The Path of Selfless Service

Karma and Karma Yoga

Nishkama Karma Yoga is the word that often comes in the Gita. Karma, Akarma and Vikarma are also mentioned in the Gita (Karmaṇohyapi…). Karma means the work done with selfish desire for a limited circle of family. Karma Yoga means the work done for the sake of Lord. Akarma means not doing either Karma or Karma Yoga. Vikarma means the action, which disturbs the peace of the world by harming good devotees.

For Arjuna, to participate in the Mahabharata war is both Karma and Karma Yoga. It is karma because Arjuna can earn his kingdom (money) which is justified. It is Karmayoga because the war is to destroy the injustice and it is the mission of Lord. Participation in such a war is Karma Yoga. Therefore, Arjuna must participate in this war to destroy Kauravas. This war happens to be personal work (Svakaryam) and also the work of the Lord (Swami Karyam). Svakaryam means Karma and Swami Karyam means Karma Yoga. In both the words karma is common. This means that any person has to work always. For doing work only, the soul is born in this world and therefore one cannot remain idle without work. The Gita says the same thing as ‘Na hi Kaścit’. For doing karma, Sankalpa (aim) is essential. Without aim no work (karma) is done.

In your body the blood circulation system, the digestive system etc., are working with the aim that you will do some work in this world. You are born in this world with a purpose. That purpose is that you will do minimum karma and maximum Karma yoga. But you are doing maximum karma and you are not doing at least a minimum of Karma Yoga. That is, most of your work is self-centered which is done either for yourself or for your limited family and this is called karma. The Lord is also doing work for His family, which is the entire world. To help Him in His work is called Karma Yoga. He is coming down in human form very frequently. He comes down in different Human forms also at the same time for the upliftment of the entire humanity. This work consists of uplifting the people present at various levels to higher levels. One incarnation will concentrate to convert atheists into believers of God by showing miracles, which are beyond scientific Logic. For that incarnation that is the main work. Another incarnation brings out the main name and form of God. Temples are built and worships are done in a traditional way. The believers in God (Astikas) can climb only this step in the beginning. Another incarnation reveals the absolute truth, which is Brahma Jnana (Real Knowledge of God). All this is a complex of various educational institutes.

In this complex, school, college and the university exist. There is the Head Master in the school, a Principal for the college and a Chancellor for the university. Various types of assisting staff assist all these three. These three are performing their duties within their limited circles. First the uneducated fellow is admitted into a school, then is admitted to college and finally to University. The uneducated fellow cannot enter the University directly. Similarly, an atheist should become a believer of God through miracles. For this purpose, the first incarnation works. After becoming a theist, he should become a devotee through worships and devotional songs. The second incarnation works for this. These two incarnations work for the purification of mind. When the mind is completely relieved from jealousy and egoism the mind is completely purified. Now he is eligible for Jnana Yoga. Shankara told that the traditional karma brings the purification of mind, which makes one eligible for receiving Jnana Yoga. In the school the atheist becomes believer of God. In the college the believer is becoming a devotee. In the university the devotee is becoming a Jnani (possessor of knowledge). The third level is the most important level. If the mind is not completely purified Jnana yoga cannot remain. If the Jnana Yoga stands in him, he is liberated.

Once you have this Jnana Yoga, you will be astonished as said in the Gita (Āścaryavat paśyati). The third incarnation reveals the whole true knowledge. This third incarnation is called ‘Pari Pūrṇa Tamāvatāra’. The words ‘Pari’ and ‘Tama’ are double superlative degrees. There can be no greater ‘Avataara’ than this. He is the God who is fully revealed. He says vehemently that He is God. Lord Krishna is the most, fullest incarnation (Pari Puurna Tamaavatara). He can only reveal the true knowledge, which can open the knot of your heart. All your doubts are cleared. Your heart is immersed in the ocean of bliss. This Avataara reveals Jnana Yoga. Datta reveals Himself fully to the deserving devotees that He is in the human form. If you recognize His Human form and fix Him in your mind forever, such a state is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Nirvikalpa means not getting doubts after the decision. Samadhi means the unshakeable decision. Hanuman and Radha are the best examples for Nirvikalpa samadhi. Both of them recognized Rama and Krishna who are the Human incarnations and worshipped them with firm faith. Both of them have only Swami Karyam and they do not have any Svakaryam. Radha preached the firm devotion to the World. Hanuman proved that firm devotion by doing selfless service always to the Lord. Radha lived with the Lord when the Lord did not commence His work. Therefore, Radha did not get the opportunity to participate in the work of the Lord. Therefore, Radha did personal service to the Lord. Swami started His work only after leaving Radha. Radha does not know the participation in the war and so she cannot participate in the work of the Lord to destroy the injustice. Satyabhama who is well versed in the war helped Lord Krishna during war with Narakasura.

Hanuman was far from Rama before the work of the Lord commenced. The reason for this is Hanuman can co-operate in the war. Radha was associated with Swami in the earlier part of the life. Hanuman was associated in the later part of the life of the Lord. When Lord Krishna left Brindavanam, Radha did not go home. She wandered in the banks of Yamuna till she died. Like this Radha exhibited the love on the Lord. In the heart of Hanuman also such extent of love on the Lord exists. Hanuman did not exhibit this. He showed it in the performance of service. Both exhibition and proof are necessary. What happened in the case of Arjuna? Arjuna refused the kingdom and so does not want to fight. What is the meaning of this? Arjuna did not perform Svakaryam. Krishna advised Arjuna to participate in His work i.e., destruction of injustice. So Arjuna did not participate in the war as Svakarya (karma), but fully participated in the war as Swami Karyam (Karma Yoga). So far it is good. But there is one important point here. Arjuna did not leave the war as karma due to the devotion on the Lord. Had he left the war like this it should have been good. Had Arjuna left the war due to detachment from the kingdom (money) that would have been also good? But Arjuna left the war because of the blind attraction of family bonds.

That is why the Lord advised Arjuna to do the war as karma itself. Arjuna did not have that much love as Radha had for the Lord. But Hanuman had that much love. Therefore, Arjuna did not take the war as Karma Yoga and he did not even think about it. Therefore, the Lord taught karma, then taught bhakti through jnana, then taught Jnana Yoga after the purification of mind through bhakti, revealed Himself as God in Jnana Yoga and finally advised him to participate in the war as Karma Yoga. The essence of the Gita can be told in one sentence i.e., Kill Duryodhana not for the sake of kingdom, but as a servant participating in God’s mission to destroy injustice.

But see the case of Hanuman. Hanuman participated in the war as a servant of the Lord in the work of Rama and not for any personal benefit.

Therefore, Nishkama Karma Yoga means participation in the work of the Lord in human form without any selfish aim, as the work of the Lord is only to uplift the humanity. This results only through jnana and bhakti. The fruit of the war by killing Ravana went to Lord only. Therefore, you must give the fruit of your work to the Lord. To do so you must get rid of selfishness. Then before performing karma, you will not have any selfish aim. This lack of selfish aim is called Nishkama. If you do not have selfish aim, you will not be attached to the fruit of karma. Then only you can give the fruit to the Lord.

If one leads the life like Hanuman who is completely concentrating on the work of God, such a person can go from Brahmacharya to Samnyaasa directly. He also does work. but he surrenders the fruit of his entire work to the Lord. Hanuman is such a Brahmacharya Samnyaasi. That is He did not marry and He surrendered all His life and work to the Lord. Adi Shankara, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi etc., are such highest people.

The second stage people i.e., Madhyamas remain in family (Grihastha) to do both svakaryam and Swami Karyam. According to the magnitude of Bhakti, the strength of Swami karyam exists and according to the magnitude of the selfishness the strength of Svakaryam exists. In the case of Arjuna, by performing the war he got kingdom and also participated in the work of the Lord, which is the establishment of justice. Arjuna is called Nara. Nara means human birth. Hanuman became Brahma. Therefore, those of the first category become divine forms. The second category people get always-human births. There is a third category. Such people remain in ‘svakaryam’ during their entire life. That means their time, work, energy and money are completely devoted for themselves, for their family members and for their blood relations only. They cannot recognize God in human form. They go on worshipping the pictures and statues for their selfish ends only. Duryodhana belongs to this type. He is always interested to have the kingdom for himself, for his family and for his blood-related brothers. He did not recognize Lord Krishna as God in human form. He did not participate, or helped Krishna in His work. But he came to Lord Krishna to help him in the war with unjust selfishness. Even there he wanted the Yadava army and not Lord Krishna. Such people perform worships to attain their selfish ends. They will never help the Lord in His work but go on worshipping Him for their selfish ends. Duryodhana went to terrible hell forever. Such people will be born as worms in the pits of mud and excretory matter. Such people are caught in the cycle of such births forever. The Gita says the same thing ‘Saṃsāreṣu narādhamān’. These are very low category people.

Therefore, you should not go to the third type under any circumstances. The first category is like sky, which you cannot reach. At least remain in the second category and attain human birth (Nara). Therefore, Lord Krishna preached the Bhagavadgita to Partha (the Nara). 99 percent people can reach the level of Nara by their sadhana. Therefore, at least instead of going to Paataala (lowest world), one should remain on the earth. The upper world contains divine forms, the middle earth contains Human beings and lower world contains the demons. This statement can be understood in the above sense.

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