YOGA OF ACTION – KARMAYOGA

By

Dr. R. J. Kalpana Ph.D

Visvaayudha December 2024

vasudevasutaḿ devaḿ kaḿsa-cāṇūra-mardanam

devakī-paramānandaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum

I bow down to Sri Krishna, who is the Master of the Universe, beloved son of Vasudeva, who vanquished Kamsa and Chanura, who brings immense joy to his mother, Devaki.

Pranams from Dr. R J Kalpana, Welcome to the study of The Bhagavad Gita.

The third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is titled, Karma Yoga – the yoga of Action. It opens with Arjuna, rather petulantly asking the question: “Krishna, if you consider knowledge to be superior to action, why then urge me to this dreadful action, Kesava?” Arjuna understood at the back of his mind that he has failed to grasp the fundamentals of Shri Krishna’s teachings in the previous chapter of “Your right is to work only” and therefore, “perform your duties established in Yoga.” So, Arjuna straightforwardly asks Shri Krishna to explain to him the one discipline that he might follow whereby he can obtain the highest good.

Bhagavan Shri Krishna elucidates further that in the past He detailed two types of spiritual discipline: Sankhya yoga, where the practitioner proceeds along the path of knowledge and Karma yoga, where the practitioner proceeds along the path of action.

Now let us understand what does path of action entail. Merely by not engaging in action, we will not be liberated from actions and merely by ceasing to act we will not achieve any perfection. Because nobody can remain free from action. Everyone is driven to action by their inborn qualities. By outwardly ceasing to act but inwardly thinking about action is mere hypocrisy. We can say I didn’t slap but we are guilty of thinking about slapping, right?

Therefore, that Yogi who can control the organs of senses and action by the power of his will and yet, remains unattached to either when he undertakes actions, that Yogi excels in the path of Action.

So we have to perform our action and action is superior to inaction. Even maintenance of our physical body requires action, both voluntary and involuntary. We are bound by our action except when we perform action for the sake of sacrifice. If we perform our duty, free from attachment to the results of our actions and for the sake of sacrifice alone then we are not bound because it doesn’t lead to bondage of samskaras.

Having created humans, the Creator decreed specific duties for both man and god. Shri Krishna clearly states here that we cannot enjoy the gifts of God without returning gifts in return. This is a very important point he makes and contains a spiritual secret. We are entitled to only that which we deserve, everything else is a bonus and a gift and has a price to pay.

Shri Krishna goes on to explain this further by saying that only the virtuous partake of the leftovers of sacrifice while the rest partake to nourish only their body. All beings evolve from food, and food is produced by rain and rain ensues from sacrifice and sacrifice is rooted in prescribed action and prescribed action has its origin in Vedas and Vedas have come from the manifested Divinity.

Categorically, Shri Krishna states that he who does not follow the wheel of creation and abstains from performing of his duties lives in vain and one who is content with the Self – the inner antaryamin, is beyond ordinary duty. He is not dependent on things done or undone nor does he depend on others. He rests on his Self and is dependent solely on the Self.

Therefore only by action without attachment have men achieved great heights of spiritual perfection. So set the standard and let others follow. Bhagavan Shri Krishna says that there is nothing in the three worlds for Him to do and achieve and yet, there isn’t a moment when he isn’t working. For if He stops, the three worlds will be destroyed and so will the people.

For the maintenance of the world order, people should work so others can be inspired and follow. The ignorant might be deluded into thinking ‘I am the doer’ but he who understands the Gunas and know that it is the evolutes of Prakriti does not get attached to the actions.

Therefore, dedicate all actions to Him, Shri Krishna, the avatarapurusha of this yuga with the mind fixed on Him so as to be freed from all bondage of samskaras.

Likes and dislikes are value judgements and rooted in our senses. We like roses, we dislike its thorns. We like lotus but we dislike the muddy ponds. We should not be swayed by these likes and dislikes because these create impressions within us and in turn they go on to create samskaras and determine the course of our lives.

One’s own duty although devoid of any merit is preferable to the duty of others no matter how well performed. Even death in the performance of one’s own duty is a sacred blessing whereas there is only fear and anxiety in pursuance of another’s duty.

This again contains a deep spiritual secret and I would like to share a familiar story with all of you. It is said that during the Ramayana, when Rama was standing on the beach of the Bay of Bengal and commanded the construction of a bridge and his army of vanaras sprung into action carrying and throwing huge boulders and rocks onto the ocean; they observed a small squirrel dashing here and there between their feet. They complained to their commander who brought it to the attention of Rama. The squirrel then was summoned in front of Rama who smiled and asked what was he doing?

The squirrel replied, “I dip myself in the ocean waves and roll around in the beach sand and then come quickly to the bridge and shake the sand loose between the rocks so the holes can be filled.”

Lord Rama asked, “But why do you want to do so?”

The squirrel replied, “I heard Lord Rama had come here to build a bride and I too wanted to help in the building of this bridge. My capacity is only so much. I can’t lift and carry heavy rocks but I can fill the gaps between the rocks with beach sand.”

Lord Rama was touched by the sincerity of the squirrel and very tenderly ran his fingers down its back thanking it for its contribution.

Dear Reader, the Indian Brown Squirrel is the only squirrel in the world to carry stripes on its back.

Arjuna asks Shri Krishna, “What force compels man towards adharma involuntarily?” Shri Bhagavan replies, “It is desire.”

We are all riddled by desires: for wealth, property, marriage, children – a never ending well of desires springs in our hearts. It is desire that is born out of Rajoguna that compels man towards action on the path of adharma.

Just as flames are covered by smoke, mirror by dust so too is knowledge covered by desires. And it is the eternal enemy of the wise which is insatiable. And which keep us bound to the human plane so where is the possibility of liberation if we are bound to our desires?

The unmarried desire marriage, the married desire children, the children desire high paying jobs and so the cycle goes on endlessly. So where is the opportunity for knowledge?

In chapter 2, Sankhyayoga, Shri Krishna says the only true knowledge is the knowledge of the soul. All the rest is mere information. But how many of us seek the knowledge of the soul?

The senses, the intellect, the mind all keep the light of Truth hidden away and desire deludes and misleads the human.

Therefore, first control the senses and relinquish all desires that is keeping knowledge of the Unmanifested Reality or Nirguna Brahman and the Manifested Divinity or Saguna Brahman from us.

The senses are said to be greater than the body, greater than the senses is the mind, greater than the mind is the intellect and the inner Self or the soul is greater than the intellect.

In Kathopanishad, it says he whose coachman in the form of the intellect is wise and discriminating, whose rein in the form of the mind is properly controlled and whose horses in the form of the senses are well-disciplined – such a soul possessed of a pure heart, reaches the Supreme State from which there is no return to the human plane.

Therefore, knowing that the soul is higher than the intellect and subduing the mind by reason, let us relinquish all desires and turn our attention inwards towards the Divine Light that is ever present within all of us.

yogeśaṁ(m) saccidānandaṁ(v̐), vāsudevaṁ(v̐) vrajapriyam,

dharmasaṁsthāpakaṁ(v̐) vīraṁ(ṅ), kṛṣṇaṁ(v̐) vande jagadgurum

I bow to the Master of Yoga, who is the beloved son of Vasudeva, the brave warrior who established Dharma, the spiritual guru of the world.

OM ŚRĪKṚṢṆĀRPAṆAMASTU Note: The talks can be accessed on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@kalpanarj3101