श्रीः
प्रपन्नपारिजाताय
तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये । ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥
ॐ नमो भगवते श्रीरमणाय
Chapter 3. कर्मयोगः - Key takeaways
In Chapter 2, Bhagavan Sri Krishna had extolled the path of knowledge, while emphasizing the critical role played by karma, to ensure purity of the mind. Chitta-shuddi is an important prerequisite to receive knowledge of the self from the Guru and to make it a reality for oneself. The chapter had ended with Bhagavan reiterating that Braahmi-sthiti / the state of abidance in the aatma, is the state of no delusion, and therefore, no grief. This is called the state of Brahma-Nirvanam.
Chapter 3 begins with Arjuna's doubt as to which path to follow - the path of knowledge or the path of karma. His confusion arises because Bhagavan has extolled both in Chapter 2.
The essence of the teaching is as follows.
One has to perform ordained karma while keeping the ego aside. The ego / ahankara is the feeling of agency or doership, which leads to enjoyership. I do work, I am the karta / doer, therefore I am entitled to the fruits thereof. This is the ego at work. This is what we call our personalities and we give it a lot of importance.
The ego is at the root of problems and disappointments. Bhagavan Ramana says one has no choice between doing and not doing work. But one has the freedom to renounce doership.
Our karma arises from prarabdha - our past actions and their results. We have no control over it. The story of Dharma-vyaadha in the Mahabharata talks about such a situation - the butcher of Mithila, while performing his ordained karma, was also a great jnani because he remained pure with knowledge. In the same way, can I remain delinked from my prarabdha ?
When we submit our actions to the force of prarabdha, and work with the knowledge that the field of action is one in which the body-mind-intellect triad (BMI) interacts with objects-emotions-thoughts triad (OET), we are no longer Perceivers-Feelers-Thinkers (PFT), as Swami Chinmayananda often used to say. The PFT is the limited jeeva, who is trying to get happiness from external factors.
One is free when one extingushes the ego. Until one has conquered the mind and senses and the intellect is firmly established in the self and free from the ego, one has a few options to pursue -
- Stop doing all karma (become a sanyasi) and focus exclusively on the path of knowledge. This is challenging without achieving purity and one-pointedness of the mind.
- Perform karma as yoga - without desire for its results.
- Divinise all karma / perform all karma for Ishvara.
Our nature / prakruti does not let us keep away from karma. Our nature is a combination of the three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas. We need to transcend the gunas. However, this is the journey. As long as we are yet to reach the end-goal, we cannot force the body to stop working.
The third option above, is the most practical one for us. How do we do this ?
Convert all action into a spiritual experience, perform karma as per divine will and devoid of the ego. Perform work as a servant of Ishvara. Be connected to Ishvara all the time by chanting His name, recollect Him and meditate on Him incessantly.
Perform all work as yajna, as an offering to Ishvara. Even if we perform work with a spirit of sacrifice, while it seems noble, it also strengthens the ego, which works to our detriment. This is because when one feels like one is giving up something for another, a shade of hypocrisy creeps in and the ego also gets fed (one starts expecting recognition or reciprocation). Rather, do it for Ishvara, not for oneself or for another.
Real action does not bind, rather it liberates. The difference between binding action and liberating action arises from the attitude with which it is performed.
The devas nourish us, they create order in the universe and we should in turn, nourish them. We are not allowed to exploit the forces of nature (represented by the Devas) to achieve our ends. We have a duty to share the results of our karma. If we do not offer back, we are thieves.
Several millennia ago, Bhagavan Sri Krishna gave us this upadesha on our responsibility to Mother Nature. The entire cosmos is interlinked, nobody can function in isolation, is the key message.
Ishvara also performs his karma as yajna - we have rain, growth of crops etc, as a result.
Gratitude is a form of bhakti. We should be grateful to whoever helps us.
Renunciation of the ego is the greatest yajna / sacrifice. The omnipresent Brahman is established in sacrifice (तस्मात् सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् - Shloka 3.15). Keeping the ego restrained, helps us find fulfillment.
The ego is the thought which I mistake to be who I am. When I think - I am the witness, not the ego, not the doer, I can remain detached.
Karma done without the ego, is yajna. Karma performed with selfish ends, leads to a life of futility.
The jnani who performs karma finds delight in it, then satisfaction and finally deep fulfillment (यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः। आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते।।Shloka 3.17।।). He continues to work but without stress because he is unimpacted by it. He has taken the ego out of the scene.
The jnani also performs karma for the welfare of the world and to set an example for others. We know of several enlightened people who worked incessantly - Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, etc. They had no vision of their individual personalities while they worked - they had a limitless view. Therefore, free of individuality, they were divine. Through knowledge, they offered their work back to Ishvara and were truly detached / sanyasis.
My svadharma is my nature, it cannot harm me. I have to use it as a means for bhakti.
My assumed ego (called chidabhasa in Vedanta terminology) is the cause for bondage. The jnani refuses to accept this and offers it to Ishvara, with the feeling - I am not the doer.
All desire-driven actions should be offered into the fire of knowledge. Desire leads to greed or anger, which drives us into action for selfish ends. They are a result of rajo-guna. Desire is a manifestation of ignorance as to who I really am. I think I am not complete and fulfilled, so I pursue a desire to feel complete and fulfilled.
Like smoke obscuring fire, like dust covering a part of the mirror, like the amniotic fluid covering the foetus, ignorance obscures knowledge. Depending on which stage of the spiritual journey I am in, one of these examples would apply to me. My effort has to be towards getting rid of desire is at the root of the problem. The enemy is within me, riding on my mind and sense organs, and deluding my intellect. By controlling the mind and senses and allowing the intellect to rule, I can overcome desire. This way, I can have a vyavasayatmika buddhi / concentrated intellect free of duality and delusions. Now when I listen to Vedanta, it can become my own reality.
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः । तत्र
श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥
सर्वं श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु