Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

January 25, 2009

18. karmaNi akarma yaH paSyeth akarmaNi cha karma yaH

sa buDdhimman manushyeshu sa yukthaH

krthsnakarmakrth

The one who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is wise, integrated and is the one who has finished all his actions(that is, he has no need of any more action)

Krishna starts elucidating the truth about action that has to be known. The wise men sees inaction in action, karmaNi akarma, and vice versa, akarmaNi cha karma yaH paSyeth. The one who can do this is yuktha, integrated and krthsnakarmavith, has the real knowledge of action,

This appears to be a self contradicting statement on the surface but it is not so in reality. Seeing akarma in karma is with respect to the actions done without attachment giving up the desire for the fruit of such actions. This could be understood by the above story of Vyasa and Krishna. Since the result of such actions do not affect the doer who identifies himself with his Self and not with his body, mind and intellect. Another example of seeing akarma in karma is the incident that happened in the life of Jadabharatha cited in Bhagavathapurana.

Bharatha, a king in ancient times left his kingdom in pursuit of knowledge and led an ascetic's life. But due strange circumstances he became attached to a deer cub and had to take another birth as a deer, in which due to the wisdom acquired in his previous janma he shed his body and was born as an enlightened sage in his next and last birth. Once he was asked to carry the palanquin of King Rahugana, which he did without hesitation as he was totally devoid of ego. When his gait did not match that of others the king got irritated and seeing his well built body, sarcastically remarked that perhaps it was too much of a burden for him. Bharatha replied "I do not have any strain because I am not doing any work." When he said `I' he meant his Self and not his body. So this is a case of seeing akarma in karma.

But more perplexing is the idea of seeing karma in akarma. The word inaction, akarma is usually understood as abstention from action or keeping still. Bur even when we are keeping quiet our mind is active. So it appears that inaction is when even the mind is silent or in a state of Samadhi. But it is not as simple as that. The great sages who are found even today in Himalayas doing meditation are in fact engrossed in great activity, namely bringing blessings to mankind. The classical example can be Lord Ranganatha who is reclining on His Seshasayana . As Krishna Himself said in the previous chapter, utseedheyuh ime lokaah kuryaam karma chedhaham, If the Lord is really inactive the world will collapse. Also identifying the Lord with the anatharaathma , the real Self, there can be no activity without the Self, which in reality is not the doer. This is karma in akarma.

This idea can be very simply verified in daily life. When we are moving in a vehicle, provided the movement is very smooth and not felt as such, it looks as though we are still and the other objects outside are rushing in the opposite direction. Similarly when we look at a distant object it looks as though it is stationary whereas it may be moving and the movement is not visible due to the distance. The difference between a man of wisdom and a man of the world is similar to that between a man of scientific knowledge who knows that the earth is moving and an ignorant man who thinks that it does not.

The word krthsnakaramkrth, one who has completed all actions should be understood in the light of the sloka 22 of the previous chapter, `na me partha asthi karthavyam-----vartha eva cha karmaNi,' where Krishna says that there is nothing need be done by Him but still He continues to act. The same idea is reiterated in the sloka 14 of the present chapter as `na maam karmaaNi limpanthi na me karmaphale sprhaa.' This is made more clear in the subsequent slokas of the chapter.