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July - Sept 2024

Bhagavad Gita Chapter II Sloka 47, 48

Essence of Nishkama Karma yoga

 Sri Krishna told Arjuna about jnana yoga and then about karma yoga. He said that doing karma yoga for purity of mind, will relieve him from karma bandham (shackles of action) and from deficiencies such as incompleteness. It will confer great benefit. He suggested not to prioritize kamya, prayascitta karma (desiring for material result, atonement of sins). One should focus on moksha purushartham (goal of Liberation) and carry out one’s duties (dharma). While Vedas include kamya, prayascitta karma to draw us and refine us, it is beneficial to eventually restrict them in order to cultivate maturity of mind. Sense pleasures are disguised as happiness (by the play of Maya), whereas they are bound to bring sorrow later. In jnana yoga which is the fruit of karma yoga, the highest happiness results, say the Upanishads -we are Ananda atma.

 Arjuna had earlier expressed the thought of becoming a bhikshu (Gita#2.5) renouncing everything including nitya, naimitika karma and svadharma to avoid battling against his dear grandfather, his revered guru etc. Here Sri Krishna says you are qualified only to do karma – your svadharma (ordained duty). You need some more practice to cultivate the maturity to renounce. One should not take a decision led by emotion – whether it is to renounce or to marry.

Sloka 47 Qualification to act/renounce:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 2.47 ||

ते अधिकार: कर्मणि एव – you are qualified only to do karma (not for renunciation)

फलेषु मा कदाचन – don’t desire worldly result like money, fame, sense pleasures

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भू: – if you are attached to worldly result, you will be reborn to enjoy the fruits of action

अकर्मणि ते  सङ्ग:मा अस्तु – do not desire inaction

 Right to result:

When one does karma, he has the right to its result as well. Every employee has the right towards his renumeration, though he has the choice to do it honorarily. Similarly, doing nitya naimitika karma (regular, event based religious duties) also gives one the right to its result. If we touch the fire, it will burn. So will karma give result whether or not one wishes.

All of us expect result when performing any action – Sri Sankara tells us not to have a thirst for material result. There are two kinds of results –material benefit, sense pleasure on one hand (laukika phala) and purity of mind on the other (adhyatmika phala).

There is a logic (purva mimamsa nyayam) called ‘samyoga pruthaktva’ which means the attitude/ intent (sankalpa) of action changes the fruit of action. Even in the court of law, the motive behind a crime influences the verdict. In Vishnu Sahasranamam & Sankatanashana Ganesha stotram, we see the phala sruti offering benefits like education, children, sense enjoyments, material benefits, ethics and liberation based on what one seeks.

 Action desiring material benefits is the seed for future births – मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भू:. It is important to give up dehatma jivatma buddhi (cognising the self as the body or the individual soul).

For Atma vidya to shine, sins should deplete. For that one should do punya karma (meritorious deeds) – that may need some material resources which is fine. One can also do japam, dhyanam, pradakshina namaskaram (circumbulation, obeisance) at the temple which may not need material resources.

Facing the likes and dislikes of others, transacting with a variety of people will cultivate maturity as we may need to put behind our own likes and dislikes and step out of our comfort zone.

 Actions in the material world yield gross results, and rituals yield subtle benefits. If we choose to act to cultivate purity of mind (citta shuddhi), we need to sacrifice material benefits and sense pleasures (artha-kama phala). If we choose material benefits, we will be stuck in the cycle of births. One may feel that once we embark upon action, restlessness, stress and anxiety come naturally. So, why not avoid action? Sri Krishna says: Since action helps to gain purity of mind, we should not choose inaction – मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि.

आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शम: कारणमुच्यते ||
6.3।। Gita

 To the one who aims to gain purity of mind, karma yoga is the sadhana (means). To the one who has purified his mind, giving up karma becomes the sadhana.

What this sloka teaches us is:

We should not be attached to inaction. We should not be attached to material benefits and sense pleasures as fruits of action. Karma yoga is to do proper action with proper attitude for purification of our mind. Proper action means healthy action, socially productive action, legitimate action, appropriate action. Living properly in this world is true worship of Ishvara.

மனந்தூய்மை செய்வினை தூய்மை இரண்டும்
இனந்தூய்மை தூவா வரும். (Kural #455)

Both purity of mind, and purity of action, depend upon the purity of a man’s company.

 Some interpret this sloka as follows:

If any deed should happen, there are many inter-dependencies. There are many factors that determine the fruits of action. It is collective effort that bears fruit. If there is success, it is team effort. If not, there could be other reasons why the efforts may not have borne the desired fruit. It could be destiny. So, one should not think of the result of action. However, no one should think – What if I don’t do/ participate, it will still happen. That is not the attitude.

 This is a secondary meaning while the earlier meaning is more authentic.

We should work with passion. We should feel fresh and energetic and not crib and complain that it is mundane. We should refresh ourselves. In our system, Sandhya vandanam itself is a refreshment. It is also difficult to do different tasks every day. We should accept our duties, update, innovate, and bear a pleasant attitude towards our action. We should be attentive in our work. We should make sure that our work is useful to all.

We could remember this LLIFE – Love, Learn, Implement, Focus, Expand. Love your work, learn, and translate it to quality improvement, be attentive and expand such that your work is useful to society.

வினைத்திட்பம் என்பது ஒருவன் மனத்திட்பம்
மற்றைய எல்லாம் பிற. (Kural #661)

Greatness of achievement depends upon the mind’s will; all other (abilities) are not as important.

 Sloka 48

योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते || 2.48||

धनञ्जय – Hey Arjuna!

समत्वं योग उच्यते – Balanced mind is yoga – giving up desire for artha, kama (external material benefits & sense pleasures).

सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा – being equanimous towards success and failure

योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि – do action

सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा – giving up attachment

सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा  – siddhi means citta shuddhi (purification of mind). Asiddhi is inability to achieve that.

What one needs for moksha (liberation/ jnana prapti) is citta shuddhi, jnana yogyata (pure mind, discrimination, dispassion, discipline and desire for liberation).

In the modern age, siddhi and asiddhi are used to refer to material growth. It is important to understand that material growth comes only with emotional growth. Only a happy person can give his best. Having possessions but suffering from depression does not help.

सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा कर्माणि कुरु – Give up attachment to materialism. Do not work with tension, work with composure. Material growth will come towards one who has inner growth.

सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि।।2.38।।Gita

One should be able to balance activities for material growth along with religious (rituals) and spiritual activies (meditation, study of scriptures). Just as there should be all nourishment from food, these are all necessary. Most problems arise because people do not know that they have to keep their body and mind well. People lose their health for wealth and then lose their wealth to recover their health and struggle having lost both!

यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते |
सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते।।
6.4 ।। Gita

A pure mind withdraws from external pleasures and develops interest in spiritual study and activities. He becomes eligible for sravana, mananam (listening, clarification of doubts).

Siddhya-asiddhya means success and failure. Yoga: is keeping the mind (samatvam) balanced/ equanimous in success and failure. May we all internalise these important teachings of Sri Krishna.