nittya naimittika karma & karmayoga

[Guest guest]

A few people asked about whether nitya naimittika karmas (such as

sandhyavandana) is included in karmayoga? or are they separate from

karmayoga. This issue can be confusing when one looks into different

acharyas' works.

 

Let me state here :

 

Sri Ramanuja basya on 4-29

 

yajna sistamrta bhujo yanti brahma sanatanam

 

Bhasya :

 

dravya yajna prbriti prayanayam paryanteshu karma yoga bhedeshu sva

samihiteshu pravrittah ethe serve sah yajnaih stristva iti abhihita maha

yajna pruvaka nitya naimittika karma rupa yajna vidah tata eva kshapita

kalmasaha yajna sistamrtena sharira dharaman kuvantaha eva karma yoge

vyapritaha.

 

note the last part: yajna sistamrtena..........eva karmayoge vyapritaha

sanathanam brahma yaanti.

 

this means only people who do and know yajna starting from mahayajnas to

nityamaimittika karmas, are the ones who are purified by these yajnas, and

they attain atman (self realization) through karmayoga. here it is clear

that karmayoga is over and beyong nitya naimiitika karmas which include

pancha mahayajnas

 

Sri Ramanuja bhasya on 4-31:

 

naayam lokosti ayajnasya kutonyah kurusattama

 

Bhasya :

 

ayajnasya maha yajnadi purvaka nitya naimittika karma rahitasya nayam lokah

na prakrta lokah;

 

which means for one who does not do yajna, meaning nittya naimittika karmas

starting from mahayajnas, will not even attain this world, why talk about

other.

 

SriRamanuja bhasya on : 4-32 (gita)

 

evam bahuvidha yajna vitata brahmano mukhe

karmajan viddhi tan sarvan evam jnantva vimokshyase

 

Bhasya :

 

evam hi bahu prakarah karmayogah brahmano mukhe vitatah - atma

yathatmyavapti sadhanataya stithah; tan upkta lakshnanan ukta bhedan sarvan

karmajan viddhi - aharaha anustiyamana nithya naimittika karman viddhi,

evam jnatva yathokta prakarena anustaya moksyase

 

meaning: in this way, as stated in earlier verses, there are different

types of karmayoga ( ie. dravyayajna, svadhyaya, prayanayama, tirtha-yatra

etc.), which have attainment of self as their goal. Those types of

karmayogas are resulted due to daily performance of nitya and naimittika

karmas. knowing this you will attain release.

 

Vedanta Desika makes this very clear in the bhasya - ie. nittya nimittika

karma is additioanal to karmayoga practices.

 

adiyen krishna kalale