Category Archives: karma

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 3

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.24, aham, cha, chapter 3 verse 24, chet, imaah, ime, karma, kartaa, kuryaam, lokaah, na, prajaaha, samkaryasya, syaam, upahanyaam, utseedeyuh

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utseedeyurime lokaa na kuryaam karma chedaham |
samkaryasya cha kartaa syaamupahanyaamimaah prajaaha || 24 ||

These people would be ruined if I stopped performing action. I would become the creator of confusion and destroy these beings.

utseedeyuh : ruined
ime : these
lokaah : people
na : not
kuryaam : perform
karma : action
chet : if
aham : I
samkaryasya : confusion
cha : and
kartaa : creator
syaam : I become
upahanyaam : destroy
imaah : these
prajaaha : beings

Shri Krishna further elaborates on the argument put forth in the last shloka. As someone who is has realized the eternal essence, he does not have any obligations towards the world. But even then, he continues to act towards the welfare of society. Here, he says that if he stopped acting, all people who look up to him would be ruined and destroyed. We saw the example of a great social activist like Baba Amte, who although having performed such selfless service, continued to act till his last day. Society would take a huge hit if someone like him abruptly stopped working.

In addition, there is a subtler meaning here. Shri Krishna’s statements have a cosmic significance. So therefore, the word “I” also refers to every law or principle that works every second of our lives and never ever takes a vacation.

For instance, we all know what happens to a society when there is a breakdown of law and order. There will be chaos, confusion and destruction all around. But civil and criminal laws are just man-made laws. Consider what would happen if the law of gravity, a universal law, stopped working. People, buildings, and every free standing object on this earth would start flying out into space to its eventual destruction. And finally, what if our breathing or pumping of the heart stopped working?

Therefore the message to Arjuna is clear. Any task, no matter how insignificant or unpleasant, should be performed selflessly and with dexterity, if it is in the service of the higher good.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 3

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.19, aacharan, aapnoti, asakthah, Chapter 3 Verse 19, hi, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaaryam, karma, param, purushaha, satatam, tasmaat

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tasmaadasaktah satatam kaaryam karma samaachara |
asakto hyaacharan karma paramaapnoti purushaha || 19 ||

Therefore, always perform prescribed actions diligently without attachment; for, by performing action without attachment, an individual attains the supreme.

tasmaat : therefore
asaktah : without attachment
satatam : always
kaaryam : prescribed
karma : actions
samaachara : diligently
asaktah : without attachment
hi : because
aacharan : perform
karma : action
param : highest
aapnoti : attain
purushaha : an individual

In this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes his answer to Arjuna’s question from the first verse in this chapter. Arjuna had asked Shri Krishna as to why he should commit the act of war, which in his opinion was a ghastly act. Let us recap Shri Krishna’s answer.

Shri Krishna replied by explaining that no one can flee from action, that one should perform selfless rather than selfish actions, that selfless actions in the service of a higher ideal do not create bondage, and that performance of selfless action or yajna is the key to participating in the evolution of oneself and of the universe.

Another point emphasized in this shloka is that karmayoga should not be something that is restricted to only a few aspects of life. The karmayoga mindset should eventually become second nature, in other words, it should be embedded in each and every action that we perform. So therefore, in each and every action that we perform, from writing an email to eating our meals, we should remember to derive joy from the action itself rather than in the result. Only then will we begin to drop attachment to the action and to the result.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 3

23 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.15, aksharasamudbhavam, brahma, brahmodbhavam, chapter 3 verse 15, karma, nityam, prathishthitam, sarvagatam, tasmaat, viddhi, yajne

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karma brahmodbhavam viddhi brahmaaksharasamudhbhavam |
tasmaatsarvagatam brahma nityam yajne pratishthitam || 15 ||

Know that actions arise out of the Vedas, and that the Vedas arise out of the imperishable (eternal essence). Therefore, yajna is always established in that all-pervading eternal essence.

karma : actions
brahmodbhavam : arise out of the Vedas
viddhi : know
brahma : Vedas
aksharasamudhbhavam : arise out of the imperishable
tasmaat : therefore
sarvagatam : all-pervading
brahma : eternal essence
nityam : always
yajne : yajna
pratishthitam : established

Shri Krishna reveals the connection between yajna and the eternal essence in this shloka. Here he says that yajna is an integral part of the eternal essence, because it is born out of the Vedas. Symbolically, the Vedas represent the “rule-book” of the universe, and so yajna becomes an essential law embedded in the universe.

In the second chapter, which was an overview of the entire Gita, Shri Krishna pointed Arjuna to the ultimate goal of life – realization of the eternal essence. In this chapter, Shri Krishna connect karmayoga to the eternal essence. He explains that karmayoga is a means, a technique, to realize the eternal essence, because the eternal essence created the rules of the universe.

So in summary, the teaching of karmayoga so far is : Actions are of two types,  selfless and selfish. Selfish actions bind us to wordly objects, and selfless actions do not. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to move gradually from the level of inaction to selfish action first, and then from selfish action to selfless action or yajna. Only through acting in the spirit of yajna will we move forward on the path to realizing the eternal essence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 3

17 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.9, anyatra, ayam, chapter 3 verse 9, karma, karmabandhanaha, karmanah, kaunteya, lokah, muktasangah, samaachara, yajnyaarthaat

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yajnyaarthaarkarmanonyatra lokoyam karmabandhanaha |
tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah samaachara || 9 ||

Other than those actions performed for yajna, this world gets bound by action. Therefore, O Kaunteya, perform actions in that regard, without attachment.

yajnyaarthaat : done for yajna
karmanah : actions
anyatra : except
lokah : world
ayam : this
karmabandhanaha: gets bound by action
tadartham : for that purpose
karma : actions
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
muktasangah : without attachment
samaachara : observing, practising

So far, Shri Krishna spoke about why performing action is essential, as well as what kind of action to perform. With this shloka, he begins the main topic of this chapter, which deals with how to perform actions. The second chapter mentioned it briefly, but this chapter goes deeper into it.

Shri Krishna uses the beautiful metaphor of a “yajna” to convey this teaching. In Indian culture, a yajna is a formal ritual of worship. Firstly, we fix a higher ideal before commencing a yajna, and dedicate the entire yajna to that ideal. Typically, that ideal is a “devataa” or a deity. Secondly, we perform actions such as chanting mantras and pouring oblations into the sacrificial fire, but do so with absolutely no trace of selfishness. Some mantras even include the words “naa mama” or “not me” to make unselfishness explicit.

So how does that ancient ritual apply to us? Let’s look at a practical example. An accountant working for a corporation can be successful if she acts in the spirit of a yajna. She should set a higher ideal, e.g. “I dedicate myself to the success of this corporation”. Then, she should perform her job responsibilities in the service of that goal. She will, for instance, frequently sign large cheques where there are opportunities to play games for selfish profit. But she will not even think about such things because her focus is on the company’s well being, not hers.

Now let’s see what happens when her goal becomes becomes selfish. She will begin to do things that generate “conflict of interest” in corporate-speak. She may slowly divert some of the company money to a shell company owned by a friend and so on. From a wordly perspective, she will get kicked out of the company sooner or later. From a spiritual perspective, each selfish action will bind her, propelling her into further selfish desires, and away from self-realization.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 3

16 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.8, akarmanaha, api, cha, chapter 3 verse 8, hi, jyaayah, karma, kuru, na, niyatam, prassidhyet, shareera, te, tvam, yaatra

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niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyaayo hyakarmanaha |
shareerayaatraapi cha te na prasiddhyedakarmanaha || 8 ||

You should perform prescribed actions, since action is superior to inaction. Also, even the journey of the body cannot be accomplished through inaction.

niyatam : prescribed
kuru : perform
karma : actions
tvam : you
karma : action
jyaayah : superior
hi : since
akarmanaha : inaction
shareera-yaatraa : journey of the body
api : even
cha : also
te : your
na prasiddhyet :  not accomplished by
akarmanaha : inaction

Having covered the topic of why one should perform action, Shri Krishna now speaks about what kind of action should be performed. He urges Arjuna to only perform “niyatam” or prescribed actions. What does this term mean?

Scriptures classify actions into several categories. Let us look at the two main ones: “niyatam” or prescribed actions, and “nishiddha” or forbidden actions . Prescribed actions are those that are enjoined in the Vedas. But in today’s context, we can interpret this as one’s duties. These include performing one’s svadharma, serving one’s parents, family, and nation etc. Forbidden actions are the “thou shalt not” actions such as killing another being, stealing, cheating and so on. So here, Shri Krishna urges Arjuna to perform prescribed actions, but without any trace of attachment to the action or to the fruit.

Now one may say “I like to watch a movie and enjoy a good meal. Those do not seem like prescribed duties. How should we think about those?”. Shri Krishna does not advocate repressing anything, as we saw earlier. But we should to define boundaries to any action, as well as minimize attachment or selfish motive. The best way to do so is to share.

If you want to watch TV, watch it collectively with your family and friends. Or share your meal with them. Doing so will ensure that our previously self-serving actions lose any trace of selfishness or ego. The best example here is a mom that always cooks what the family members like, and puts her preferences on a lower priority.

In addition, Shri Krishna reiterates the notion that one should never resort to inaction, He says that if one does not act, one cannot even perform maintenance of one’s body.

Our body is an important tool in our spiritual journey. Nowhere in the Gita has Shri Krishna asked us to neglect it. In fact, here he is saying that one should absolutely perform action to maintain the body, including bathing it, feeding it, keeping it strong and fit, and going to the doctor if it is not working properly. It is an extremely practical teaching.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 3

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.5, akarmakrita, api, avashah, chapter 3 verse 5, gunaaih, hi, jaatu, kaaryate, karma, kaschit, kshanam, na, prakritijaih, sarvah, tishtati

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na hi kaschitkshanamapi jaatu tishthatyakarmakrita |
kaaryate hyaavashah karma sarvah prakritijairgunaih || 5 ||

For no one can stay without performing action, even for a moment. All beings, helplessly, are compelled to act by the gunaas born of prakriti.

na : not
hi : for
kaschit : anyone
kshanamapi : for even a moment
jaatu : in any state
tishthati : stay
akarmakrita : without performing action
kaaryate : compels to act
avashah : helplessly
karma : action
sarvah : all beings
prakritijaih : born of prakriti
gunaih : gunaas

Imagine a huge forest untouched by man, like we see on the National Geographic channel. If we look at it superficially, we could conclude that there is nothing going on there. But if we pay close attention, we will begin to hear the chirping of the crickets, the babble of a brook, the fluttering of wings and so on.

Watching all the actions going on in the forest reminds us of a simple fact. It is the tendency of nature or “prakriti” to act continuously. It never stays action-less even for a moment. Even a rock that seems action-less is undergoing geological change that is visible only after thousands or millions of years.

Now lets shift our attention to the human body. It too, is constructed by nature. It is composed of substances derived from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe, all products of nature. If our body is made of components born out of nature, wouldn’t it also follow the tendency of nature towards continuous action?

Therefore, Shri Krishna informs us that all beings have no choice but to act, because all beings are made up of prakriti. He explains that prakriti is nothing but three gunaas – energies or forces that make up this entire universe. These three energies are: rajas which causes movement, tamas which causes inertia, and sattva which maintains harmony between movement and inertia. This topic is taken up in great detail in later chapters.

In this way, Shri Krishna addresses the question raised earlier: “Why can’t I retire to the forest and cease all action?” We cannot, because the gunaas that we are made up are born out of nature, and nature never ceases to act continuously.

If this answer still does not satisfy us, let’s try to sit still for three hours. Even if we somehow manage to physically sit still, our minds will be racing with thoughts. And even the act of thinking is an action.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 49, Chapter 2

15 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in 2.49, anviccha, avaram, buddhau, buddhiyoga, chapter 2 verse 49, dhananjaya, doorena, hi, karma, kripanaah, phalahetavaha, sharanam

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doorena hyavaram karma buddhiyogaaddhananjaya |
buddhau sharanamanviccha kripanaah phalahetavaha || 49 ||

Selfish action is far lower than unselfish action, O Dhananjaya. Seek refuge in the knowledge of equanimity. Pitiable are those who are motivated by results.

doorena hi : far
avaram : lower
karma : selfish action
buddhiyogaat : unselfish action
dhananjaya : O Dhananjaya
buddhau : knowledge of equanimity
sharanam : refuge
anviccha : seek
kripanaah : pitiable
phalahetavaha : those motivated by results

So far, Shri Krishna described the performance of unselfish actions while maintaining equanimity of mind. In this shloka, he expresses his views on individuals acting with a selfish motive. To indicate his level of contempt for them, he calls them “pitiable”.

Lets say there is a large family living under one roof. Everyone has a part to play: some people work to bring in money, some are students, some take care of the house etc. Now, there is a large TV in the living room and anyone in the family can watch it. But, if one person starts monopolizing the TV and prevents others from watching it, what would you call that person? Wouldn’t you call him selfish and pitiable? Well, the world we live in is no different than this large family. Any selfishly motivated actions eventually causes more harm than good.

Now, all of us will agree that acting in an unselfish manner is a good thing, in theory. But we very rarely practice it in our lives. Why is this so? The most common argument is that if we become unselfish, other selfish people will take advantage of us and we will probably “lose” in life.

So how do we address this argument? Acting with an unselfish attitude does not mean that we become weak-minded wimps. If someone is obstructing us from performing our svadharma, we should deal with that individual in a firm manner appropriately. And if we truly practice equanimity of mind while performing actions, we will respond to the situation using our intellect and not our emotions. Therefore we will not do something rash and harmful to the situation at hand.

Therefore, the teaching of Karmayoga encourages us to slowly change our attitude to one of unselfish action, and maintain equanimity of mind while performing actions.