Sharing Sanjivani (Sanjivani - Life Saving Herb)

Chapter (48)How to create faith in our 'Gyan yoga' and Karma Yoga'?

(48) How to create faith in our ‘Gyan yoga’ and Karma Yoga’?

Lord Krishna explains Arjun that when a person thinks no ill of others, does nothing wrong to others or accept nothing as evil in others his ‘Karmayoga’ is started. When a person thinks that nothing is mine. I do not want anything and I do not want to do anything for me, his Gyan Yoga’ is started. In following KarmaYoga’ to do karma’ is important. If a person does not do any karma, how could he know whether he could remain steady in his karma yoga or become unsteady in his karma yoga .A person when feels strong inspiration to do karma he should try to make that strong instinct  calm and cool by abandoning ‘desires of doing those karma .Then only that karma would become ‘Kartavya-karma’ but if a person desires something out of that karma ,his karma becomes passion and its success gives him pleasure and failures makes him sad. The strong instinct of doing ‘desired karma’ forcefully make a person passionate about karma but when a karma is done without expecting anything as a reward or result ,it would become kartavya karma. This type of karma makes a person free from the consequences of his karma. These karma never binds a person . This karma becomes ’Akarma’ and this situation is considered as ‘NIskarmnyata’or ‘Akarmanyata’.

        When a person does his desired karma, all his karma becomes fruitless. Just as a roasted or boiled seed cannot grow as a plant or tree ,all the karma done with the expectation of desired fruits becomes unproductive When a desired karma cannot give ‘expected results’ or remain incomplete by the person for any reasons, it becomes cause of his entry in the  roaming cycle of rebirth and death.

        A person can only abandon his desires or wishes when he does ‘karma’ for the welfare of others and with the intention of providing services to others and not for himself. Every karma is related with life and sansar but the real form of a soul is related with the eternal god. Until a person is related with world and sansar and does all his karma for his own welfare or for the completion of any desire, he could not be able to abandon his desires to get anything as a reward of his karma and until a person abandons his desire, his karma could not be free from the ‘bondage of rebirth’.

        Lord Shri Krishna explains that a ‘karmayogi’ has to start doing kartavya-karma because without doing kartavya-karma , how could he abandon ‘desired karma’ and how could he become free from the ‘bondage of karma’ ? Now Lord Shri Krishna explains him that  according to Sankya yoga , a ‘karma yogi’ should not only abandon ‘desired  karma related with  the expectation of result and reward but also abandon the ‘ego’ of doing karma. According to Sankhya yoga a karma yogi can make his choice of doing some essential karma and he can make his choice of abandoning some unessential karma but according to ‘karma yoga’ a person has to perform his kartavya karma to achieve his accomplishment through karma.

        Lord Krishna in BhagaVad Gita teaches a person to do kartavya karma .Lord Krishna never put emphasis on not doing karma as by law of nature, not a single  living can remain ‘Akarma’- aloof from doing karma. Lord Krishna wants a Sadhak to perform his kartavya karma and not the desired karma. Lord does not insist on remaining Akarma-non performance of karma or abandoning karma. Hence Lord Krishna explains Arjun both Sankhya yoga and karma yoga and put emphasis on doing kartavya karma in both the types of yoga. But when a Sadhak acquires knowledge through Sankhya yoga , he does not want to do any karma. A sadhak wants to free him from the bondage of karma. Hence Arjun asks here Lord Krishna that why do you insist me to do ‘notorious ‘karma of doing war with my own people?

        Lord Krishna does not want Arjun to abandon  his kartavya karma as a kshyatriya on the battle field .Lord wants Arjun to abandon the desire of victory or defeat, success or failures, jealousy and envy, attachment and detachment. Lord wants Arjun to perform his Kartavya karma without expecting anything as a reward and serve his people whole heartedly selflessly. Lord insists Arjun to serve his country with his body and senses, mind and intellect, thinking everything as instruments to serve , the purpose of performing his kartavya karma. Lord explains Arjun to make his desires and ego free from the attachment of performing war and considered all his organs as instruments to fulfill his kartavya karma. Lord advises Arjun to feel free from desires of getting or losing anything as a result of war.

        When a person wants to attain something and think about the welfare of all and none but everyone, his personal interest in his worldly karma and family relations would decline. The desire of abandoning karma is an obstacle on the path of Salvation. Really speaking a Sadhak should abandon ‘desires’ of fruits and Sadhak should abondon’ desires’ of fruits and do his karma as ‘kartavya’. When a desire of getting fruits out of any karma is abolished, a sadhak becomes free from the consequences of his karma and bondage of rebirth. This karma without expecting anything is advised by Lord Krishna to perform.

        Lord Krishna put emphasis on performing kartavya karma for the welfare of mankind and all living on this planet and abandoning ‘desires’ by karmayogi and ego to become ‘Sankya yogi’.

        Let’s learn what is the difference between yogi and a common man?