विवेचन सारांश

Path of knowledge v/s Path of Action - The ways to liberation explained

On one hand, Śrī Krishna was claiming that ‘jnana yoga’ is superior; on the other hand, HE was advocating to follow the path of Karma yoga. Arjuna wants to know if knowledge is more superior to action, why then should he get into the sin of war. His act of repeating the names of  Sri Krishna (Janardhana and Kesava) shows his conviction and passion on his thought process. When a person is in a state of conviction, he tends to repeat the name of the person he is conversing with. Janardhana means the one in whom we seek refuge to go in the path of attaining liberation, and here Bhagavān was the one who could guide. HE is also called Keshava, as HE is the source of happiness for all.

Arjuna wanted to know what is good for him and what would lead him towards the spiritually uplifting path to attain the supreme Paramātmā. Even on the battlefield his sorrow was not based on fear of following ‘kshatriya dharma’  but of being a sinner when gods will be upset with him. His confusion is about the duties and actions that he was expected to perform. Arjuna could not comprehend that all paths that Bhagavān uttered were in effect the same.

Bhagavān clarifies that whatever has been explained by HIM be it Sāṃkhya yoga or Karma yoga, it has been prescribed in the Vedas and scriptures from the very beginning. Bhagavān addresses Arjuna as ‘anagha’ which means a person who has no malice and sin in his mind. If we have to understand the knowledge imparted in Gītā we also need to understand the various names by which Arjuna is addressed. Sttudying about his characters will influence us and inculcate in us those characteristics, which made Arjuna dear to Śrī Krishna. Bhagavān addressed him as Anagha to emphasise that the knowledge was coming to him as he is sinless. If one has to pass the exams there will be a threshold mark. Similarly the characteristic of Arjuna should be a threshold mark for us also to follow in order to imbibe the true knowledge imparted by Bhagavān in Gītā.

An orator's work depends on the audience. Bhagavān had 2 such people as the best audience. Arjuna who was an Anagha and the best student who listens with total surrender to Bhagavān. The other person is Uddhava who was Bhagavān Sri Krishna’s friend and listens to the Gītā spoken by HIM before HE leaves this world. This is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatha. If we have to seek knowledge we have to be dear to HIM. 

Answering to Arjuna's query, Bhagavān said that while jnana yoga focussed on knowledge and Karma yoga focused on action, both will lead to the same destination. A person has to choose the path which is better suited to oneself and is based on an individual's natural disposition. Bhagavān clearly states that the path of karma will lead to the path of knowledge.

Bhagavān speaks about ‘naiṣkarmya siddhi’. When one reaches this state and is free from bondage of the actions, one can attain the supreme knowledge. He attains everything even without doing anything (freedom from action).

Eg: The Sun follows this state of Karma. It rises and the entire world is full of energy, the plants and trees grow and life energy is all around, and when it sets it lets us rest. If one thanks Sun god he may say that he does nothing and is just stationary in one place. However, we all know that the world seems alive only because of the Sun. This is ‘naiṣkarmya siddhi’ and one should endeavor to reach this state in life. To reach this state, however, commencing this journey of Karma and performing the actions that are required to be performed is very much relevant.

One should not comprehend this concept as idling away and think of oneself as a jnana yogi and not do anything. To attain perfection, actions are important and hence Karma yoga is the path to reach the destination of knowledge. Even if one decides to shun away the action actively and tries to become action less and gives up on the Karma without attaining the ‘atma jnana’ it will not be possible to tread the path towards liberation. It is evident that in this life not even a single moment can one stay without any action.

As long as we are a part of the prakriti we are regulated by the 3 gunas - Satvik, Rajasik and Tamasik. 

Even if a person is sitting idle without doing anything, the brain keeps working. After some time the hunger pangs can be felt and the urge to look up the phone or any such distracting actions may naturally be warranted. Since we are born out of nature we are also stuck with the 3 gunas in varying proportions and they drive our actions. If we want to meditate and sit in one place, the Rajo guna may take over and remind us about other matters like office work or any other and the concentration is disturbed. Some cannot even pray for 15 minutes without the mind thinking of other matters. Even if a Tamasik person wants to sleep the whole day, it will not be possible.

We will be bound by these Gunas necessarily and involuntarily drawn towards one action or the other. Even during resting time, the heart continues to beat and the mind keeps processing some information. The thoughts keep working and one cannot focus on anything. The Satvik Guna is knowledge centric, the Rajasik Guna is steeped in action centric approach and the Tamasik guna leads to inertia and ignorance. Each of the creations are focussed with and are compelled by these 3 Gunas.

Illustration: The action of a car relative to 3 Gunas

The steering wheel and the headlight as also the actions of the indicators can be associated with the Satvik guna giving directions. If the car is luxurious with AC, unless the car moves it is of no use; this can be related to the action-oriented Rajasik Guna of desire for comfort. A moving car has to stop somewhere for rest by putting on the brakes, this state of rest can be associated with Tamasik Guna. 

As a part of nature all three gunas are required for action or inaction driving them. We can never be separated from these. We are an inevitable part of these actions. If no action is to be performed and a person attempts to apply brakes to all the actions, then nothing can be achieved.

Although by nature we are associated with the three Gunas, some people attempt to take the path of meditation to attain the supreme by consciously controlling the sense organs.

Eg: On Ekadashi, some people want to observe fasting deliberately; and if on that particular day the ones who are not fasting prepare some delicious dish, the desire to eat that even though they are fasting occurs. True fasting is not only controlling the sense organs viz. sense of eyes, smell, tongue, but also the mind. It is the mind that enjoys the objects, through the sense organs.

For eg. when watching a movie, although the eyes and ears are absorbed in the cinema, it is the mind that is actually enjoying it. The deluded understanding that the sense organs are enjoying is not right as it is the mind that certainly controls. The mind controls the senses, and hence needs to be controlled. A person who can superficially control his sense organs temporarily, while the mind latches on to the object from which he is fasting, is called as a deluded person.

There are different types of Karma:

• niyat karma- The actions that should be a part of daily routine. Eg: ‘sandhya vandana’, worshipping on regular daily basis, going to office and working diligently

• Naimith karma- The actions performed on certain occasions. Eg: Festival days, ‘shraddha’ the annual ceremony for the departed as prescribed in the scriptures

• Kamya karma- The actions performed to get results. Eg: Studying hard to get good marks. In this type of Karma the desire is get something in return for the efforts of the action and is attached to expectations to be fulfilled. There are some who say this type of Karma is not good, but this also leads to good action initially and detachment from fruits of action gradually and eventually.

• Nishiddha karma - The action which should not be done. Eg: Troubling and hurting others either with speech or action or thoughts  

• Prasyashchit karma- In spite of having a determined mind not to perform some actions, at time knowingly or unknowingly one may act upon then one should do atonement for such actions.

Bhagavān  stressed that the action which is under nishchit karma should necessarily be carried out and is obligatory. Niyatkarma is prescribed by Vedas where it is stated clearly. Whatever may be the reason the body is doing a journey from birth to the end and this journey is incomplete without action. Whether we do anything or not, action keeps happening akin to thinking or breathing and no human being can stay without doing any action. Hence it is advisable to do the niyatkarma as prescribed in vedas. Bhagavan gives a different perspective on Karma here and is enlightening us. If we follow this and do our duties it becomes a divine action and the comparison that HE gives is that such a Karma will become equivalent to an yajna. This is further elaborated by HIM in the next chapter wherein ‘Karma yajna’ is specifically stated as a type of yajna. The human body is bound to do actions and some actions lead us to liberation and some keep us bound.

Yajna is an oft referred word in Bhagavad Gītā. Yajna refers to that Karma which should be performed as a ‘naiṣkarmya siddhi’ that will lead to liberation. Karma leads to knowledge; and knowledge to liberation, only if Karma is performed as a ‘yajna’. Any task that is  not done as ‘yajna’ becomes a ‘Karma bandana’ and binds us as to the desire for fruits. Karma can be a sin, a good deed or a bad deed and one has to go through the resultant of these actions in the cycle of life. Bhagavān said that if we do it as a ‘Karma yajna’ it will not bind us to the results and take us to liberation. 

Anything done in the spirit of detachment and carried out for the benefit of others is ‘yajna’. Many of us are learning Gītā, memorising the 700 slokas and understanding their meaning. We owe our learning to those facilitators who have consistently published the books on Gītā for decades and have invested so much time and energy in creating and printing the books. Most importantly we owe it to Maharishi Veda Vyas for giving us this epic. We also owe to Geeta press and Swami Govinddev Giri Maharaj ji whose blessings started the Geeta pariwar and to the many volunteers teaching us and working incessantly to make ‘Learn Geeta’ a stupendous success. So many have put in so much effort to create and administer that we cannot take the pride of learning as if it is only our effort that made us learn.  

Even in our life the food that we eat cannot be thought of as bought by us and hence take it as a personal need. There are many people who have put efforts to get that food to us starting from the farmers who have grown the crops and the further long value chain. We should be thankful to Indra dev also who brought rains for the crops to grow.

No one is independent throughout the entire cycle of life. There is a lot of interdependence and this is the activity of ‘yajna’ when we should express gratitude.  

One should go beyond ego as said in this beautiful Bhajan:

मैं नहीं, मेरा नहीं, यह तन किसी का है दिया ।

जो भी अपने पास है,वह धन किसी का है दिया ॥

देने वाले ने दिया, वह भी दिया किस शान से ।

मेरा है यह लेने वाला,कह उठा अभिमान से

मैं, मेरा यह कहने वाला,मन किसी का है दिया । 

मैं नहीं, मेरा नहीं,यह तन किसी का है दिया ।

जो भी अपने पास है,वह धन किसी का है दिया ॥

जो मिला है वह हमेशा,पास रह सकता नहीं ।

कब बिछुड़ जाये यह कोई,राज कह सकता नहीं ।

जिन्दगानी का खिला,मधुवन किसी का है दिया । 

मैं नहीं, मेरा नहीं, यह तन किसी का है दिया ।

जो भी अपने पास है, वह धन किसी का है दिया ॥

जग की सेवा खोज अपनी, प्रीति उनसे कीजिये ।

जिन्दगी का राज है, यह जानकर जी लीजिये ।

साधना की राह पर, यह साधन किसी का है दिया । 

मैं नहीं, मेरा नहीं, यह तन किसी का है दिया ।

जो भी अपने पास है, वह धन किसी का है दिया ॥ 

जो भी अपने पास है, वह सब किसी का है दिया ।

मैं नहीं, मेरा नहीं, यह तन किसी का है दिया ।

जो भी अपने पास है, वह धन किसी का है दिया ॥

• Whatever we have with us today, even our body parts like the eyes with which we can see around is given by someone to us and even the things that we buy come to us and are a blessing to us.
• The one who has given to us has given with such grace that he has not kept any rights on what we should do with it.
• With the eyes he gives he does not ask what we see or we should not.
• If we donate to a charity we think of where the money is being used unlike Bhagavān who lets us decide how we use whatever HE has given.
• We have an ego that belongs to me whereas it has been given to us.
• Even the mind is given to us by HIM.
• Whatever we have received today we are happy, but it is not going to stay with us all the time.
• The happiness that we get also we got from HIM.

When we read Gītā or achieve anything we should know that it is given by HIM and it is our duty to share with others and fulfil our obligations and this is ‘yajna’. When Karma is conceptualized as ‘yajna’ then we develop a practice of sacrifice and sharing and performing all our actions with gratitude.  

When we go to a library to attain knowledge, we utilize what is given by the society and create our knowledge. We are deeply indebted to the society and one should pay back with all humility. Even at an individual level we are indebted to our parents, kith and kin and relatives and soldiers. 

Geeta pariwar is able to do whatever good as the nation has given us the freedom to perform actions for the benefit of society. People who go to kumbh mela do it as a duty as our border is secured by our country and soldiers. During British rule people were scared to go to Kumbh as they were very strictly vigilant with the soldiers watching over. It was the same situation during Mughal rule. We should be indebted to the current situation and even when we visit temples we must be gratuitous to the surroundings and society for having got this sort of freedom. We are morally indebted and hence we must perform our duty with reverence and like a Yajna.  

Bhagavān said that this concept has been in place since the beginning of the universe and creation. By performing the activities and following the Karma diligently one can attain everything. This sort of ‘yajna’ can please and appease all gods and demigods.

When the deities are happy by the offerings made they reciprocate by blessing us for the fulfillment of all wishes and for all the good things that are coming to us like the abundance of food that the farmers who grow our food and so on. If we do not acknowledge this and perform our duties it may result in sins that can occur.

The everyday actions in life may also result in creating some sins. Some examples are:

• Kandini- pounding
• Peshana- grinding
• Chulhi- cooking
• Udakumbi- washing vessels
• Marjani- sweeping

Life brings inevitable ways of hurt. All the above said actions that are performed daily makes us sin unknowingly. During these actions we may hurt micro organisms which are not visible to the naked eye. We have to wipe out these sins on a daily basis. The ways to do so can be by performing some yajna for the nullification of the sinful effects.

• Deva yajna- worship and sacrifice to the gods
• Pitr yajna- Offering to deceased ancestors
• Brahmā yajna- honoring the divine knowledge and wisdom embodied by Brahma through the study, recitation, and teaching of the Vedas
• Bhuta yajna- offering food to living creatures

Some nullification of our sins can be made by keeping water for birds as they get distressed in summer.

• When making rotis the first roti is offered to the cow and the last to the dogs.
• Feed the hungry persons.

These are prescribed by vedas and one should follow the practices as told by our ancestors. We should perform some good deeds to keep collecting ‘punya’.

When we take a loan from the bank we have to repay. Suppose we buy a house from the loan and then stop paying installment we are nothing less than thieves. One should always give back to society.   

Questions and Answers:

Poonam ji

Q: Is studying Gītā Kamya karma? 

A: A karma can be Kamya Karma depending on the intent with which we are doing it. Reading Gītā and spreading it around will not be Kamya karma. If the intent is for the benefit of self only, it becomes Kamya karma. If someone is in trouble and keeps chanting Gītā parayana then it also brings ‘punya’ though it is with a certain intent. 

Swamiji started this movement and did it for the benefit of the society as a Karma yogi. We got this opportunity to learn as someone has invested their mind and intellect and we are the beneficiaries. Having learnt we can also invest in this. Someone said that having learnt we should also pay back by spreading to others and then it becomes ‘yajna’. If someone learns and wants to keep it only for oneself, it is also a ‘punya karma’ but may not be termed as a yajna.

Nutan ji

Q: Will reading Gītā ch 15 make any difference to a special child?

A: Gītā is a chain of mantras said by Adi Shankaracharya as it is spoken words of Bhagavān. Not just chapter 15, but any chapter if consistently chanted to the child, will make a difference positively. "Manah trayate iti mantra" translates to "that which protects the mind is a mantra”. If we contemplate about it it will take away all sorrows. Chanting with correct pronunciation and with the faith in Bhagavān Sri Krishna in the heart, will definitely have the effect. This has been experienced in Geeta pariwar. Surrender to Gītā and it will make you stronger.