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TEXT 16 evam pravartitam cakram
SYNONYMS  evam--thus
prescribed; pravartitam--established by the Vedas; cakram--cycle;
na--does
not; anuvartayati--adopt; iha--in this life;
yah--one
who; agha-ayuh--life full of sins; indriya-aramah--satisfied
in sense gratification; mogham--useless; partha--O son of
Prtha (Arjuna); sah--one who does so; jivati--lives.
TRANSLATION My dear Arjuna,
a man who does not follow this prescribed Vedic system of sacrifice certainly
leads a life of sin, for a person delighting only in the senses lives in
vain.
PURPORT The mammonist
philosophy of work very hard and enjoy sense gratification is condemned
herein by the Lord. Therefore, for those who want to enjoy this material
world, the above-mentioned cycle of performing yajnas is absolutely
necessary. One who does not follow such regulations is living a very risky
life, being condemned more and more. By nature's law, this human form of
life is specifically meant for self-realization, in either of the three
ways--namely karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. There
is no necessity of rigidly following the performances of the prescribed
yajnas
for the transcendentalists who are above vice and virtue; but those who
are engaged in sense gratification require purification by the above-mentioned
cycle of yajna performances. There are different kinds of activities.
Those who are not Krsna conscious are certainly engaged in sensory consciousness;
therefore they need to execute pious work. The
yajna system is planned
in such a way that sensory conscious persons may satisfy their desires
without becoming entangled in the reaction of sense-gratificatory work.
The prosperity of the world depends not on our own efforts but on the background
arrangement of the Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods.
Therefore, the yajnas are directly aimed at the particular demigod
mentioned in the Vedas. Indirectly, it is the practice of Krsna
consciousness, because when one masters the performance of yajnas,
one is sure to become Krsna conscious. But if by performing yajnas
one does not become Krsna conscious, such principles are counted as only
moral codes. One should not, therefore, limit his progress only to the
point of moral codes, but should transcend them, to attain Krsna consciousness.
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