Karma Yoga
Yoga of Action
There is an immutable law of the multiverse: What goes around, comes around. We reap what we sow. Or in Vedic terms, karma. When there is balance, there is peace. When there is chaos, peace is hard to find. The spiritual path ventures through much darkness and chaos, but its goal, its destination, is peace, Shanti. How can one attain balance amidst this duality? This is the goal of Karma Yoga. Doing one’s tasks without attachment to fruitive results. Achieving balance through actions.
3:1: Arjuna said: O Janardana [Krishna, worshiped by men], O Keshava (Krishna, the Long Haired), why do You want to engage me in ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive action?
3:2: Because of Your apparently perplexing words, my intelligence is confused. Therefore, please tell me decisively how I may attain the highest.
3:3: The Glorious One said: In this world, as I have previously explained to you, O sinless one [Arjuna], there are two kinds of determined yogis: the jnana-yogis who seek union through knowledge of the categories of existence and those who employ the yogic process of [linking through] action.
3:4, 5: Neither through action nor by abstinence from action does one achieve the state of ‘inaction-in-action’ [naiskarmyam], nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
No one exists at any time, not even for a moment, without performing some action. All who are born of the qualities of material nature are helplessly forced to act.
3:6, 7: One who controls the sense organs with the mind, yet ponders sense objects, is known as a fool and a hypocrite.
But one who, by virtue of the mind, regulates the senses through the sensory organs, O Arjuna, and the practice of karma yoga without attachment is superior.
3:8, 9 So, perform your obligatory actions. Indeed, action is better than inaction because even your bodily maintenance would not be possible by inaction.
Because of this, this world is bound by its actions, but you, O child of Kunti, perform your actions for the sake of sacrifice and thereby be liberated from attachment.
3:10, 11: In olden times, the deva of progeny, upon creating the generations, said, “By sacrifice, you will propagate. This will be your ‘milk cow of plenty.’”
This will support the devas, and they will support you. This mutual support is excellent. By using this method, you will achieve the highest.
3:12: The devas will give you all desired objects when they are nourished by sacrifices, but one who enjoys without making offerings to them is considered a thief.
3:13: The righteous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all kinds of sins, but those sinful people who cook for their own sake eat only sin.
3:14, 15: Material bodies are born from foods. Food grains are produced from the rain. Rain comes from performing the sacrifices, and sacrifice is born of action.
All actions arise from the Vedas. Know that Lord Brahma, who is directly manifested from the all-pervading, Imperishable God, has eternally es-tablished the sacrifice of actions.
3:16: Thus, set in action, one who does not adapt to this cycle in this life, who lives in sin, satisfied only by the senses, such a person, O child of Partha, lives in vain.
3:17, 18: But one who delights in the Self, is satisfied in the Self and is satiated in the Self, for such a one, there are no obligatory activities.
For such a person, it is as if no actions are performed because there is no purpose for actions being performed, nor does such a person seek mean-ing from the living entities.
3:19: Therefore, without attachment, always perform your obligatory actions, for by performing such activities without attachment, one attains the Highest.
3:20: Through action, Janaka and others attained perfection. Likewise, for the protection of the world, you ought to perform your requisite actions
3:21: Whatever preeminent people do that alone sets the standard which oth-ers emulate.
3:22 -24: O child of Partha, there are no requisite actions for Me in all the three worlds, nor do I desire to get anything, nonetheless, even I engage in ac-tivities.
If at any time I ceased from engaging in actions, all people would follow My path, O child of Partha.
If I did not act, these worlds would all be ruined. There would be caste confusion and I, the Creator, would destroy all these living entities.
3:25: Just as the ignorant act out of attachment to fruitive reactions, O de-scendent of Bharata, so too those who are knowledgeable should act, but without attachment, to protect the world.
3:26:Those who are knowledgeable should not cause the intelligence of the ig-norant to be disturbed because of their attachments to actions. Rather, they should encourage them to yoke their minds to Me [God] and thus fa-vorably engage in all activities.
3:27: All types of activities are being performed by the [three] gunas [qualities or aspects] of material nature, yet the living entity, who is deluded by false ego, thinks himself the doer.
3:28, 29: O Mighty-Armed one, those who know the truth understand the distribu-tion of the qualities and actions, and hence, their senses are not attached to sense objects.
Those who are deluded by the qualities of material nature and are at-tached to material activities are dull-witted and their knowledge is in-complete. Do not be disturbed by those whose knowledge is complete.
3:30: Renounce all activities unto Me [God], in complete consciousness of Me, free from desire or possessiveness. Being thus free, fight [or do your duty] without mental pain or anxiety.
3:31, 32: Those who practice My eternal doctrine with faith and who are devoid of envy are freed from all karmic reactions.
But those who are envious, who do not practice My doctrine, and whose knowledge is deluded, know them to be ruined and devoid of conscious-ness.
3:33: All living entities follow their natures, even those who have knowledge act according to material nature, so what can repression accomplish?
3:34: Attachment and detachment of the senses and their objects must be reg-ulated. One should not come under the domination of either of these be-cause they are obstacles [to self-realization].
3:35: Better is one’s own duty, though poorly exercised, than that of another, even if performed well. It is better to die performing one’s own duty be-cause doing the duty of another is filled with dread.
3:36: Arjuna asked: By what is one impelled, even without desiring it, to sin? O descendant of Vrishni; it is as if one were incited by force.
3:37: The Blessed One replied: It is desire and anger, which are born of all-devouring passion. Know this to be the very sinful enemy here in the material world.
3:38, 39: As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust and the em-bryo is enveloped by the womb, likewise is this [conditioned] jivatman [or individualized soul] is enveloped by Its [desires].
[Thus conditioned] the wisdom of the wise is enveloped by the constant enemy, the forms of desire, O son of Kunti [Arjuna], as by an insatiable fire.
3:40, 41: The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be the seat [of all de-sires]. By these, the knowledge of the embodied living entities becomes covered and deluded.
Therefore, begin by regulating your senses, O best of the Bharatas, and destroy this inauspiciousness, which is the slayer of knowledge and un-derstanding.
3:42: It is said that the senses are great but superior to the senses is the mind, superior to the mind is the intellect and the living entity is superior even to the intellect.
3:43: Thus, knowing yourself to be superior to the intellect, restrain yourself and destroy the formidable enemy of the forms of desire, O supremely armed one [Arjuna].
Here Ends Chapter Three
Go to: Chapter Four
Go to: Notes and References.
Go to: Cover Page.
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