67. Concerned And Un-concerned

Krishna assures us that by performing karma (actions) without attachment, one reaches the supreme (3.19) and gives the example of King Janak who attained perfection by action alone (3.20).

Krishna emphasises the point that a king who lives in luxuries and has several responsibilities can also attain the supreme by performing all actions without attachment, implying that we too can similarly reach the supreme, irrespective of our circumstances.

In history, there are very few instances where two enlightened people have interacted. One such conversation is between King Janak and sage Ashtavakra, known as the Ashtavakra Gita, which is rated as one of the best for seekers.

As per legend, a guru once sent one of his disciples, who lived modestly with a few loincloths and a begging bowl, to Janak for the final lesson. He comes to Janak and wonders why his guru sent him to this man who lives amid luxuries. But he stays back in the palace as per the instructions of his guru. One morning, Janak takes him for a bath at a nearby river. While taking a dip they get the news that the palace is burnt. The student got worried about his loincloths whereas Janak was undisturbed. Realisation strikes him that King Janaka was not attached even to a magnificent palace, whereas he himself was attached to a simple piece of cloth, and that this attachment needs to be dropped.

Performing actions without attachment is the core teaching of the Gita. It is the state of being concerned as well as unconcerned. In the physical world, one is fully concerned and does his best in the given situation. At the same time, he is unconcerned internally as the outcome of such actions won’t affect him. That outcome can be in line with the efforts made or it may be the opposite. In either case, he is neither concerned nor disturbed. In the contemporary context, this is the key to maintaining a work-life balance.