Gita Acharan

O ut of ignorance, one tends to grab material possessions and performs motivated actions with ahankaar . When the first ray of awareness sets in, one starts thinking of renunciation like Arjuna is doing here. The confusion lies in what to renounce. Our usual tendency is to label all karmas (actions) as good or bad and we want to drop undesirable karmas . Instead, we should renounce our tendency of labelling rather than our external karmas . In fact, there is no real renunciation of karmas as we renounce one karma and end up doing another one under the influence of our gunas . On the other hand, Krishna presents a complete paradigm shift regarding renunciation and says that one should always be a nitya-sannyasi (perpetual renunciant), i.e. one who neither hates nor desires; is free from the pairs of opposites ( dwandwa-atheeth ) and is liberated from all entanglements (5.3). Renouncing hatred is the first step in this direction. This could be towards anything that goes...

A rjuna asks, “O Krishna, you praise renunciation of actions ( karma-sannyas ) and yet you also advise their performance at the same time. Tell me with certainty, which is the better path” (5.1). On an earlier occasion too, Arjuna was looking for certainty between the paths of sankhya (wisdom or awareness) and karma (3.1). Krishna, however, does not advise renunciation of karma (action) and instead, he says that one doesn’t attain siddhi (perfection) by renouncing karma (3.4). One is compelled to perform karmas as per his gunas (qualities or characters) (3.5). In fact, even maintenance of the human body is not possible without karma (3.8). Clarity comes from the subsequent reply of Krishna. Karma has two sides. One is the executor or karta and another is karma-phal (fruits of action). Dropping the sense of doership ( kartapan ) by realising that gunas are the real karta is referred to by Arjuna as karma-sannyas . He subsequently refers to doing karma witho...

K rishna says, “He who has relinquished actions by yoga and has torn apart his doubts by wisdom, becomes poised in the self; actions don’t bind him (4.41). Therefore, take shelter in yoga by cutting this ignorance-borne doubt dwelling in your heart with the sword of wisdom” (4.42). Krishna advises us to use the sword of wisdom to free ourselves from the bondage of action ( karma bandhan ). ‘Regret’ is a name for karma bandhan that binds us for both executed and unexecuted actions which resulted in the damage of things or relationships. Similarly, ‘blame’ is another name for karma bandhan arising from the actions or inactions of others that affect our lives negatively. The sword of wisdom is the instrument that helps us extricate ourselves from the complex web of regret and blame. The fourth chapter of the Gita is called ‘Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga ’. It starts with how Paramatma performs karmas and goes on to tell us that all karmas should be performed like yajna ...

O nce the Creator was thinking about where to conceal ‘That’ wisdom after attaining which nothing is left to be attained. His wife suggests a high mountain or a deep sea, but both were discarded as man can climb or swim. It was then decided to keep this wisdom inside man, while man searches for it outside for lifetimes. This metaphor makes it easy for us to understand when Krishna says, “Certainly, nothing in this world is as sanctifying as wisdom. In due course of time, he who has perfected yoga finds it in the self” (4.38). The essence is that ‘wisdom’ is in the self and by the same measure everyone has it. It’s the question of realising it both in self as well as in others. Krishna further says, “ Shraddha-vaan (one with shraddha ) and jitendriya (one who won senses) attain wisdom leading to parama-shanti (supreme peace)” (4.39). Krishna gives contrast and says, “The ignorant, devoid of shraddha is ruined and there is no happiness for him in this world or the other...