II

II

If one should desire to live in this world a hundred years, one

should live performing Karma (righteous deeds).  Thus thou mayest

live; there is no other way.  By doing this, Karma (the fruits of

thy actions) will not defile thee.

If a man still clings to long life and earthly possessions, and

is therefore unable to follow the path of Self-knowledge

(Gnana-Nishta) as prescribed in the first Mantram (text), then he

may follow the path of right action (Karma-Nishta).  Karma here

means actions performed without selfish motive, for the sake of

the Lord alone.  When a man performs actions clinging blindly to

his lower desires, then his actions bind him to the plane of

ignorance or the plane of birth and death; but when the same

actions are performed with surrender to God, they purify and

liberate him.