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Category Archives: karma

Bhagavad Gita Verse 48, Chapter 18

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.48, aavritaahaa, agnihi, chapter 18 verse 48, doshena, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, kaunteya, sadosham, sahajam, sarvaarambhaa, tyajet

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sahajam karma kaunteya sadoshamapi na tyajet |
sarvaarambhaa hi doshena dhoomenaagnirivaavritaahaa || 48 ||
 
Natural duty, even though fraught with defect, should not be abandoned. For, all undertakings are covered with defect, like fire by smoke.
 
sahajam : natural
karma : duty
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
sadosham : with defect
api : even
na : not
tyajet : abandoned
sarvaarambhaa : all undertakings
hi : for
doshena : with defect
dhoomen : by smoke
agnihi : fire
iva : like
aavritaahaa : covered
 
Some people in this world are perfectionists. Either we know such people as friends or co-workers, or we may be one ourselves. Perfectionism is a recipe for constant sorrow, because no matter who performs the actions, they will never be perfect. As we have seen earlier, an action is based on several factors, including the mental state of the performer, the instruments used, the state of the outside world and so on. It is next to impossible to expect all these factors to line up in such a manner that the action and its result will be perfect.
 
Shri Krishna says that any undertaking, any project, any action will always have some imperfection built into it, just like any fire will have some smoke covering it. So there is no point giving up our actions and our duties because they contain some imperfection or the other. Even the human body, the most intricate organism on this earth, has some minor defect in one form or the other, in the form of ill health or deformity and so on. Therefore, we have to accept this fact and continue to perform our best actions, not focus too much on the result.
 
With this shloka, the topic of karma yoga is concluded. If we recall, this topic was prompted by Arjuna in the beginning of this chapter, when he wanted to know the difference between sanyaasa and tyaaga. Tyaaga was redefined by Shri Krishna to mean karma yoga, and was analyzed in great detail. Tyaaga or karma yoga, combined with bhakti, is a process, is a means to get us to a destination. When practised properly, it lifts us from our materialistic life and places us on the path towards liberation. So then, if tyaaga is the means, what is the goal? This is taken up next.

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Bhagavad Gita Verse 47, Chapter 18

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.47, aapnoti, chapter 18 verse 47, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, kilbisham, kurvann, paradharmaat, svabhaavaniyatam, svadharmaha, svanushthataat, vigunaha

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shreyansvadharmo vigunaha paradharmaatsvanushthataat |
svabhaavaniyatam karma kurvannaapnoti kilbisham || 47 ||
 
One’s duty, though devoid of merits, is superior to another’s duty well performed. Doing the duty prescribed for one’s nature, one does not incur sin.
 
shreyan : superior
svadharmaha : one’s duty
vigunaha : devoid of merits
paradharmaat : than another’s duty
svanushthataat : well performed
svabhaavaniyatam : prescribed for per one’s nature
karma : duty
kurvann : doing
na : does not
aapnoti : incur
kilbisham : sin
 
We now focus on the subject of svadharma, which is the set of actions termed as duty. As we saw earlier, our duty can only be understood by conducting self analysis to understand what our mental makeup, what our varna is. Some of us may be well suited for starting businesses, whereas some of us may be better suited for the service sector. But it is quite common to get enchanted by another person’s occupation since it generates more money, since it has glamour and fame, and so on. How should we deal with this situation?
 
Shri Krishna says that we should stick to performing our svadharma, no matter how profitable or how glamourous other occupations seem like. In the short term, if we pick up another occupation, it may seem like we are doing a great job. But in the long run, we will fall into trouble. We will run into some problem or the other on account of not being suitable for someone else’s occupation. We also will deprive society from giving it the level of service possible if we had stuck with what we are good at.
 
Harbouring likes and dislikes towards actions, preferring someone else’s occupation to ours, has the effect of strengthening the ego, and hence should be avoided. Furthermore, in karma yoga, we are only expected to perform our best actions, and to not worry about the result. By performing our svadharma, by doing the best we can, we automatically the fear of the consequence of our action, whether or not it will be a merit or a sin. To perform actions fearlessly is a blessing in itself.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 44, Chapter 18

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.44, chapter 18 verse 44, karma, krishigaurakshyavaanijyam, paricharyaatmakam, shoodrasya, svabhaavajam, vaishyakarma

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krishigaurakshyavaanijyam vaishyakarma svabhaavajam |
paricharyaatmakam karma shoodrasyaapi svabhaavajam || 44 ||
 
Agriculture, cattle rearing and trade are natural duties of the vaishya. Service oriented actions are the natural duties of the shoodra.
 
krishigaurakshyavaanijyam : agriculture, cattle rearing and trade
vaishyakarma : duties of the vaishya
svabhaavajam : natural
paricharyaatmakam : service oriented actions
karma : duties
shoodrasya : of the shoodra
api : also
svabhaavajam : natural
 
Shri Krishna now describes the duties of the vaishya and shoodra varnas. The mental makeup of vaishyas prods them to raise, invest and trade in capital, goods and services. Although the shloka mentions agriculture, cattle rearing and trade, the broader concern of vaishyas is money. They are guided by the economic motive behind all their actions. Vaishyas play a critical role in any society by starting and maintaining the engine of the economy. They ensure that the needs of society are met by providing what it needs at the right place, time and for the right price.
 
Shoodras comprise the service sector. They pursue occupations where they can serve society in an individual capacity. They have a lower tolerance for risk as compared to kshatriyas and vaishyas, since the proportion of rajas is lower. Therefore, they prefer to work in occupations where they render their services to society and in return, are compensated for their services appropriately. Like any other varna, their natural inclination to do a certain type of work is enhanced by gaining the right skills and training needed to perform their tasks well.
 
We should refrain from harbouring any notion that one varna is better than the other. The human body itself is said to be made up of four varnas. The mind is a braahmana, the hands are kshatriyas, the thighs are vaishyas and the legs are shoodras. The body cannot function properly if any component is malfunctioning. Similarly, society cannot function when one varna does not perform its natural duties. Societies that encourage each individual to realize their full potential tend to flourish. With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the description of the four varnas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 43, Chapter 18

01 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.43, apalaayanam, chapter 18 verse 43, daakshyam, daanam, dhritihi, eeshvarabhaavaha, karma, kshaatram, shauryam, svabhaavajam, tejaha, yuddhe

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shauryam tejo dhritirdaakshyam yuddhe chaapyapalaayanam |
daanameeshvarabhaavashcha kshaatram karma svabhaavajam || 43 ||
 
Valour, fearlessness, fortitude, resourcefulness, and also, not fleeing in war, charity, and the ability to rule, are the natural duties of a kshatriya.
 
shauryam : valour
tejaha : fearlessness
dhritihi : fortitude
daakshyam : resourcefulness
yuddhe : in war
cha : and
api : also
apalaayanam : not fleeing
daanam : charity
eeshvarabhaavaha : ability to rule
cha : and
kshaatram : of a kshatriya
karma : duties
svabhaavajam : natural
 
Any society requires law and order, a system to levy and deploy taxation, protection against external invaders and other such administrative functions. Even a small village comprising a handful of people needs such systems. Therefore, in any society, we need capable people who have the mental makeup and skill set to perform these administrative and leadership functions. One who has the mental makeup to lead, administer and defend, is called a kshatriya.
 
Shri Krishna lists the qualities of a kshatriya in this shloka. Shauryam or valour is the courage needed to fight a war. Tejaha refers to fearlessness or boldness in the face of an enemry. Dhritihi or fortitude is the ability to hold on to one’s mission in spite of physical and mental obstacles. Daakshyam is skillfulness or resourcefulness that enables one to think on one’s feet and get the job done. Apalaayanam literally means not turning the back on one’s enemy. All these qualities are needed in a capable soldier or commander.
 
Kshatriya also refers to administrators, bureaucrats and politicians. Daanam or charity is the ability to remove any sense of personal attachment to wealth, such that it can be deployed for the welfare of the community. Ishvara bhaava refers to the ability to rule or to exert one’s authority upon a set of people in the same benevolent way that God does. It appears that such qualities are quite lacking in today’s kshatriyas. In any case, kshatriyas have a predominance of rajas, followed by a moderate degree of sattva.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 25, Chapter 18

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in 25.18, aarabhyate, anapekshya, anubandham, chapter 25 verse 28, himsaam, karma, kshayam, mohaat, paurusham, taamasam, ucchyate

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anubandham kshayam himsaamanapekshya cha paurusham |
mohaadaarabhyate karma yattattaamasamucchyate || 25 ||
 
That which is begun in delusion, without considering its consequence, loss, harm and capability, that action is called taamasic.
 
anubandham : consequence
kshayam : loss
himsaam : harm
anapekshya : without considering
cha : and
paurusham : capability
mohaat : in delusion
aarabhyate : begun
karma : action
yat : which
tat : that
taamasam : taamasic
ucchyate : is called
 
Shri Krishna now explains the nature of a taamasic action, listing its characteristics. As an example, a lot of new college graduates start a career path just because they get a lot of money, but they do not fully learn about the impact on their health, whether there is any ethical compromising going on etc. They also do not stop to think whether they have the aptitude, capability, training and passion for their role. Whenever we begin any action without fully understanding its impacts and consequences, that action becomes taamasic.
 
On similar lines, many people invest money in new ventures without having done the due diligence on the business plan, understanding the market and so on. They do not take into account the potential loss of their investment, since they only focus on the potential game. Furthermore, they do not assess whether their new venture could harm the economic, political or natural environment. Even if they know what the harm is, they conveniently choose to overlook those facts. Such kind of action is also called taamasic action.
 
The root of taamasic action is taamasic knowledge, which creates a highly perverse sense of attachment towards certain object, person, situation or end goal, that everything else becomes inferior and worthless. The underlying connectedness or unity of things is forgotten. Even a simple thing like cutting our face when shaving is a taamasic action, which has happened because our mental noise shifted our focus and attention away from the action. Similarly, whenever we eat food that is tasty but creates negative long term health impacts, whenever we give importance to our tongue, we are committing a taamasic action.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 18

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.24, bahulaayaasam, chapter 18 verse 24, kaamepsunaa, karma, kriyate, punaha, raajasam, saahankaarena, udaahritam

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yattu kaamepsunaa karma saahankaarena vaa punaha |
kriyate bahulaayaasam tadraajasamudaahritam || 24 ||
 
But, that action performed by a person desiring pleasure, or with egoism, with exertion, that is called raajasic.
 
yat : which
tu : but
kaamepsunaa : one with desire for pleasure
karma : action
saahankaarena : with egoism
vaa : or
punaha : also
kriyate : performed
bahulaayaasam : with exertion
tat : that
raajasam : raajasic
udaahritam : is called
 
To understand raajasic action, we need to revisit the notion of raajasic knowledge. As we saw earlier, raajasic knowledge presents a highly fragmented, chopped-up version of the world. It gives reality to the differences created by the senses and the mind. Additionally, it gives different “values” to objects, people and situations perceived by the senses and the mind. Simply put, we either like, dislike, or are indifferent to objects, people and situations. A classic example is the precious stone that is liked by its owner, disliked by the owner’s enemy, and treated with indifference by a monk.
 
Such raajasic knowledge results in commencement of raajasic action. Shri Krishna says that a raajasic action is begun in pursuit of an object, person or situation that will give pleasure to the doer of the action. It involves exertion of mental or physical effort, and therefore, the mind is good at calculating how much effort is needed for acquiring one object versus the other. Another aspect of the raajasic action is that the I, the ego, is given a lot of prominence. We want the entire world to know that we helped such and such person, or we did someone a favour. Unfortunately, such thinking interferes with the action, causing us to shift our attention from the action to the ego.
 
Let’s constrast this with saattvic action. Instead of pursuing an object of pleasure, a saattvic action is done with a sense of duty. There is no calculation that weighs the effort needed for object a verses the effort needed for object b. All actions happen spontaneously. Also, there is no sense of egoism. Instead, there is a firm understanding that the action is being performed by me who is an instrument, a nimiitta, of Ishvara. This lack of egoistic thinking makes the actions more efficient. In fact, people with high degrees of sattva are the most productive, simply because they are performing their svadharma with no ulterior motive.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 18

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.23, aphalaprepsunaa, araagadveshataha, chapter 18 verse 23, karma, kritam, niyatam, saattvikam, sangarahitam, uchyate

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niyatam sangarahitamaraagadveshataha kritam |
aphalaprepsunaa karma yattatsaattvikamuchyate || 23 ||
 
That action prescribed by scripture which is performed without attachment, without like or dislike, by one without hankering for reward, that is said to be saattvic.
 
niyatam : prescribed by scripture
sangarahitam : without attachment
araagadveshataha : without like or dislike
kritam : performed
aphalaprepsunaa : one without hankering for reward
karma : action
yat : that which
tat : that
saattvikam : saattvic
uchyate : is said
 
We came across three types of knowledge or world-view in the prior three shlokas. Now we come to the topic of the karma, the action itself. Knowledge is the main instigator of any action. So if the knowledge is saattvic, the action will be saattvic and so on. A simple way to differentiate between the three types of knowledge is the gauge the severity of the likes and dislikes, the raaga and dvesha, that the knowledge creates. When we only see unity and harmony, without any likes or dislikes, that is saattvic knowledge. When we have strong likes or dislikes for this object or that person or that situation, it is raajasic knowledge. When we have a extreme or perverted like or dislike, it is taamasic knowledge.
 
Imagine that you are a guest at a friend’s house. A group of young children are playing a game of monopoly that they ask you to join. Some children want you to win, since you are in their team. The other team wants you to lose. At the conclusion of the game, you end up losing all your monopoly money. But you do not harbour any feelings of resentment or anger towards the children. Why does this happen? You have no attachment to the monopoly game, the money or property that you have acquired, since you know that it is not real.
 
Shri Krishna says that any action performed without attachment, without like or dislike towards any part or character in the action, without hankering for the reward of the action, such an action is a sattvic action. In other words, while commencing the action, our intent and our state of mind is saattvic. We will only be able to perform such an action if we have reduced our likes and dislikes towards material objects to a great extent. This happens only if we see the world as illusory and ephemeral, either through seeing everything as Ishvara’s Prakriti or through meditation upon the hollowness of Maaya.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 18

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.19, chapter 18 verse 19, gunabhedataha, gunasankhyaane, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, jnyaanam, karma, kartaa, prochyate, shrunu, tridhaiva, yathaavat

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jnyaanam karma cha kartaa cha tridhaiva gunabhedataha |
prochyate gunasankhyaane yathaavacchrunu taanyapi || 19 ||
 
Knowledge and action and the doer are said to be of three types only in the science of gunaas, per the difference in gunaas. Listen properly to them.
 
jnyaanam : knowledge
karma : action
cha : and
kartaa : doer
cha : and
tridhaiva : three types
gunabhedataha : per difference in gunaas
prochyate : are said
gunasankhyaane : science of gunaas
yathaavat : properly
shrunu : listen
taani : them
api : only
 
A lot of ground was covered in the prior shloka, so let us recap. Jnyaanam or knowledge provides meaning to perception of an object, the jnyeyam. This perception, along with the meaning is provided to the jeeva, the individual soul, by the intellect. If the jeeva decides to be indifferent to this object, the matter ends there. If the jeeva decides to pursue that object, it commands the body to do whatever actions are necessary to obtain that object. While issuing the instructions, the jeeva becomes a doer or kartaa, and while experiencing the object, it becomes the experiencer of bhogtaa.
 
So why is this important? Each time we become the kartaa or the bhogtaa, we reinforce the notion that “I am the jeeva”, and forget our true nature as the eternal essence, who is the saakshi or witness to all thoughts and action. The spiritual journey start from our present situation, and raises us higher step by step, away from our entanglement in action and experience, and closer towards our true nature as the unattached eternal essence. Shri Krishna says, do not worry, there is a way out. Anything that is asat, anything that is not the eternal essence, is in the realm of Prakriti. And we have seen in the fourteenth chapter that Prakriti is nothing but the play of the three gunaas. If we truly understand how the process of action works from the standpoint of gunaas, we can begin to extricate ourselves from its tendency to entangle us.
 
The great sage Kapila Muni created the Saankhya school of philosophy. The science of the gunaas is part of the Saankhya school. By analyzing the nature of the three main components of action, jnyaanam, karma and kartaa, which means knowledge, action and the doer, we can check whether they are sattvic, raajasic or taamasic as pertaining to us. This shloka begins a new section within the eighteenth chapter that categorizes these three components and some other related factors as demonstrating the quality one of the three gunaas. It is extremely practical and also summarizes many key concepts from the first five chapters of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 18

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.18, chapter 18 verse 18, jneyam, jnyaanam, karanam, karma, karmachodanaa, karmasangraha, kartaa, parijnyaataa, trividhaa, trividhihi

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jnyaanam jneyam parijnyaataa trividhaa karmachodanaa |
karanam karma karteti trividhihi karmasangraha || 18 ||
 
Knowledge, the known and the knower, these three initiate action. The instruments, the target of action and the doer, these three are the basis of action.
 
jnyaanam : knowledge
jneyam : known
parijnyaataa : knower
trividhaa : three
karmachodanaa : initiate action
karanam : instruments
karma : target of action
kartaa : doer
iti : these
trividhihi : three
karmasangraha : basis of action
 
The culmination of the Gita teaching is the realization that our true nature is the eternal essence, that does not act in this world, nor experiences anything in this world, since action and experience are in the realm of Prakriti. Most of us, however, are still becoming qualified for this teaching through the practice of karma yoga. Shri Krishna recognizes the need to give an in depth analysis of action for people like us. To that end, he uses this shloka to begin that topic. Each word, each term needs to be understood clearly, since the regular meanings may confuse us.
 
So then, what is the genesis, the birth of an action? How does an action commence? Our sense organs send a report to the mind of having seen, felt, touched, tasted or smelled something. This is the process of perception. Or, a thought about a prior perception arises in the mind. Both these processes are the same for all people in this world. Both you and I perceive a red apple in the same manner. In this case, the red apple is termed as jneyam, an object which is known. This is step one.
 
What happens next? Both of us see the same red apple, but you may love it, someone else may hate it, and I would be indifferent to it. This difference in our view towards the apple, our worldview in general, is due to the difference in our sanskaaras. We attach a certain meaning to objects, people and situations based on our sanskaaras. This individual vision of the world is termed knowledge or jnyaanam. It looks at the object in question and generates a sense of attraction, repulsion or indifference. This is step two.
 
Next, this notion of attraction, repulsion or indifference creates a modification in the intellect called the “doer”, the kartaa. It is a phantom, illusory entity which says “I want the red apple, go get it”, or “I hate this red apple, throw it away”. The doer issues these instructions to the karana, the organs of action, which then do as they are told. The action of grasping the apple or throwing it away is carried out. Note the the doer only comes into existence when there is attraction or repulsion. The jeeva is a witness, indifferent to likes or dislikes. So the doer, the organs of action and the object make up karma sangraha, the basis of action. This is step three.
 
When finally, the object, the target of action is consumed by the senses, another modification of the mind called the “enjoyer”, the bhoktaa, arises. It creates the notion that “I have experienced this object, and it gave me joy/sorrow”. This is the parijnyaata, the knower, mentioned in the shloka. Furthermore, a record of this experience, whether pleasurable or painful, is stored in the unconscious aspect of our personality, the causal body. This record, this samskaara, becomes the seed of future action by creating thoughts of desire in the mind, prompting further actions and experiences. This process of enjoyment of an object is the fourth step.
 
So these four steps taken together describe the lifecycle of an action, from start to finish.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 18

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in chapter 18 verse 15, ete, hetavaha, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, naraha, nyaayyam, pancha, praarabhate, shareeravaangmanobhihi, tasya, vipareetam

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shareeravaangmanobhiryatkarma praarabhate naraha |
nyaayyam vaa vipareetam vaa panchaite tasya hetavaha || 15 ||
 
Whatever action is begun by a person, with the body, speech and mind, either per scripture or the opposite, these five are its causes.
 
shareeravaangmanobhihi : with body, speech and mind
yat : whatever
karma : action
praarabhate : begun
naraha : person
nyaayyam : per scripture
vaa : either
vipareetam : opposite
vaa : or
pancha : five
ete : these
tasya : its
hetavaha : causes
 
Let us quickly recap the concepts from the previous shloka. Any action that we perform has five components behind it. The body provides the foundation for the action. The instruments comprise the five organs of sense and the five organs of action. The energy system of the body, the praana, provides the fuel needed to perform the action. The individual notion, the ego, provides the motive behind the action. The daivam, Ishvara, ensures that the universe supports the performance of the action.
 
To drive home this point, Shri Krishna adds that there is no action that is beyond the realm of these five factors. In other words, the five factors are the material cause as well as the efficient cause or intelligence behind an action. Since a robot can perform any task that it is programmed with, it is easy to understand that the five factors are the material cause of the action. But when we say that they are also the intelligence behind the action, it is a little difficult to swallow. Our true self, the eternal essence, has nothing whatsoever to do with the action. The mind generates thoughts and the body performs actions.
 
Now, another point is taken up in the shloka. It is the very same five factors that can perform an action in conformance with the universe and its laws, as well as action that goes against the universe and its laws, also termed as a sinful action. The way a person looks at the world, as well as the nature of his intelligence, determines whether he will perform an action lawfully or sinfully. The entire process of action is analyzed in detail later in the chapter. This overview of the factors behind an action is concluded here, setting us up for the most important teaching of the Gita, taken up next.