श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता

मूल श्लोकः

काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः।

क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा।।4.12।।

 

English Commentary By Swami Sivananda

4.12 काङ्क्षन्तः those who long for, कर्मणाम् of actions, सिद्धिम् success, यजन्ते sacrifice, इह in this world, देवताः gods, क्षिप्रम् ickly, हि because, मानुषे in the human, लोके (in the) world, सिद्धिः success, भवति is attained, कर्मजा born of action.

Commentary:
It is very difficult to attain to the knowledge of the Self or Selfrealisation. It demans perfect renunciation. The aspirnat should possess the four means and many other virtues, and practise constant and intense meditaion. But worldly success can be attained ickly and easily.

English Translation of Abhinavgupta's Sanskrit Commentary By Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

4.11-12 Ye yatha etc. and Kanksantah etc. Different persons with differents forms in their mind take refuge in Me. Assuming the same [respective] forms for them I favour the. Only in this manner, those who are full of Me and those who are not so-all just follow my Path. For [even the performance of sacrifices] Jyotistoma and so on, is not a different path; that is also My own will of that nature. Indeed it is going to be declared [by the Lord] as 'the four-fold caste-structure has been created by Me'. Some one says : The Present Tense (anuvarttante) is in the sense of Potential. Just as in the sentence 'They take hold of the group of sixteen in the Atiratra [sacrifce]', the expression 'They take hold of' means 'They should take hold of' in the same way in the present sentence too 'they follow', means 'they should follow'. The success [of the action] viz., the enjoyment and emancipation is [achieved] here alone in this word of men and not anywhere else.

English Translation By Swami Sivananda

4.12 Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; because success is ickly attained by men through action.

English Translation By Swami Gambirananda

4.12 Longing for the fruition of actions (of their rites and duties), they worship the gods here. For, in the human world, success from action comes ickly.

English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami Gambirananda

4.12 Kanksantah, longing for, praying for; siddim, fruition, fructification of the results; karmanam, of actions; yajante, they worship; iha, here, in this world; devatah, the gods, Indra, Fire and others- which accords with the Upanisadic text, 'While he who worships another god thinking, "He is one, and I am another," does not know. He is like an animal to the gods' (Br. 1.4.10). [This text points out that the reason for adoring other deties is the ignorance of the Self, which gives rise to the ideas of difference between the worshipped and the worshipper. As animals are beneficial to human beings, so also is the sacrificer to the gods, because through oblations he works for their pleasure!] Hi, for, in the case of those, indeed, who sacrifice to other gods and long for results; (siddhih, success; karmaja, from action;) bhavati, comes; ksiparm, ickly; manuse-loke, in the human world, because the authority of the scriptures extends only over the human world. By the specific statement, 'For, in the human world, success comes ickly,' the Lord shows that results of actions can accrue even in the other worlds. The difference lies in this that, in the human world eligibility for [Ast. and A.A. omit 'adhikara, elegibility for', and read karmani.-Tr.] actions is according to castes, stages of life, etc. The fruition of the results of those actions of persons who are eligible according to castes, stages of life, etc. comes ickly. What is the reason for the rule that the competence for rites and duties according to castes, stages of life, etc. obtains only in the human world, but not in the other worlds? Or:-It has been said, 'Human beings, having such divisions as castes, stages of life, etc., follow My path in every way.' For what reason, again, do they as a rule follow Your path alone, but not of others? This is being answered: