Choices In Karma-yoga-Shri.Vellukudi Swami

[Guest guest]

Dear Bakthas,

 

Here is another short summary of our Swami's Geetha vubanyasam at sri

Mahalakshmi temple in Boston…In just 70 minutes time, he took all of

us nearer to Bagavan, who with over 700 slokas was trying to get us

all back inti His fold but could not succeed.

 

...Surithi, Smirthi are like elixer and medicine..Among these, Geetha-

Krishna's songs, has unique place..

 

...Karma yoga is prescribed by Sri Krishna as a must for all..let us

all practice..Aallvandaar summaraises the entire Geetha in one

slokam..let us all try to memaraise this ….Svadharma gnAna vairAgya

sAdhya bhakti Eka gOcara :narAyaNa param brahma gIta sAstreE

samIrita..this is the essence of Gita..Practice of one's prescribed

karma yOga with detachment,realising the atman's essential nature

leads us to bakthi,NarayaNa ,the supreme is attained only through the

bhakti..

 

...There are clearly defined five steps.These are

 

1..realise that Atma is different from the body and eternal..it is

subservant and dependent on paramAtma..deha-atma viveham purinthu,

seshadvam, paara danthiriyamum therinthu–this is suva dharma gjanam..

 

2.next step is practicing the prescribed varna asrama dharma..with

three tyAham ..-a.kartrtva buddhi tyAga,b.mamata tyAga and c.phala

tyAga.. all these are essential …Swami gave the examples where for

all good things done we ,ourselves take full credit and for bad

things we point fingers at others.. for doing any thing paramatma,

jeevatma,manas, piraanna, limbs have to work together..We should not

have our mind in the fruit of our actions..For example, if one pounds

paddy to get rice-vulakkai kuthi-one lets out vervai in the

process..that is by-product…. Baghavan is like wish-granting creeper-

thannaiyey tharum kaamadenu..He will gladly come to us if we ask

Him,unlike kamadenu….So nevar pleads any thing to Him. He knows what

is good for us and will take care of us.

 

..3.the third step is Atma sakshAtkAra-complete realisation and vision

of the atman..This is the inter mediate stage on our march towards

Him..Karma yoga is a must even to a gnAna yogi and bkakti yOgi..they

have to sustain their body first to practice them..for which they

have to eat and sleep..for which they have to earn,cook, and do many

more -these are part of karma yOga.

 

...4.the next step is practicing bhati yOga without giving up karma

yOga.this will remove our adi kala papa-which are obstackles

 

...5..when all our prArabdha karmas are destroyed-this make take many

births-we attain mOksham.Swami explained that karmas-both paapam and

punnyam -are classified into sanchita-and prArabdha..We are trying to

eliminate the latter but likethe frog trying to climb up the

hill ,by leaping up 3inches and immediately falling back 4 inches, we

are adding on more karmas in the process..

 

..Compare with gnAna yOga, karma yOga is simpler,..we are used to it

from birth-like the baby crying and craawling by itself-due to

vaasanai from previous births..the probability of failure is less in

karmayOga.-this is because for gnAnayOga, endiyams have to be under

control–endiriya jayam is very difficult…and in succeeding births, we

can continue from where we left in the previous birth–like marks are

granted evan for the steps in exams, evan though the final answer is

wrong–

 

...Swami quoted some important slokas from gItA..a,karmaNaiva hi

samsiddhim AstithA;janakAdaya–evan Janahar -shadriya king-followed

karma yogam, evan though he was well versed in gnAna yOga..Rama did

not praise his father in law and so Krishna did this to fulfill his

desire..b.Niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyAyO hi akarmaNa

(gnAna )..karma yogam is better than gnAya yoga.c.karmaNyEva adhikAra

tE mA phalEshu kadAcana mA karma phala hEtu:bhU:mA tE sanga :astu

akarmaNi (nan performance of karma )..Swami indicated that because

Arjunan did not change his mind initially we got Geetha..where as

Kaikeyi changed her mind after Mandothari's talk(intially she said

Rama is also her son and hence was happy about his Battaabisheham,bur

latter was convinced by the wicked servant ) and hence we got

Ramayanna….d.Imam vivasvatE yOgam proktavAn aham avyayam vivasvAn

manavE prAha manu :ishvAkavE abravIt–Krishna says that what He is

preaching is an ancient one, which He did for son god 28 chadur

yugams back and was paassed on to Manu, Ishvaahu..

 

..In order to facilitate all to attain mOksham Sri Krishna categorised

them into four varnas–only based on Gunnm and occupation.cAtur

varNyam mayA srshtam..He never discriminated.. in fact ,He says that

the last varNa came from His lotus feet,which all are trying to

reach..Unfortunately, more divisions and discriminations came along

which were as Krishna says not by Him..

 

...Bakthi is the vehicle to mOksham..as analogy, Swami mentioned a

goods vehicle proceeding to a destination,..on the way to remove

snow,one needs snow mover showel..similarly, to remove prArabdha

karma,which obstructs our path to mOksha, Bakthi yOgi needs to

perform karma yOgam also..

 

..Routine Karmas are sandhyA vandana,panca mahA yagna (brahma,

deva,manusha, booda, pithru )..These must be done by all without

fail..Performing these may not grand us any new fruits, but non

performance of these will surely block our way to mOksham..

 

...Additionally He lists 13 types of karma yogam from 4-25 to 4-30

slokas.

 

daivam evapare yajnam

yoginah paryupasate

brahmagnav apare yajnam

yajnenaivopajuhvati…4-25

 

srotradinindriyany anye

samyamagnisu juhvati

shabdadin visayan anya

indriyagnisu juhvati ..4-26..

 

sarvanindriya-karmani

prana-karmani capare

atma-samyama-yogagnau

juhvati jnana-dipite..4-27.

 

dravya-yajnas tapo-yajna

yoga-yajnas tathapare

svadhyaya-jnana-yajnas ca

yatayah samsita-vratah..4-28..

 

apane juhvati pranam

prane 'panam tathapare

pranapana-gati ruddhva

pranayama-parayanah.

apare niyataharah-4-29,4-30..

 

..We should choose to perform one or all of these,regularly,for

purity of mind and removal of paapams.these are listed below..

 

1.Deva Pooja -dailyworship–Saligraamam ,vigraham or pictures in our

homes.We should perform with all three faculties-body,speech,and

mind..

 

2.Offering sacrificial materials to Agni through yagnas..

 

Yagna -yaja deva pUjAyAm.Agnou tishthati… viprANAm hrdi tishthati..

yOginAm pratimAsu aprabuddhAnAm sarvatra samadarsinAm ..thus deity

worship is the simplest method..

 

3..endiriya jayam-offer sensual organs like ears and eyes to the fire

of sensual control-thrushti vithi..

 

4..offer the objects of pleasure like sound and taste to the fire of

five senses..we have to redirect the senses towards the divine form

ofBhagavan..

 

5..mano jayam-control pf manas-meditating on His supremacy ,detaching

from material pleasures,using atma gjanam

 

6.performing deva archana, yaga, homa,dana with wealth earned in the

right way..Swami gave the example of wind mill..which delivers power

without any change either in wind or for the mill..the more

daanam,one does from his earning, the more pleasure and peace of mind

he gets ,which will help him to earn more.

 

7..some perform penance by subjection their body to pain–kAyakIEsam

and fasting–Baghavaan does not like His children ,undergoing these

pains..

 

8.pilgrimage to holy places and rivers..try to spend more time to

know about the place and not rush through likevisiting

exhibition..anubavithu sevikkanum–paarthuttu poha koodaathu.

 

9..chanting vedas..atleast some portion daily..

 

10..enjoy the meanings, commentaries, research and muse over -munnor

mozlintha muraikall..

 

11..control of food habits, pranayama-synchronise apana vayu with

prana vayu-Puraha-deep inhaling

 

12..synchronise Prana vayu with apana-Rechaka-exhaling

 

...13..Kumbaha-holding the breath..control the pranavayu from going

upwards and apana downwards and synchronise all their pranas in

them..

 

We normally breath-in and breath -out 16 times a minute..by control,

if we can reduce to 12 times, we will be healthy..

 

Concluding, we should all perform our routine prescribed karmas and

choose to do one of these 13 types of karma yOgam..Gradually ,we will

automattically start to perform more and more ..and move towards

Bakthi maargam ..which will lead towards Him…Surely by listening to

more of Swami's out-pourings we will march towards Him .

 

Adiyen was trying to convey the gist of Swami's out pouring..but

ethil vulla kuttram kuraikall yellaam adiyenin mantha puthiyaal

villainthana..Swamikall shammikka veynndi kolluhireyn.

Adiyeyn Raamanuja Daasan

Kasturi Thiruvenkadathaan.