Wise men endowed with the yog of discrimination renounce the fruits that arise from their actions and are liberated from the bondage of birth and death. They attain the pure, immortal state of oneness with God. But at what point? does a person become inclined to perform such action (Karm) as taught in the Bhagavad Gita?
The teaching of Yogeshwar Krishn is that the very moment Arjun’s mind – indeed, the mind of any worshiper – has safely steered across the marsh of attachment, and has become completely free from yearning for children, wealth, or honour, all worldly ties are severed. The mind then becomes receptive not only to what is worthy of hearing, but also to the idea of renunciation, making it an integral part of its actions in accordance with what it has learned.
When Arjun’s mind – currently torn and confused by the conflicting interpretations of the Ved – attains the state of steady contemplation of God, it will become constant and unchanging. Then he will master the skill of even-minded discrimination. He will achieve perfect equilibrium, which is the ultimate state of immortality. This is the crowning point of Yog.
The teaching of Shri Krishn is that no man can live even for a fraction of a second without action, for the three properties of nature compel him to act. As long as nature and its qualities exist, no one can remain without performing action. According to Shri Krishn, all actions ultimately cease and dissolve into the most exalted knowledge – the knowledge attained through meditation on the sublime truths that teach a man to be aware of his own Self and to realize how he may be reunited with the Supreme Spirit.
The fire of this knowledge annihilates all action. What the Yogeshwar truly means is that action ceases only when Yog transcends the three properties of the material world, and when the culmination of meditation arises as the direct perception of the Self and its dissolution in God. But before the completion of this ordained task, action does not come to an end, nor are we freed from it.
He is a superior man who exercises inner – rather than external – control over his senses, so that his mind is freed from passions, and who performs his duty in a state of complete desirelessness. Now, although we understand that work must be done, the difficulty is that we do not yet grasp the precise nature of this work. This is also Arjun’s dilemma, and Shri Krishn now proceeds to resolve it.
And now in Chapter Three, Verse Eight, Sri Krsihn sings:
niyatam kuru karma tvam
karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ,
śarīrayātrā’pi ca te
na prasidhyed akarmaṇaḥ (3.8)
“You ought to do your prescribed action as enjoined by scripture, for doing work is better than not doing any, and in the absence of it even the journey of your body may not be completed.’’
Arjun is urged to perform the prescribed action—the ordained task—which is distinct from all other forms of work. The performance of this action is preferable to inaction, for even if we practice only a little of it, it can rescue us from the great fear of birth and death. The performance of one’s spiritual duty—the ordained action—is therefore the superior path. By neglecting it, we cannot even complete the journey of our Soul through its various bodies.
This journey is usually interpreted as the ‘sustenance of the physical body.’ But what kind of sustenance is that? Are we merely a physical body? This Soul—the embodied Self – known as Purush: what has He been doing except making His physical journey through countless lives? When clothes are worn out, we discard them and put on new ones. In the same way, this entire world – from the lowest creatures to the most highly evolved beings, from Brahma down to the farthest limits – is mutable. Through births both low and high, this Soul has been making His physical journey since an unknown beginning. It is action that brings this journey to completion.
If there is yet another birth to come, the journey is still incomplete. The seeker is still on the path, travelling through bodily forms. A journey is complete only when the destination is reached. Once the Self is dissolved in God, it no longer has to travel through physical births. The chain of the Self’s casting off old bodies and assuming new ones is then broken. Thus, action is that which frees the Self – the Purush – from the compulsion of journeying through bodies. Shri Krishn tells Arjun: ‘By this action you shall be freed from the evil that binds the world.’ Therefore, the ‘action’ spoken of in the Bhagavad Gita is that which liberates from the bondage of the world.
However, the question of what this ordained action actually is still remains unresolved. Shri Krishn now begins to answer it.
Yogeshwar Krishn sings in next verse:
yajñārthāt karmaṇo’nyatra
loko’yam karmabhandhanaḥ,
tadartham karma kaunteya
muktasangaḥ samācara (3.9)
“Since the conduct of yagya is the only action and all other business in which people are engaged are only forms of worldly bondage, O son of Kunti, be unattached and do your duly to God well.’’
Contemplation of God (yagya) is the only true action. That conduct alone is action which enables the mind to concentrate on God. It is the prescribed act, and according to Shri Krishn, all tasks other than this are merely forms of worldly bondage. Anything other than the performance of this yagya is not action but slavery. It is important to remind ourselves once again of Shri Krishn’s injunction to Arjun: he will be freed from the evils of this world only by performing this one real work. The accomplishment of this work – of yagya – is action, and Arjun is urged to perform it well, in a spirit of detachment. This action cannot be accomplished without disinterest in the world and its objects.
So, the performance of yagya is action. But another question now arises: what exactly is this worthwhile act of yagya? It is only in Chapter 4 that Shri Krishn clarifies what that yagya is – whose performance constitutes true action. From this it becomes evident that Shri Krishn’s method is to first describe the essential characteristics of the subject he wishes to elucidate, so as to inspire reverence for it; then to indicate the precautions to be observed in its practice; and only thereafter to expound the principal doctrine. Before proceeding further, let us recall another aspect of action that Shri Krishn has already mentioned: that it is a prescribed, ordained conduct, and that what is commonly done in its name is not true action at all.
The term ‘action’ was first introduced in Chapter 2. Its characteristic traits, as well as the precautions required in its performance, were described. Yet the true nature of this action remained unspecified. In Chapter 3, Shri Krishn has thus far taught that no one can live without action. Since man lives within nature, he is compelled to act. However, there are those who forcibly restrain their sense organs while their minds remain absorbed in sense objects. Such people are arrogant, and their efforts are in vain.
Thus Arjun is instructed to restrain his senses in order to perform the ordained action. But the question still remains: what action is he to perform? He is told that the accomplishment of yagya is action. Yet according to Shri Krishn, the other activities commonly regarded as ‘action’ are not what He means. Whatever is done apart from yagya is merely a form of worldly bondage, not true action. The performance of yagya alone is the real action.
It is true that yagya is action; but what exactly is yagya? It is only in Chapter 4 that He elaborates the concept of the action that is fit to be performed. A proper understanding of this definition of action is the key to comprehending the Gita.
All men are engaged in one kind of work or another, but this is different from true action. Some cultivate the fields, while others are engaged in trade and commerce. Some hold positions of power, while others are servants. Some claim to be intellectuals, while others earn their livelihood through manual labour. Some devote themselves to social service, while others serve their nation. And for all these activities, people have even invented labels such as ‘selfish’ and ‘selfless.’ But according to Shri Krishn, none of these are what He means by action. Whatever is done other than yagya is merely a form of worldly bondage, not true action. The performance of yagya alone is the real action.
In Chapter Four, Shri Krishn has elucidated yagya in more than a dozen forms, which together portray the various modes that provide access to the Supreme Being. In truth, all these different forms of yagya are internal processes of contemplation – forms of worship that make God manifest and knowable. Yagya is thus the special, ordained means by which a worshiper traverses the path that leads to God.
In brief, yogis offer as oblation the functions of all the senses and the operations of the life-breaths into the fire of Yoga, which is lit by the knowledge of God. When restraint becomes integrated with the Self, and the movements of the breath and senses are stilled, the current that arouses passions and the current that propels one toward God merge into the Self. The fruit of yagya then reveals itself as God-realization – the culmination of this spiritual discipline.
As some offer their exhalation to the inhalation, others offer their inhaled breath to the exhaled breath, while still others practice serenity of breath by regulating the incoming and outgoing breaths.
Meditators on the Self sacrifice vital air to apān and, similarly, apān to prān. Going even higher than this, other yogis restrain all the life-winds and take refuge in the regulation of breath (prāṇāyām).
Yet others, who subsist on strictly regulated breath and offer breath to breath, and life to life, are all knowers of yagya; and the sins of all who have known yagya are destroyed.
Yagya is the only discipline that transports one to God the very moment it is completed. Perform any other work you choose – if it can take you to God in the same way. In truth, all these forms of yagya are internal processes of contemplation – modes of worship that make God manifest and knowable. Yagya is the special, ordained method that enables the worshiper to traverse the path leading to God. That by which this yagya is accomplished – regulation and serenity of breath – is action. The true meaning of ‘action,’ therefore, is ‘worship.’
Bow down in lotus feet of Revered Gurudev for such teaching to me.
And hence now we have come to a solid conclusion with a metaphysical vision what truly “Niyat Karm” and “Karm” is as per teachings of Bhagavad Gita.
References :
1. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222242676927813&set=a.1557377266322
2. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222242385720533&set=a.1557377266322
3. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10222242568845111&set=a.1557377266322
4. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222221458037354&set=a.1557377266322
5. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10222242608126093&set=a.1557377266322
6. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222239134359251&set=a.1557377266322
Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand.
Humble Wishes.
