Bhagavad Geetha Chapter 5: Karma Sanyasa Yoga — Renunciation of the Fruits of Action

Chapter 5: Karma Sanyasa Yoga

Renunciation of the Fruits of Action

Part of the Bhagavad Geetha — Complete Commentary by Guruji M. Mohan Sundar

( RENUNCIATION OF THE FRUITS OF ACTION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE )

Arjuna said, " Krushna, YOU talked about (emphasized) the renouncing of action in favour of Jnana Yoga (seeking attainment of the Supreme Being through intellectual means) and at the same time YOU are asking me to do action which is devoid of desires behind it (without attachment of desire to it). Tell me which is the best between the two for me ? ". Shree Krushna said, " Doing action is always Superior Yoga than totally giving up action for knowledge. Both forms of Spiritual Pursuit lead to the same result. However, the field of action i.e., doing one's duty is preferable over totally renouncing the action path seeking Knowledge ( realisation of the Supreme Being ). Shree Krushna said to Arjuna, " Any person irrespective of his status (whether a saint or house holder) does not hate anyone nor maintain any expectations is as good as a renunciate. Such a person is really a Karma Yogi (A person detached from attachment to action). Through this way of life, he will get over all the dualities of life and will be freed from the worldly bondages.

Note: Whether a person is a renunciate or a house holder, it does not matter if he has over come the emotions like hatred, dislike or likes. Then such a person, irrespective of his status, he will be freed from the worldly bondages of wants. Such a person, even though performing his prescribed allotted and accepted duties with application, dedication and discipline not looking for the specific wants of the world, but sailing through the natural flow of life (getting satisfied with whatever he gets out of his Karma Yoga/ Out of his unattached actions), he always remains happy and satisfied and will be freed from the bondage of life cycle. Fools presume that Jnana yoga (path of knowledge) and karma yoga (path of action) yields different results but the wise are aware that both Yogas yield the same result. Therefore, they combine both the paths and attain a single result known as GOD realisation (attaining ME). A Jnana Yogi (Man of higher Spiritual knowledge) attains the Supreme Being. The Karma Yogi (man of action with non-attachment) will also attain the Supreme Being in the end. One who understands and sees this truth objectively such a person is a real Yogi.

Note: However, an intelligent seeker may combine both ways, i.e., As a house holder performing all his actions without attachment and also practising as far as possible the path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga i.e. Meditation, Japa, Manana etc.. on the Supreme Being and also worshiping the Supreme Being) will attain the Supreme Being much faster than the above said exclusive paths. A person who has totally renounced and becomes a Sanyasi (renunciate), it becomes difficult for him to control the activities of the mind, senses and body because it will be difficult to renunce the actions through them (senses). However, a Karma Yogi who is doing his duties and also manage to Meditate on the Supreme Being, he will attain the Supreme Being much faster. One who has attained total control over his senses and has a pure state of mind and who sees the Supreme GOD or the Supreme Being in every living being, such a person even though he is in the field of action (Karma Yoga) the results of his actions will not adhere to him. A person who has attained Yoga becomes aware that he is not doing anything but while seeing, listening, touching, smelling, walking, eating food, sleeping, breathing, talking, renunciating, opening the eyes and closing the eyes are all being performed naturally by the senses and the concerned organs, and he as such is not doing anything except maintaining himself in harmony with them. Whoever does actions without desires attached to them, and dedicates all his actions to the Supreme Being (giving up the attitude of 'I am doing'), such a person like a lotus leaf which does not become wet despite being in water will not get into the bondage of karma despite being in Action. Yogis perform their action through their senses, mind, intellect and body, yet inside they are detached from the actions they are doing.

Note: Here it is said that a person who is established in the State of Yoga will continue to perform actions (duties, etc.) through his senses, mind, intellect and body, yet remain established in his own Consciousness undisturbed by the actions he is doing (which are necessary) which are good for himself as well as for the society and the world at large. A Karma Yogi (one who is established in his own Consciousness) sacrifices the fruits (Results) of all his actions to the Supreme Being, and remain in peace within himself. However, those who do actions for the fulfilment of their worldly desires will be bound by Karma (action and reaction phenomenon).

Note: Those who do action for the fulfilment of their desires tend to adapt deviant means most of the times. And thereby, though there is fulfilment of their worldly desires, yet they will be bound by action and reaction phenomena i.e., Karma. This karma would accumulate and leads to rebirth and become the cause for action and reaction in the coming births too. The lesson here is, even though one wants to fulfil his worldly desires which are of his responsibilities and duties, then it is important to adapt as far as possible the righteous means so that Karma is avoided because of any wrong actions. He who is established in his Consciousness (self), even though all actions are going on through his nine doors (Navarandra) of the body, such a person detaches his mind from those actions which are voluntary and involuntary and remains in blissful State in the Supreme Being.

Note: A Yogi is a person who is established in his own Consciousness and such a person keeps his mind detached to all the voluntary and involuntary actions that go through his nine doors of the body (holes) and also otherwise actions, and keep himself always in bliss being aligned with the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is above the law of Karma (action and reaction) and the fruits of it (because HIS actions are absolutely free from blemishes and for the wellbeing of HIS creation). It is the very nature of the living beings (instinct, traits and tendencies carried forward from past existences) that determine the nature of their actions and the fruits of it (appropriate reactions).

Note: It is common for human beings to blame God or the Supreme Being whom they worship when they do not get the required results. People are ignorant of the fact that God neither interferes with the type of action one is doing nor the results of such actions. What one has to understand is that, one's nature of actions are instigated by their carried forward instincts, traits and tendencies, and also good and bad Karma accumulated from their past lives. Therefore, actions are according to their three traits influence and the results are also according to their Karma. God has nothing to do with the actions and the fruits of such actions thereon. In other words , TIME is the master which makes persons to act according to their instincts at an appropriate time and get results accordingly. GOD/ Supreme Being is beyond all these things. A Yogi understands this secret and having established in his own Consciousness through Right Spiritual Practices silently goes through the play of Karma and remains a silent witness to it having committed to righteousness. The Supreme Being (God) does not take (imbibe) either the sins or the fortunes of anyone. The knowledge is always covered by the veil of ignorance. Therefore, ignorant people blame God for their misfortunes falling prey to illusion. Those whose such ignorance is burnt away by the Knowledge (through Meditation on the Supreme Being ) such a person's Consciousness will brighten up just as the Sun dispels the darkness and brightens the world. One whose Consciousness has become a reflection of the Supreme Being, intellect also becomes the reflection of the Supreme Being and finally identifies himself as a part of the Supreme Being. Such a realized person, through his Supreme Knowledge frees himself from all the sins caused by ignorance and attains the Supreme Being and never to return to the cycle of births and deaths. He who is established in the Supreme Being will have EQUAL perception towards a scholar, cow, elephant, dog or even a dog eater (for he sees ME, the Supreme Being, pervading in all of them equally, and realises that it is only their karma which has given them their respective status).

Note: A realized person of great knowledge will have an equal view towards others be towards a realised person, cow, elephant, dog and also a person born in the lower order of the society, because he has realized that the Supreme Being is equally present in all these beings. But, what makes the difference among these beings is even though they are carrying different bodies because of their karma of their past life which has imposed on them the required and appropriate bodies to work-out their own karma, but the Supreme Being is present in the core as a soul or Individual Consciousness in equal proportions not more nor less. Therefore, a person who has realized the Supreme Being or GOD becomes aware of the equal presence of the Supreme Being in equal level in all the above said beings irrespective of their status. Therefore, HE views all of these beings with Equanimity. Any person established in the Equanimity State would have overcome all the worldly dualities and the aberrations, and experiences the Supreme Being as the purest of pure and HIS equal presence in every aspect of the creation. Thus, he would have established himself in the Supreme Being. A person who has attained Equanimity having established in the Supreme Being will not be carried away either by happy situations or unhappy situations. He will be having a stable state of mind, free from any doubt, and thereby ever established in the Supreme Being, undisturbed at all times. A person who is totally detached from the emotions and established in his own Individual Consciousness (Self) through Right Spiritual Meditation will continue to enjoy Supreme Bliss in his own self and will remain undisturbed for all times. The pleasures that come through senses will finally end up in pains. So, every pleasure that has a beginning will also have an end which means it is not permanent. Arjuna, therefore people of intelligence and wisdom will not get attached to them.

Note: Here, Lord Krushna implies that all the pleasures that are derived through senses are temporary and they have an ending. Therefore, the intelligent and wise will not be attracted towards those impermanent pleasures offered by senses. On the other hand, he will seek everlasting happiness in the Supreme Being through Right Spiritual Practices. Though slow to come, yet it will be a reality at some point of time in life. Any person before discarding of his body if he can manage during this period of his physical existence to overcome desires, anger and other emotions, such a person will become a Yogi and he will remain a happy and peaceful person. A person who is established in his own Consciousness (self) will find his Supreme Happiness in his own Consciousness and derive all the knowledge through his own Consciousness which is aligned with the Supreme Consciousness. And such a Yogi will always enjoy the Supreme Peace and bliss for all times. He who has neutralized lust, greed, anger, selfishness, jealous, arrogance and infatuation, and washed away all his sins (bad karma) through knowledge and established in his SELF (through Meditation), and committed to the wellbeing of all living beings, such a person is a Yogi and he will attain the Supreme Bliss. A person who has extinguished (through Right Spiritual Practices) desires, anger and controlled his mind totally, such a person will realize the Supreme Being and he will enjoy Supreme Peace in the Supreme Being which is complete. A person who has turned inward (closing the eyes), shunning all the outside noises and focusing his mind at the point between the eyebrows (between the two eyes) and breathing rhythmically, for such a person the senses and intellect gradually comes under his control and he becomes a seeker of Moksha i.e., disseminating his own Consciousness into the Universal Consciousness and he will remain a liberated person. MY devotees become aware that I AM the ONE who receives all the offerings-offered through sacrificial fire, I AM the owner of all the planes of creation and I AM the owner of all the living beings including animals. I AM the embodiment of kindness and also that infinite Cosmic Love. The people of knowledge knowing this truth, they attain their peace through their offerings to ME. HERE ENDS THE KARMA SANYASA YOGA ( Here ends the knowledge of Action with non attachment)