aversion. When a friend's letter arrives, one reads it with attachment; when an enemy's letter arrives, one reads it with aversion – this reading is done from a disposition imbued with attachment-aversion. Reading scriptures like the Gītā, Rāmāyaṇa, etc., is done according to 'principle'. Human birth is meant solely for attaining God; therefore, performing actions with the aim of attaining God is also acting according to principle. Thus, mere activities like seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, etc., occur due to both disposition and principle. A disposition free from attachment-aversion is not faulty; on the contrary, a disposition imbued with attachment-aversion is faulty. Actions performed with attachment-aversion bind a person because they render the disposition impure. Actions performed according to principle are liberating because they purify the disposition. It is due to the impurity of disposition that the assumed relationship with the world is not severed. When the disposition becomes pure, the assumed relationship with the world is easily severed.
In a wise man, actions happen spontaneously through the body considered his, because there is no sense of doership in him. The actions of a seeker desirous of attaining God are performed according to principle. Just as a greedy man is always vigilant lest he incur any loss, similarly, a seeker remains constantly vigilant lest any action be performed with attachment-aversion. With such vigilance, the seeker's disposition is quickly purified, and as a result, he becomes free from the bondage of karma.
Although all activity inherently occurs through nature, an ignorant person, assuming a relationship with actions, considers himself their doer (Gītā 3.27). It is by assuming a relationship with objects and actions that attachment and aversion arise, leading to the bondage of birth and death. However, a seeker who does not assume a relationship with nature always sees himself as a non-doer (Gītā 13.29).
The main defect in disposition is attachment to material objects of nature. As long as attachment remains in the disposition, impure actions continue. Therefore, for the seeker, attachment is the primary cause of bondage.
Attachment resides in the assumed 'I' (ahaṃ) and is seen in the mind, intellect, senses, and sense objects. The 'I' is of two kinds: 1. The 'I' in the form of identification arising from the assumed relationship of consciousness with the inert. 2. The 'I' in the form of the material element of inert nature – 'the great elements, egoism...' (Gītā 13.5). There is no fault in the 'I' which is the material element of inert nature, because this 'I' is merely an instrument like the mind, intellect, senses, etc. Therefore, all faults lie only in the assumed 'I'. In a wise man, the 'I' in the form of identification is completely absent; hence, all actions occurring through his so-called body happen only through the 'I' which is the material element of nature. In reality, all actions of all beings occur only through this elemental 'I', but an ignorant person who considers the inert body as 'I' and 'mine' regards those actions as his own and for himself, and thus becomes bound. The reason is that attachment arises only by considering actions as one's own and for oneself.
'Even a wise man acts according to his own nature' – Although due to the absence of attachment-aversion in the heart, the nature of a wise man is faultless and he is not subjugated by nature, yet he acts only according to his own nature (disposition). For example, if a wise man does not know the English language and is asked to speak in English, he will not be able to speak. He will speak only in the language he knows. Even the Lord, controlling His own nature (disposition), acts according to the disposition of whatever form He incarnates in. For instance, when the Lord incarnates in human form as Rāma or Kṛṣṇa, or in forms like fish, tortoise, boar, etc., He acts according to the disposition of that particular species. The meaning is that even in the incarnated bodies of the Lord, there is diversity of disposition according to species and class, but there is no subjugation. Similarly, in those great souls whose connection with nature (inertia) has been severed, there is diversity of disposition, but no subjugation. However, in those humans whose connection with nature has not been severed, there exists both diversity of disposition and subjugation.
Here, the word 'his own' implies that the nature of a wise man is faultless. He is not under the control of nature; rather, nature is under his control. The root seed for actions yielding fruit is the sense of doership and selfish motive. A wise man has no sense of doership or selfish motive. Mere activity occurs through him. It is binding karma that occurs, not mere activity or action. That is why the word 'acts' is used here. His disposition is so pure that even the actions occurring through him are supremely pure and an ideal for seekers.
Disposition is formed according to impressions from past and present births, impressions from parents, current company, education, environment, study, worship, contemplation, action, sentiment, etc. This disposition varies in all humans, and everyone is free to make it faultless. Diversity of individual disposition exists even among wise men. There is no diversity in consciousness, but natural diversity exists in nature (disposition). Nature is inherently diverse. Just as, even within the same species, there are subtle differences among mango trees, etc., similarly, even when nature (disposition) is pure, there is diversity of nature among wise men.
The disposition of a wise man is pure (free from attachment-aversion); therefore, he is not under the control of nature. Contrary to this, men of impure disposition (imbued with attachment-aversion) perform actions compelled by the subjugation they themselves have created.
'What can restraint accomplish then?' – Even the actions of those whose disposition is supremely pure and excellent occur according to their nature. Then, the actions of those men whose disposition is impure (imbued with attachment-aversion) will certainly occur according to nature. In this matter, force will be of no use to them. One will have to act according to whatever one's disposition is. If the disposition is impure, it will engage a person in impure actions; if pure, it will engage him in pure actions.
When Arjuna also wishes to forcibly renounce his duty-bound action of war, the Lord tells him that his own nature will forcefully engage him in battle – 'Nature will compel you' (18.59); because there is an inherent flow in your disposition to perform kṣatriya duties (like war). Therefore, bound by your natural actions, you will fight helplessly, meaning your force will be of no avail here – 'You will act helplessly even against your will' (18.60).
Just as a car moving at a speed of a hundred miles per hour will not run beyond its fixed capacity, similarly, even through a wise man, no activity contrary to his pure nature will occur. The nature of those whose nature is impure is like a damaged car. There are two main remedies for repairing a damaged car: (1) Repairing the car oneself, and (2) Sending the car to the factory. Similarly, there are two main remedies for purifying an impure nature: (1) Performing actions free from attachment-aversion (Gītā 3.34), and (2) Taking refuge in the Lord (Gītā 18.62). If the car runs well, we are not under its control; if the car is damaged, we are under its control. Likewise, a wise man, due to the purity of his nature, is not under the control of nature, and an ignorant man, due to the impurity of his nature, is under the control of nature.
A man whose intellect values only materiality (worldly enjoyment and accumulation) is bound to fall, however scholarly he may be. But a man whose intellect does not value materiality and whose sole aim is God-realization is bound to rise, even if he is not scholarly. The reason is that all his sentiments, thoughts, actions, etc., become conducive to his upliftment when his aim is not enjoyment and accumulation but solely attaining the Supreme Self. Therefore, a seeker should first make the attainment of God his aim, then perform duty-bound actions free from attachment-aversion for the fulfillment of that aim. An easy means to be free from attachment-aversion is to engage the received body, etc., in the service of others without considering them as one's own and for oneself, and to desire nothing in return from others.
To be under the control of nature, a seeker should perform duty-bound actions by keeping an ideal before him. There can be two ideals: (1) The teaching (principle) of the Lord, and (2) The conduct of great souls. The nature of a man who acts by keeping an ideal before him becomes pure, and he experiences the ever-attained Supreme Truth. Contrary to this, a man who acts without keeping an ideal before him performs all actions with attachment-aversion, which strengthens attachment-aversion and leads to his downfall – 'know them to be ruined' (Gītā 3.32).
Just as we cannot stop the flow of a river, but can divert it by building a canal, similarly, we cannot stop the flow of actions, but can divert its course. Performing actions selflessly, solely for the welfare of others, is diverting the flow of actions. The flow of actions will not be diverted by performing even the slightest action for oneself. The meaning is that by performing actions solely for the welfare of others, the flow of actions turns towards the world and the seeker becomes free from the bondage of karma.
Every human is born with his own nature; therefore, he has to act according to his nature. Hence, the Lord now explains in the following verse the means to purify nature.
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