III: 17

Chapter 3, Verse 17

“But those who delight
In the Atman,
Who feel pure contentment
And find complete peace
In the Atman,
Are no longer obliged
To perform any kind of action.”

Swami Chidbhavananda:

“When the lower mind gets turned towards the Self, its activities automatically diminish. The last of all its activities is to get established in the Self. The river is active until it reaches the ocean. On merging in it, its functioning ceases. Likewise, the functioning of the lower mind is over when it becomes resolved back into the Self. All beings are tending towards this state consciously or unconsciously.”

Srila Prabhupada:

“People who are fully Krishna conscious and fully satisfied by their acts in Krishna consciousness no longer have any duties to perform. By such clearing of consciousness, they become fully confident of their eternal positions in relationship with the Supreme. Their duties thus become self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and there are no longer any obligations to the Vedic injunctions.”

[Then it is no longer necessary to adhere to moral codes of right and wrong. Concepts of right and wrong are mental creations of the ego. Arjuna’s dilemma at the beginning of the Gita arises out of conflicting interpretations of right and wrong. When surrender to the higher power is complete, all conflicting interpretations dissolve into intuitive discernment and infallible direction. Until surrender is complete, we can only do our best within the framework of moral codes and be grateful for those moments of clear discernment.

There is a danger here. People who mistakenly consider themselves to be completely surrendered to God, when they are in fact not but rather are fooling themselves, think of themselves as being above right and wrong and free to act on any whim no matter how damaging to themselves and/or to others.]