69. Actor as well as Audience
I n our daily life, we get attached to action and this attachment is termed as aasakti (interest or attachment) or we are detached from it which is virakti (hatred or disinterest). However, Krishna refers to a third state, anaasakti (dropping both attachment and detachment) which is beyond both. He says that the avidwan (ignorant) act with an attachment to action and the vidwan (wise) act unattached, for the welfare of the world (3.25). Actions based on aasakti and virakti can make us miserable. The presence of a loved one ( aasakti ) brings us happiness and their absence makes us unhappy. Similarly, the presence of a hated one ( virakti ) makes us unhappy and their absence brings relief. Hence, both aasakti as well as virakti swing us between the polarities of pleasure and pain. Krishna, therefore, advises us to transcend both and be anaasakt , while performing any action. The welfare of the world can be equated to compassion which flows when the actions are...