Bhagavan Sri Krishna referred to the significance and nature of Karma yoga in the earlier slokas. He spoke about sukrta- dushkrta nivritti (freedom from bondage) in the 50th sloka of this chapter. Joys and sorrows arise from punya, paapa and bind us. Here Krishna elaborates this.
Sloka 51 Karma yoga phalan
कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः।
जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम्।।2.51।।
बुद्धियुक्ता – karma yogi (one with equanimous mind as seen in sloka 39,50)
फलं त्यक्त्वा – giving up the fruits of action
कर्मजं – material result of action (possessions & position)
मनीषिणः – being a jnani (following spiritual practices namely sravana, manana, nidhidhyasana –learning by listening, clarifying doubts, contemplating)
जन्म बन्ध विनिर्मुक्ताः – giving up attachment towards the body (while living in this body)
पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम् (पदं गच्छन्ति अनामयं) – अनामयं means free from disturbance/ disease of the body and mind.
Everyone has a right to the fruits of action, and we have a choice to renounce that right. Being a jnani, renouncing the material result of action and giving up attachment to this body, one should live as a jivan mukta during his lifetime in transactional reality. He goes through his prarabdha karma (result of earlier actions) with brahma jnana (knowledge of absolute reality) by ignoring the joys and sorrows of life.
देहात्म ज्ञानवत् ज्ञानं देहात्मज्ञानबाधकम् |
आत्मन्येव भवेद् यस्य स नेच्छन्नपि मुच्यते ||
The thought that I am not the body should now be as strong as the thought before dawn of Jnana that I am the body. The person attains Moksha, even if he does not wish for it.
Grihastas (householders) should be karma yogis by giving up material results (artha kama). Those who have embraced Sanyasa ashrama are karma sanyasis having given up nitya, naimittika karma also. Among them, there are vividisha sanyasis (one who takes sanyasa to acquire brahma jnana) and vidvat sanyasis (one who is firmly established in brahma jnana).
Sloka 52 Indication of Citta shuddhi
यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति।
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च।।2.52।।
यदा -when
ते – your
बुद्धि: – mind
मोह कलिलं – impurity of inability to discriminate between the permanent and impermanent
व्यतितरिष्यति – transcends
निर्वेदं गन्तासि – when the mind becomes dispassionate (vairagyam)
श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च – what has been heard and what is left to be heard in karma kandam.
Vedic rituals include nitya, naimittika, kamya and prayascitta karma (daily rituals, event-based rituals, rituals for getting worldly desires and atonement). These may be kayikam, vachikam or manasam karma (physical, verbal or mental) – for eg. prostrating in namaskaram, chanting, upasana/ meditation.
Of these, Kamya karma is focused on material benefits though it gives citta shuddhi (purity of mind) as a by-product.
The benefit of nitya, naimitika karma is citta shuddhi. Doing these, he gains citta shuddhi gradually and it reduces the taste for kamya karma.
He should continue to practice karma yoga (actions including nitya, naimitika karma done without desire for material results) till he completely gets rid of the impurity of inability to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent (aviveka). Then he gradually transcends the passion for rituals contained in the karma kanda of the Vedas – this is vairagyam. When he acquires viveka and vairagyam, he is ready for sanyasa (giving up action including nitya, naimittika karma).
Viveka is understanding that vishaya sukham (sense pleasures experienced from material benefits) is impermanent and brahma sukham/ atma sukham (knowing the self as the Happiness principle) is permanent.
In summary, Karma be it laukika karma or vaidika karma (religious or secular duties) are aimed at material benefits and are not completely fulfilling. One should do karma responsibly setting aside likes and dislikes without compromise and through that gain citta shuddhi, viveka, vairagyam and then leave karma.
Sloka 53 Benefit of Jnana yoga
श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला।
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि।।2.53।।
ते बुद्धि: – your mind
श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना बुद्धि – mind fluctuating by listening to divergent views about spiritual practices
यदा – when
समाधौ – atma (समाधि: here refers to pure consciousness)
निश्चला अचला स्थास्यति – remains firm and one-pointed without wavering (with shraddha/ belief in guru’s words)
तदा योगम् अवाप्स्यसि – your mind will remain steadfast in atma (योगम् here means mind established in the knowledge of atma – moksha)
Here, Sri Krishna reminds us of what he had earlier said about being lured by rituals for the material benefits contained in the Vedas (Gita 2.42-44).
He says:
When your mind which is wavering between divergent views and overwhelmed with laukika, vaidika karma – gains concentration with shraddha in guru’s words (Tat tvam asi) and remains absorbed in His teachings (jnana siddhi), you will enjoy moksha.
Sri Krishna has taught
- atma-anatma viveka,
- dharma-adharma viveka,
- significance of karma yoga,
- karma yoga and
- karma yoga phala being jnana yoga (pursuit of Knowledge of the self)
- and has concluded by saying jnana yoga phala is
