Gita In Daily Life - The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita by swami Dayananda-ji

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The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita (Ten essential verses) by Swami

Dayananda, published by Sri Gangadhareswar Trust, Purani Jhadi,

Rishikesh, India, 249201.

 

 

Introduction (continued) [segment 3 of 5]

 

Karmayoga:

 

Lord Krishna explains karmayoga in this famous verse:

karmanyevAdhikAraste mA phaleShu kadAcana ... (BG2.47).

You have freedom in performing action and never in the result

thereof. This is simply a statement of fact that man has the

freedom to determne the action; he can become the author of

action but not that of the karmaphala, the result of the action.

This understanding brings about a certain attitude towards

karmaphala; it is accepted as it is. A result is treated neither

as success nor as failure; it is treated as the prasAda, the

grace of the Lord. This attitude eliminates any reaction towards

the result and the result cannot create further likes or dislikes.

The likes and dislikes are incapacitated to affect the person

and he is able to maintain an equanimity or samatvam. This is

karmayoga with respect to the phala or the result.

 

There is also the attitude of yoga with reference to karma or

action. It cannot be samatvam or sameness because actions are

varied and every action requires to be considered in its own

right. For example, if we pour ghee on fire, the fire lights

up while if we pour water, it is put-off. So the attitude of

yoga with respect to kama is bhakti or devotion to the Lord:

swakarmaNa tamabhyarcya siddhim vindati mAnavaH (BG18.46).

Man attains perfection (purification of heart) by worshipping

Him by his own actions or duty. The Lord is the creator of the

universe and He maintains it too. The world seems to be maintained

eeficiently and effortlessly. You are also not merely a witness

in the creation; you are a participant. You are a part of the

creation. You are endowed with hands and legs as well as an ability

to act. So you must do something. What should you do? That is to

be determined. The appreciation of the situation will enable you

to discover what is proper under that situation. And it must be

done with the attitude of duty, as an offering to the Lord. The

performance of action is governed by the sense of duty rather than

by likes and dislikes. The action itself is important and not

achievement because the end desired to be attained is purification

of the mind. Action is done because it must be done. If what one

has to do coincides with one's like, it becomes a spontaneous

action. If what one has to do does not agree with what one likes

to do, it becomes a deliberate action. The likes and dislikes

get neutralized by the attitude of duty or devotion towards

the Lord.

 

These two verses provide the definition of karmayoga which is the

attitude towards the result and the action. The one pursuing action

with this attitude in order to acquire a shuddha antahkaraNa or

a contemplative mind is called a yogi.

 

(to be continued)

 

 

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