93. Nectar of Contentment

Krishna talked about yajna (selfless actions) at two places (3.9 to 3.15 and 4.23 to 4.32). He cautions that motivated actions bind us (karma bandhan) and advises that actions should be performed without attachment (3.9). He further indicates that the selfless action of yajna holds the supreme power (3.15) and in the beginning, using this power the Creator created (3.10). He gave many instances of yajna (4.23 to 4.32) and concludes that all of them are offsprings of selfless actions and this realisation would liberate us (4.32). This is the Lord’s assurance regarding liberation.

Furthermore, about sin, Krishna indicated that action arising out of an imbalance between polarities of pleasure-pain; profit-loss; victory-defeat is the sin that results in karma bandhan of perpetual guilt, regret, grudges and hatred (2.38). He further said, “One hoping for nothing and doing mere bodily actions, incurs no sin” (4.21). He concludes that by sacrifice (of attachment) the knowers have destroyed sins (4.30). This is an assurance from the Lord about the destruction of sins in yajna.

Krishna earlier declared that we have a right over karma but not over karma-phal (fruits of action) (2.47). Here he reveals a secret that the remnant of selfless action of yajna is the nectar of Brahma (Supreme God) (4.31). The subtle indication is that all blessings we receive stem from the selfless actions we perform, whether consciously or unconsciously. Another inference is that if we take contentment as the parameter, the rich become richer and the poor poorer. This is an assurance from the Lord about the nectar of contentment from yajna.

It is the sankalp (will or purpose or motive or resolve) that makes an action a sin and when the same action is performed like yajna, it becomes a virtue which is nothing but the nectar of liberation and contentment.