Gita Acharan

Krishna says (2.47) that we have the right to perform our karma (action), but have no right over karma-phal (fruits of action). If one of our loved ones required surgery, we would look for a competent surgeon with character. His competence would ensure success of the surgery and his character would ensure that he wouldn't undertake any unnecessary surgery. In short, we are scouting for a surgeon who is a karma-yogi . The two takeaways from this situation help us understand the verse better. We expect all our service providers to be karma-yogis and that they should give us the best results that we can hope for. If we apply the same principle of samatva (equanimity) to ourselves, we too should be karma yogis while providing service to other people in our daily life. This verse says that we should do our best in everything that we do, in work as well as in our family affairs.  Krishna, elsewhere in the Gita, assures us that small steps in the practice of karma yoga bri...

In the iconic verse 2.47 of the Gita, Krishna says that we have the right to do karma (action) but have no right over the karma-phal (fruits of action). He further says that karma-phal shouldn't be the motivating factor for any of our actions and also that, in consequence, we should not lean towards akarma (inaction). This is the most quoted verse from the Gita, possibly because of the various dimensions of life that it looks at.  The easiest approach to this verse is to internalise it and start implementing it without getting deeper into its logic or attempting an analysis of its various facets. We should deepen our shraddha (trust) in Krishna and start practising it. Krishna indicates ( 7.21-7.22 ) that shraddha can do miracles and bringing the literal meaning of this verse into practice can itself take us to the pinnacle of karma yoga .  The next progression will be to understand that focussing on karma-phal of our actions will make us lose sight of the k...

Once, a group of friends were travelling and they had to cross a wide river. They made a boat and crossed the river. They then decided to carry the heavy boat with them for the rest of their journey, thinking that it would be useful. As a result, their journey got derailed. Here the river is a pain polarity and the boat is an instrument to overcome the polarity. Likewise, there are many instruments and rituals to give us relief from several pain polarities that we face in our daily lives. The Vedas (knowledge) describe many rituals to give relief from temporary pain polarities and many of these rituals are available and are being practiced to this day. It appears logical to turn to these rituals when we face difficulties in the areas of health, business, work and family. Krishna tells (2.42-2.46) Arjuna not to get trapped by the words of the unwise who promise pleasure both in this life and the afterlife (heaven) by prescribing the outer meaning of the Vedas . He encourage...

Krishna says (2.41) in karma yoga , the buddhi (intellect) is coherent and the intellect of those who are irresolute is bahu-shakha (many-branched). Krishna says (2.48 & 2.38) that samatva (equanimity) is yoga , which is the union of two polarities we face, like pleasure and pain; winning and losing; and profit and loss. Karma yoga is the path to transcend these polarities, which ultimately results in a coherent intellect. On the other hand, an imbalanced intellect robs us of our ‘peace of mind'. Our general presumption is that 'peace of mind' automatically follows pleasure, winning and profit, but Krishna says that a coherent intellect brought about by the practice of karma yoga gives us peace of mind by helping us transcend polarities. An irresolute intellect looks at different situations, outcomes and people differently. At our workplace, we apply one yardstick to people below us and another one to those above us in the hierarchy. Children do not dev...

Krishna assures (2.40) that even baby steps in the practice of karma yoga give results and this dharmam (discipline) protects us from great fears. The point to be noted is that while sankhya is pure awareness, karma yoga involves efforts. This is a definitive assurance from Lord Krishna for the seekers who have just started out on their spiritual journey and who find the effort daunting. Krishna understands our difficulty and assures us that even a small effort can produce wonderful results. He motivates us to follow the path of nishkam karma (unmotivated action) and samatva (equanimity). One approach is to have Shraddha (trust) on what Krishna said and start practicing his teaching on karma yoga . Over a period of time, when we practice viewing our experiences from the lens of karma yoga , our realisations get deeper and deeper till we reach our inner self.  An alternate approach is to understand our fears and realise how the practice of karma yoga can remove t...

Krishna says (2.39) that after elucidating about Sankhya   (awareness) (2.11-2.38) he would now explain yoga (or Karma Yoga ), the practice of which will free one from karma bandhan (bondage of action). While explaining Sankhya yoga , Krishna makes Arjun aware that he is that indestructible Chaitanya (consciousness) which doesn't have death. From this verse onwards Krishna starts explaining the same through karma yoga . Thus, karma bandhan and yoga need to be understood in this context. Yoga literally means union and is used in many contexts. Krishna mentions equanimity as yoga (2.48) where attachment to success or failure is abandoned.  Even in 2.38, the emphasis of Krishna is to maintain equanimity towards pleasure and pain; winning and losing; and profit and loss.  Karma Bandhan refers to the impressions or scars, both pleasant and painful, left on us by the karmas we perform and the reactions we get from within and outside. Scientifically they can...

Verse 2.38 captures the entire essence of the Gita. Krishna tells Arjuna that he would incur no sin when he fights (read as performing any karma ) if he were to treat sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain); labh (gain) and nasht (losses); and jaya (victory) and apajaya (defeat) with equipoise.  This verse simply says that all our karmas are motivated and this motivation makes the karma impure or sinful. But we hardly know or do any karma without being motivated by pleasure, profit or victory and to avoid pain, loss or defeat. From Sankhya and Karma Yoga point of view, any karma can be divided into three parts viz. Karta (doer), Chesta (action) and Karmaphal (fruit of action). Krishna divided karmaphal into pleasure/pain, profit/loss and victory/defeat.  Krishna is indicating in this verse to separate these three to achieve equanimity. One way is to drop Kartapan (feeling of doership) and become a sakshi (witness). The realisation is that in the grand dra...

Krishna explains about swa-dharmam (2.31-2.37), Para-dharmam (other's nature) (3.35) and finally advises shunning all Dharmas (18.66) to unite with Paramatma . Arjun’s despondency arose out of his egocentric fear of damaging his reputation if he fought the war and killed his brethren. Krishna tells him (2.34-2.36) that he would damage his reputation even if he avoided battle, as fighting is his swa-dharmam . The community would feel that Arjuna was fearful of engaging in battle and for a Kshatriya fearing battle is worse than death. Krishna further explains (3.35) that, swa-dharmam , even if it's faulty or devoid of merits, is better than para-dharmam and death in the path of swa-dharmam is better than para-dharmam , which is fraught with fear.  Para-dharmam is perceived as easy and better by our outward looking senses, especially when we observe successful people, whereas Swa-dharmam requires discipline and hard work and needs to be slowly uncovered in us. ...

Krishna explains Swa-dharmam (own nature) (2.31-2.37) and he tells Arjun that such an unsought battle (Kurukshetra) opens the door to heaven (2.32) and escaping from it would result in loss of Swa-dharmam , fame and would incur sin (2.33). This advice to Arjun on the battlefield needs to be viewed in the right context. Krishna is actually talking about harmony and synergy with one's swa-dharmam and not about a war.  Krishna finds disharmony between what Arjun is, his thoughts, utterances and actions. He attempts to guide Arjun towards harmonizing them. In case of Arjun, the harmony is in fighting the battle as per his Swa-dharmam and disharmony is in avoiding the battle.  In fact, harmony rules creation where the smallest electrons, protons and neutrons to biggest galaxies, planets and stars are in harmony. We enjoy our favourite music only when the radio and radio station are in harmony (tune). There is no greater example of harmony than the human body consisti...

Krishna explains about Swa-dharmam (own nature) (2.31-2.37) and advises Arjun that as a Kshatriya he should not hesitate to fight(2.31) as it is his Swa-dharmam. Krishna commences the Gita with 'that' which is eternal, unmanifested and pervades all. It is termed as atma for easy understanding. Then he talks about Swa-dharmam , which is one step before 'that' and subsequently comes to Karma . The journey to realise the inner self can be divided into three stages. The first stage is our present condition, the second is realising Swa-dharmam and finally, reaching the inner self. In reality, our present condition is a combination of our Swa-dharmam,  experiences, knowledge, memories and assumptions gathered by our wavering mind. Swa-dharmam gets uncovered slowly when we free ourselves from our mental baggage.   Kshatriya is the combination of ' Kshat ' meaning 'hurt' and ' trayate ' meaning 'to give protection'.  Kshatriya ...

Krishna says (2.29) some see 'this' (atma) as a marvel, some speak of 'this' as a marvel, others hear of 'this' as a marvel, and even then none know 'this' at all.   'None' refers to an observer who is using his Indriyas (senses) to understand the observed (atma) .  Lord Krishna says that as long as there is a separation between these two, the observer cannot comprehend the atma . Once a salt doll wanted to explore the ocean and it set about its journey. Through violent surface waves, it enters the deeper parts of the ocean and slowly starts melting into it. By the time it enters the deepest part, it melts completely and becomes part of the ocean. It can be said that it has become the ocean itself and the salt doll is no longer a separate entity.  ‘Observer(salt doll) is the Observed(ocean)', which is essentially ending the division and bringing unity. The Salt doll is akin to our Ahankaar ( Aham-kartha ; I am doer), which al...

Krishna says (2:19, 2:20) that Atma neither kills nor is killed and only the ignorant think otherwise. It is unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient. He further says that Atma changes physical bodies like we discard worn out garments to wear new ones.  In a scientific context this is well explained by the law of conservation of energy and the principle of inter-convertibility of mass and energy. If Atma is equated with energy, Lord Krishna’s words become crystal clear. The law of conservation of energy says that energy can never be destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another. For example, thermal power stations convert thermal energy into electricity. A bulb converts electricity into light. So, it is just conversion and there is no destruction. A bulb has a limited lifespan. When it fuses, it is replaced by a new bulb, but electricity still remains. This is similar to the way in which we discard worn out clothes for new ones.  For us death is an...