BHAGAVAD GEETA: 74 - Swami Advayananda.
===================================================================================BHAGAVAD GEETA
Chapter - 2
Discourse – 2 (72 Slogas)
“Yoga of the SUPREME SELF”
Sri Veda Vyasaji
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Tuesday 21, May 2024 06:30.
2.11 THE GLORY OF KARMA YOGA
(Slogas 49-53, 5 No.)
Post - 74.
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Slogam-50: The Glory of Karma Yoga:
1
Buddhi-yuktah jahaati iha = Endowed with wisdom, cast off in this life itself
2
ubhe sukrita-dushkrite; = both good and evil actions.
3
tasmaat yogaaya yujyaswa = Therefore, devote yourself to Yoga;
4
yogah karmasu kaushalam. = for Yoga is “Skill in Action”.
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This is another very oft-quoted slogam used to define Karma Yoga.
1
Buddhi-Yuktah: “endowed or equipped with wisdom”. By implication, this includes
the two principles of Karma Yoga, i.e. Vyavasaayaatmikaa Buddhi and Samatvam Buddhi.
The two together constitute Karma Yoga, and this has to be understood whenever further
reference is made in the Geeta to Karma Yoga.
2
In the scriptures, whenever reference is made to casting off both good and evil
actions, the reference may at once be taken to be the Jnana Kanda Sadhana. The Karma
Kanda and Upasana Kanda are automatically excluded because both of them promote
certain Karmas to acquire desired results. Only the Jnana Kanda renounces all Karma, good
and evil, as it offers the path beyond Karma.
To clarify this point, we note that in Karma Yoga giving up of Nishidha and Kamya
Karmas (forbidden and desire-driven actions) is understandable if one wishes to accumulate
merits; but even the Nitya Karmas or good deeds are done without expectation of any fruit
by dedicating them to God. There is no desire even for merit, thus freeing one totally from
the bondage of actions.
The question arises, “What happens to the Punya that must certainly accrue for
doing such wonderful work?” The simple answer from Acharyaji is that the Karma Yogi
encashes it for Chitta Shuddhi or purity of mind. Any good action is bound to accumulate
merit, but this is usually wasted on pleasures, etc, which lead nowhere. When merit is
‘saved’ skillfully it gets converted to purity.
3
The contextual meaning of Yoga here is ‘Karma Yoga’. Sri Krishna is connecting the
highest goal to Karma Yoga since Karma Yoga leads to it.
When a mother wants to point out the moon to her child, she says, “Look, it’s just
beyond the tip of that tree branch.”
Acharyaji quoted to us a beautiful anecdote which Pujya Gurudev loved for this
topic. A certain Sri Gupta from North India was married to Smt Lakshmi. On his visits to
South India he secretly wedded Kalyani also. When Mr Gupta dies, both ladies become
widows at the same time. This is the point of the story: These two wives represent the good
and evil deeds respectively. Mr Gupta’s death represents the condition when the Karma
Yogi becomes ‘dead’ to the world by offering himself totally to God. At that time, both good
and evil deeds leave him, i.e. they become ‘widows’.
Yoga is Skill in Action:
4
There is great skill involved in practicing Karma Yoga. The “double-hit” is part of
that skill. Karmas have a natural tendency to bind people. To come out of that bondage is a
mammoth task. Karma Yoga accomplishes that task to perfection. It turns ordinary earth
bound Karma head over heels and directs it Godward, and to Liberation. This is the superb
ability that Karma Yoga has.
We were reminded of Pujya Gurudev’s golden words on this topic. Skill in Action is
interpreted as: “When all old Vasanas are exhausted, and no new Vasanas are created.”
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TRUE KARMA YOGIS:
True Karma Yogis become very powerful forces in the evolution of society. They
command the obedience of large numbers of people. People stand in awe of great men
skilled in KY. They become icons in the spiritual field. This is due to their power of
concentrated action, with devotion to God alone as their driving force.
Acharyaji cited the example of the construction of Pratishwara Temple in Tanjore.
Many parts needed to be assembled together with perfect precision. It also has the
uniqueness of not having its shadow fall on any part of the ground, at any time of the day,
throughout the year.
[Science-minded readers may infer from this that the perimeter of the temple was the widest
locus of the shadow of the highest point at any time of the year. So the shadow could only fall on the
temple, not on the ground.]
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The same architect’s father was a great Karma Yogi. When the father was once
supervising the construction of a temple, one of the artisans had a habit of spitting as he
worked. So the father provided for him a person to hold a spittoon for him while he worked.
On one occasion this person left the spittoon and went away. The father noticed it and ran
to hold it himself for the artisan, who did not notice any change, happily spitting into the
spittoon. Only at the end of the day did he realize who was carrying the spittoon!
Such are the awe-inspiring examples of skilled Karma Yogis in Action.
In the Bhashya, Shankaracharyaji places KY on the highest pedestal. The selflessness
is taken to its heights when he says that the Karma Yogi renounces even the thought, “May
it please God”!
In concluding this verse, Acharyaji brought balance to the discussion by adding just
one line of wisdom – “God sees not our ability but only our availability!
*****
Nexr
Slogam - 51: The Fruit of Karma Yoga is Jnana Yoga
Continued
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