155. Offering Ahankaar to Paramatma


The grudges and hatred we carry are a major source of our misery which we develop when others harm us through their words and deeds or when others don't acknowledge our help or favours. The root cause of hatred is our assumption that we as well as others are kartha (doer) which leads to Ahankaar (aham-kartha or I am doer) whereas our gunas (characters) are in fact, the real kartha. This leads to karma-bandhan (bondage of action) of grudges and hatred as we are bound to 'others' for life. To overcome this, Krishna earlier advised us to drop dwesh (hatred) while performing karmas at hand (5.3). 

Krishna further says, "Whatever you do, whatever you eat do them as an offering to Me" (9.27). Earlier Krishna said that (2.14) one should be aware about the polarities of pain and pleasure generated during the interaction of senses and sense objects; and learn to ignore them as they are transient (sankhya yoga). Using eating as an example, He now says to offer that interaction to HIM (bhakti yoga). Both of these paths are to transcend polarities to be Dwandwa-ateeth (beyond polarities). 

Secondly, Krishna says whatever we do, do it as an offering to HIM. This is nothing but offering our sense of doer-ship to HIM while performing the karmas and in other words offering Ahankaar to HIM. Krishna assures that when we implement them we will be free of Karma bandhan (9.28) where nothing in this world can affect us as one attains ultimate freedom (moksha).

Measuring our progress in the spiritual journey of joy is a difficult job as either our or others' outward behaviour is no indicator. The degree of karma-bandhan in terms of grudges and hatred generated in us by the events of the external world is a great indicator of our progress.

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