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Shri Datta Swami

Posted on: 20 Nov 2020

               

Why did Lord Krishna repeatedly emphasize giving up the desire for the fruit of work?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on November 01, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Śrī Bharat Krishna asked: Scholars say, based on the Gītā that one only needs to sacrifice the desire for the fruit of one’s work (karmaphalāsakti) and that there is no need to sacrifice the fruit itself. You say that it is not sufficient to only sacrifice the desire for the fruit of one’s work (karmaphalāsakti), but that it is necessary to sacrifice the fruit of one’s work also. The verse “Saṅgam tyaktvā phalāni ca”, in the Gītā supports Your argument. But in many other verses in the Gītā, why does Lord Kṛṣṇa repeatedly emphasize giving up the desire for the fruit of work, without specifically mentioning the need to sacrifice the fruit itself too?]

Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! The Gītā emphasizes the detachment of the bond with the fruit of one’s work and it also emphasizes the sacrifice of the fruit of one’s work. But this detachment and sacrifice recommended by the Gītā is only in the case of God’s work and not in the case of worldly work. If you detach yourself from the bond of the fruit of your work, your employers will terribly exploit you! God Kṛṣṇa recommended that you should have enough attachment to the fruit of your action for the sake of maintaining yourself and your family members (Śarīrayātrā’pi ca te…—Gītā). On the other hand, He directly asked Arjuna to sacrifice the fruit of his work to Him (Tat kuruṣva madarpaṇam…—Gītā). One should not confuse pravṛtti with ivṛtti. Unless you are detached from your bond with the fruit of your work for the sake of sacrificing it to God, you will not be able to sacrifice it to God. Some devotees are very clever in saying that the original God is unimaginable and hence, there is no need of sacrificing the fruit of work to Him. The unimaginable God exists in the mediated God (Incarnation) and He enjoys your true love proved through your practical service and sacrifice. You cannot even meditate upon the unimaginable God and hence, you cannot even pray to the unimaginable God. Then, why do you not stop your prayers? You will not stop those useless prayers to the unimaginable God because, in doing such theoretical prayers, you do not have to face any inconvenience at all. On the other hand, you avoid practical service and sacrifice because it is highly inconvenient for you.

 
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