Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

[Guest guest]

16. kim karma kim akarma ithi kavayaH api athra mohithaaH

thath the karma pravakshyaami yath jnaathvaa mokshyase

aSubhath

Even the wise are deluded as to which is action and which is inaction. I shall tell you about that action knowing which you will be freed from evil.

Karma- action, akarma- nonaction

kavayaH- the word kavi is normally used in the sense of poet but here means the wise denoting one with insight and intuition.

They are also deluded, mohithaaH, meaning that they also are under the influence of gunas and hence fail to understand the real nature of what is karma and what is akarma.

17.karmaNaH hi api bodDhavyam bodDhavyam cha vikarmaNaH

akarmaNaH cha bodDhavyam gahanaa karmaNaH gathiH

The nature of action, should be understood, and also that of variegated and prohibited action.. Knowledge about non-action also must be acquired. The path of action is very difficult.

karmaNaH- (the nature)of action

bodDhavyam- should be known

vikarmaNaH- (the nature )of vikarma, variegated or prohibited action

akarmaNaH- (the nature )of non-action

gahanaa –difficult or unfathomable ( is)

karmaNaH gathiH- the path of action

Karmayoga had been explained by Krishna in the previous chapter and here He elaborates on karma and akarma, action and inaction. In order to follow the path of Karmayoga the seeker must be very clear as to which actions will lead him to bondage and which will secure release from bondage. Krishna has been insisting on the importance of doing one's duty and cited the example of the ancients in by-gone days. The reason for doing so is due to the fact that it is difficult to decide which actions are to be done and which are to be given up. Even the sages are deluded in respect of the questions as to what is action and what is inaction, says Krishna, and tells Arjuna that He will instruct him on this subject so that he can follow the path of Karmayoga without being riddled with doubt.

 

The average man seems to have no doubt at all in this matter because to him action is exertion of some kind and inaction is immobility. But there are not only karma and akarma, action and inaction, but also vikarma, prohibited action. What is laid out in the Vedas are karma in accordance with one's nature and position in this world. These have to be done but without attachment. At the same time one ought to know what are the actions prohibited by the Vedas and should avoid them. For example a thief may say that stealing is what comes to him naturally and demanded by his status in the society because he is not trained for any other work. This kind of activity is denoted by vikarma. On the other hand there are certain actions which need not be done and abstaining from them will be akarma.

 

Ramanuja however defines vikarma as viviDhathaam aapannam karma, variegated action. Karma according to him is mokshasaaDhanabhootham, the action which has to be done to attain release from bondage. Vikarma is varied action, such as nithya, obligatory, naimitthika, occasional and kaamyakarma, desire prompted. Akarma on the other hand is non-action on acquiring the knowledge of the self.

 

Nithya karma is the duty that should be done normally such as svadharma and that ordained by the Vedas like agni hothra, sandhyavandhana, aradhana etc. naimitthika karma is that done on special occasions like sraaddha , yajna, marriage, propitiating the holy men etc. The rest is desire motivated and should be given up by one aspiring for moksha.

 

It is variegated because different nithya naimitthika karmas are prescribed for different kind of people according the rules of varna and asrama. For instance the food differs for people in different orders of society and also the duty towards society and family. Nithya and naimitthika karma thus differs according to one's svadharma. The prohibited action also varies according to the state in life and the class of society to which one belongs. Hence to understand this clearly is very difficult. Even the sages have been known to slip from their svadharma getting confused between karma and vikarma.

 

When one reaches the final state of enlightenment there is no need for him to do any karma and whatever he does becomes akarma.

 

To put this in a simple language, any work that brings a result that affects the doer is karma and that which does not affect the doer in anyway is akarma. A man of divine wisdom, jnani, does not think that he is doing anything because he does not identify himself with the body, mind and intellect and does not possess ahamkara, ego. As mentioned in the last chapter he considers his actions as the interaction between the gunas in him an those outside, gunaaguneshu varthantha ithi mathvaa na sajjathe. Only the man whose intellect is clouded with ego thinks that he is the doer.

 

This idea can be well brought out by a story about sage Vyasa and Krishna. Once Krishna told a gopi to take food for Vyasa, who was at the other side of river Yamuna. But she was not able to cross the river as Yamuna was in spate. Krishna told her to pray that if Krishna was a nithya brahmachari, ever celibate, the river should part. Probably the gopi had her own doubts but she had explicit faith in Krishna and did as he told her and the river parted and she went to the other side and gave the food to Vyasa. But again there was flood and she could not go back . Then Vyasa told her that if he was nithya upavasi , ever fasting, the river will part. This time the girl was really perplexed because just then he ate the whole food brought by her and termed himself a nithya upavasi. She expressed her doubt to Vyasa and also told him what Krishna said about Himself.. Vyasa explained that both of them being jeevanmukthas the function of their bodies did not touch their real Self. The real `I' which is the pure Self is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. The same point is brought out by Sankara in Bajagovindam as `yogaratho vaa bhogaratho vaa sangaratho vaa sanga viheenaH yaya brhamaNi ramathe chittham nandhathi nandhathi nadhathi eva.' Whether he is seen practicing yoga or seemingly indulgent in bhoga his inner bliss remains unalloyed. He is always happy because his mind is revels ever in Brahman.

 

The one who knows this is wise says Krishna in the next sloka.