Karma yoga [The Yoga of Action]
1. Varenya said -- O Lord! You have described both the path
of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and the path of action (Karma Yoga). Please tell me
which one among these two is definitively beneficial for welfare.
2-3. Shri Gajanana spoke -- O dear one! In ancient times, I
have laid down two disciplines: Saankhya Yoga for those adept in the
discernment between the self and non-self, and Vedha Yoga (Karma Yoga) for
those engaged in action like householders. By not performing prescribed
actions, no one becomes inactive or achieves inaction. O King! Merely
abandoning actions does not lead to accomplishment.
4. No one can remain without performing any action even for
a moment. The three qualities of nature (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) invariably make
everyone perform actions.
5. He who controls his senses but mentally recalls the
objects of the senses, that person with a mind lusting after sensory enjoyment,
is called a hypocrite with petty behavior.
6. O King! He who controls the senses by his mind and
engages in Karma Yoga with his organs of action without desire, he is the
superior person.
7. Even performing actions without desire for fruits is
better than not performing actions at all, because without some form of action,
even the maintenance of the body would not be possible.
8-9. Those beings who do not offer the fruits of their
actions to me fall into bondage. Therefore, performing actions without desire,
one should constantly offer the fruits of those actions to me to destroy the
bondage of action. Actions performed for my sake never cause bondage anywhere,
but those actions done with desire for fruits forcibly bind the creature.
10. In ancient times, along with establishing the system of
sacrifices, I created the Brahmin and other castes saying -- O humans! Flourish
through sacrifice; this sacrifice, like the wish-fulfilling tree, shall grant
you your desired accomplishments.
11. You satisfy the gods with food, and let the gods satisfy
you (with rain, etc.). By thus mutually nurturing each other, both the gods and
you humans shall attain the highest and stable position.
12. The gods, when pleased, fulfill the desired wishes. One
who enjoys the gifts of the gods without worshiping them is a thief.
13-14. Those who eat the remnants of the sacrifice done for
the worship of gods are freed from all sins, while those who prepare food only
for themselves essentially eat sin. Creatures are born from food, food comes
from rain, rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice arises from prescribed
duties.
15. Action arises from Brahman, and Brahman originates from
me — therefore, O King! Know that I am situated in this sacrifice and in the
universe.
16. The wise should strive to cross this cycle of birth and
death, O King! The lowly creature finds happiness in the play of the senses
within this cycle.
17. He who finds delight in his inner self is the one who
rejoices in the self and is beloved to all; for the one satisfied with the
self, there remains no desire.
18. Such a being, whether performing actions or not, does
not incur good or evil fruits, and in all creatures, there's nothing left for
him to accomplish.
19. O King! Therefore, it is proper for beings to perform
actions without attachment; the attached one falls into misfortune, while the
unattached attains me.
20. In ancient times, many royal sages and divine sages have
achieved the highest accomplishment by performing actions. One should perform
actions without attachment for the welfare of the world.
21-23The actions done by great men are followed by others;
what they consider as proof, others also take as proof. O King! There is
nothing in heaven or elsewhere that I desire to achieve through action, yet I
engage in actions. And, O wise one! If I were to act lazily or capriciously and
not perform actions, all castes would abandon their duties and merely follow my
example.
24. Then by acting so, all castes would become corrupt and
would perish. Thus, I would be the cause of the world's destruction and
responsible for the mixing of castes.
25-26. Just as those with desires act out of ignorance, so
should the wise act without attachment for the welfare of the world. They
should abandon the divisive consciousness of those who act from ignorance and,
being united with yoga, offer all actions to me.
27-28. O King! The person entangled in constant action,
dominated by ignorance and the qualities of nature, foolishly considers himself
as the doer due to ego. But he who knows the division of qualities like sattva,
etc., and their actions, understanding that the senses engage with their
subjects, does not get attached to actions.
29-30. Those bewildered by the three qualities — sattva,
rajas, tamas — perform actions desiring fruits; the omniscient should not
disturb these self-deceivers but should not be attached himself. Thus, it is
fitting for the wise to offer all daily and occasional rites to me, thereby
relinquishing the sense of 'I' and 'mine', leading to the highest state.
31-32. Those devoted men who practice this virtuous path as
I've described, free from envy, are liberated from all actions. Those who, due
to the destruction of their mind through ignorance, do not follow this path,
know them to be envious, foolish, and of ruined intellect, my enemies.
33. When even the knowledgeable acts according to his nature
and follows it, then any kind of control in this matter is futile.
34. The objects of the organs of action and sense organs
give rise to desire and anger. One should not come under their sway, for these
are indeed the enemies of beings.
35. Even if devoid of virtues, one's own duty is better;
following another's duty, even if well-endowed with virtues, is not good. To
die in one's own duty leads to welfare in the afterlife, but another's duty,
though superior, brings fear.
36. Varenya said -- O Ganesha! What drives a creature to
commit sin? Even when there's no desire, by what force is he compelled to
engage in sinful acts?
37-38. Shri Ganesha said -- These great sinners, desire and
anger, born from the qualities of Rajas and Tamas, dominate people. Know these
two as the great enemies. Just as illusion covers the world, as vapor covers
water, and as the monsoon cloud covers the sun, so have desire and anger
covered everything.
39. This desire, which is mightily strong, always hateful,
and can never be fully satisfied, has covered even the intellect of the wise.
40-41. This desire resides in the intellect, mind, and
senses, covering knowledge with them, and it deludes even the knowledgeable.
Therefore, one should first control the senses along with the mind, and then
conquer this mind-born sinner, desire, which destroys knowledge and
realization.
42. The senses are superior to the gross body, beyond the
senses is the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, and beyond the intellect
is the soul.
43. Thus, knowing the soul to be beyond the intellect, and
stabilizing the mind with intellect, one should slay the enemy in the form of
desire and attain the supreme state.
Thus ends the one hundred and thirty-ninth chapter named
"Karma Yoga" in the Krida Khanda of the glorious Ganesha Purana.