Karma Yoga

"I am the atma"-this is the basic teaching of all our upanishads.Atma is referred to by the word, "brahman".Hence the term, "Aham Brahmasmi",I am the atma.This alone is the panacea to all our worldly problems.This principle is called the 'Jnana Yoga',that I am the paramatma.But to get to the stage where I am able to comprehend this fact,there is an intermediate stage,called the "Karma Yoga",where I am made to realize that I am the jivatma.Upon becoming a karma yogi,I am ready to accept the knowledge of the "Jnana Yoga".
Until verses 33,Krishna was giving a jist of "Jnana Yoga",but receiving this teaching is not easy for all.We can nod our heads,and perhaps put these verses in writing,but using this knowledge to confront our day to day problems is very difficult.Vedanta itself agrees that it is too abstract for one to understand,assimilate & practice it.
I need to go through a thorough spiritual preparatory course to receive this teaching.Such a program for spiritual refinement is called the "Karma Yoga".

Hence,let us see what "Karma Yoga" is.

To begin with,I am unable to accept the fact that I am the atma,the eternal & all pervading brahman,which supports the entire universe.This atma,is referred to as the "parama atma"."Jnana yoga" is nothing but understanding that I am the paramatma.

I have mentioned previously that we are made up of the sthula shariram(physical body),sukshma shariram(subtle body,made up of the mind & the prana) and the karana shariram(causal body,a storehouse of all our punyam & papam).These are materials & hence have no life of their own.They need to borrow consciousness from somewhere to be alive.The source of this consciousness is the "paramatma".
The sthula,sukshma & karana shariras,having borrowed consciousness,become what is called as the "jivatma".When a person dies,the jivatma disposes off the sthula shariram alone & goes in search of another,to quench its papam & punyam.This goes on & on infinitely.

Being a Karma Yogi,we consider ourselves to be the jivatma,before moving to being a Janana yogi,where we consider ourselves to be none other than the patamatma itself.

But being a karma yogi,I cannot claim to be eternal or all pervading.I am a localised individual restricted to the confines of a physical body & carrying the punyam & papam along with me,which are not only decided by our actions,but our intentions as well.Thus.I cannot claim to be 'akartha' & 'aboktha'.Therefore I am a 'kartha' & a 'boktha'.Karma yoga says that the very type of body I have acquired now is not by chance,but is a resultant of my karma.This body will survive until the punyam & papam which are to be exhausted through this body are done so,not before that & not a moment after that,whatever the circumstances may be.It is the karma that keeps the body going & discarding the body once the karma is exhausted,the now invisible 'jivatma' goes in search of another body to exhaust the karma that have been acumulated in this birth,is any.The 'jivatma' is visible only when it inhabits a body,not in between.
This is the law of Karma,without the knowledge of which,I cannot be a successful 'Karma Yogi'.
According to the law of Karma,I have taken this body.It will survive & ultimately perish,but 'I' ,will never perish.I shall keep going through the "punarapi jananam,punarapi maranam" cycle.
The next lesson is that,the very purpose of the jivatma taking up a body is to be accountable to the punyams & papams that I have accumulated,which would unfold gradually.This punya-papa-phalam is called 'prarabdha',meaning fate or destiny.My destiny is not determined by the world or God,but by my own past actions.

You may then ask the question,"Is my future determined by my destiny alone?".
Karma Yoga says that fate is one of the factors,but not the only one,influencing my future.To say that fate does not determine my future is ignorance.To say that fate alone determines it is incomplete knowledge.Karma Yoga also says that,in case of human beings,there is a second factor,called 'prayatna',meaning our effort or freewill.Also,for every 'prayatna' that I do,I earn fresh punyam & papam & am adding them to my repository.These are called 'aagaami'.

The condition of my body 10 years from now will be the resultant of 2 forces,one,my prarabdha,and second,the lifestyle I am following now.If I eat junk food,drink & smoke all the time,my aagaami will defenitely negatively influence my health,no matter how good my prarabdha is.

Just like the magnitude & direction of a resultant force is the vector sum of all the forces involved,my future is a resultant of my prarabdha & aagaami.Therefore,I have no way of predicting my future,since my prarabdha is unknown.
This is the secind principle I should remember.

The third principle I should remember is that all these universal laws of Karma are maintained by the omnicient "Eshwara".No human being can handle the law of karma,since we have no knowledge of the karma of ourselves,let alone others.Bhagavan is the 'karma adhyakshaha',meaning the presiding principle & the 'karma phala dhatha',meaning the one who gives the results of your karma at the appropriate time.
He gives the karma-phala perfectly according to the laws of the cosmos,and can never be unfair or unjust.

No wonder,there have been cases when a team of very proficient doctors,think that they have done a perfect job,but are left clueless as to why the patient lost his life.This is because they are aware only of their prayatna,but not of the patient's prarabdha.

A Karma Yogi must be a 'Baktha',a devotee of God.

There are a few points I should remember when performing actions as a Karma Yogi.

1.Reduce adarmic activities gradually.If I need to become a Karma Yogi,the first question I need to ask myself is whether my action is ethical or not.A very easy way to answer that is to see if we would accept the very same action from someone else.
If a conscious effort is made,I can identify many avoidable adharmic activies which I can do away with.Once we are sincere & drop the aviodable adharmic acitivities,Bhagavan will make the unaviodable activities also avoidable.

2.Increase dharmic activies(those which will contribute to the infrastructure around).
The 'Pancha Maha Yajna' form part of these.
They are-

a)Deva Yajna-our contributions to the 'pancha mahaboothas' (aakasha ,vayu ,agni , jala ,prithvi).The first contribuion is to look at them revenrentially & avoid damaging or polluting them & if possible,contribute to their growth.Look at them as the very manifestations of God.

"Lam Prithivatmane Gandhandhaarayami
Am aakashatmane pushpai pujaiyatmi
Yam vayuvaatmane dhupa madhrapayami
Ram agniyatmane deepam pradarshayami
Vam amruthatmane amrutopahaaram samarpayami"


Bhagavan is not the idol or photo.He exists in the form of the pancha boothas.
To remind us of the Deva Yajna, 'Nitya puja' is done.

b)Pitru Yajna-our reverential contributon to the preservation ,perpetuation & propagation of the family & family values.In Hinduism,family means 3 generations,our parents,ourselves & our children.We need to reverentially treat our parents & forfathers ,when they are alive & after their death.Find time to spend with your family.At least,chant the Vishnu Sahasranamam together once a week.

c)Brahma/Rishi Yajna- We are able to enjoy this wonderful culture only because of the scriptures.The screiptures were created by rishis.A materialistic culture will talk about tapping,extracting from & conquering nature.But Hinduism asks you to worship the nature,as it is not your enemy,but a friend.May you get its blessings & benefits by worshipping it.
Hence,we are indebted to the scriptures,& thereby their creators(the rishis) for enjoying this culture.Thus we must contribute to the growth of Hindu scriptures & Hindu scriptural teachers.It is not enough to benefit from Hinduism,but I must contribute towards its growth.Whenever there is a threat to Hinduism,we are ready to contribute financially,but the need of the hour is manpower.We are ready to revere a sanyasi,but not ready for a member of our family to become one.
Initially,the 4 vedas has 1180 branches put together,but now only 15-20 shakas are available now.The rest is lost.
At least chant the 'Gayathri mantra',which is supposed to be the essence of vedas.

d)Manushya Yajna-our contribution to our fellow human beings,especially the under privileged ones,those who do not have the resources to live due to some negative 'prarabdha'.I contribute what I can to these people,including but not limited to 'anna dhana' and 'jala dhana'.

e)Bootha Yajna-our reverential contribution to animals & plants.In Deva Yajna,we are taking into account only the pancha boothas,the inert elements,but in Bootha Yajna,we take into account all animals,plants ,insects,etc.
Examples of this would be 'Go puja' and 'Thulasi Puja'.

These 'Pancha Maha Yajna' would increase our dharmic activities.

3.Dedication of all our activities to the Lord.Every activity I do,no matter how small it is,I do it as an offering to him.Therefore,I would gain the following psychological benefits-

a)I remember that this action is going to the Lord & he alone shapes its result.Just like our semester examination papers are sent to various examiners,whom we do not know,and our scores depend on his state of mind at that moment,our actions go to the Bhagavan himself & he would give an unbiased result without any fear,taking into account my karma & my effort.
b)When I remember the Lord,anxiety with regard to the future will come down,since,future is unknown & anything unknown causes fear.Such fear will make my actions less efficient.If I believe in the Lord,I will tell myself that I have the support of the God to face the future that is bestowed upon me.
c)Whenever I do something as an offering to the Lord,it will be whole hearted.I would give it my heart & soul.I would want it to be of the best quality.Hence,commitment would arise.

"Work is Worship"


4.Experience the future as it unfolds,as my own karma-phala.Consider it as a 'prasada' from the God as he alone gives Karma-phalam,& anything from the God is a holy 'prasada'.Hence,I must not judge any experience as success or failure.If I look at my experience from my view point(raga-dvesha),I would term it as a success or a failure,& therefore I would react to the experience.If I consider it as 'Eshwar prasada',I will not react.
A simple example is the banana.If it comes from a shop,it would directly into our mouth.But if it comes from a temple,it would first go to our eyes & then to our mouth.
Every experience comes from the Lord & you should view it with 'prasada bhavana'.


Here ends what a Karma Yogi must do.
What are its benefits

1.Self respect-I will get out of my low self image,which is a major obstacle to growth in life,be it self pity,self hatred,self criticism.I not talking about arrogance,but freedom from inferiority complex.Krishna will explain about this in the 6 th chapter.The very fact that I am God's creation itself makes me special.More the dharmic activities I do,more worthy of myself I would feel.Giving makes you feel great.Taking will make you feel small.On the lighter side,even Bhagavan became small(Vamana) when he had to take from Mahabali.You need not become Ambani to give.Even a small squirrel contributed to the construction of the bridge to Lanka.

2.Serenity-When I work,I dont have anxiety because I have left the result to God,and when I get the result,I am not judgemental as it is God's blessing.Hence,I do not react.This is called 'samatvam'.Therefore,I have freedom from stress.Absence of stress is the indication that I am a Karma Yogi.

3.Harmony of the setup-since I believe in giving at all levels,be it family ,society or environment ,I will be happy at the end of my life that my contribution has been more than my consumption.Hence,there is harmony at all levels.

4.Spiritual growth and an increased desire to come to 'Jnana Yoga'.From the notion that 'I am the jivatma' to one that 'I am the paramatma'.


Thus,by being a Karma Yogi,I would have a balanced mind,one that is not violently swinging from one side to another.Even if there are reactions,their frequency and intensity and the recovery period of the mind to recuperate from the reactions will reduce.