Gita Acharan

K rishna says that anyone who follows the teaching of the Gita with shraddha will be joyful and will be liberated from karma bandhan (bondage of action) (3.31). The word ‘ Shraddha ’ is formed by the combination of two words, ‘ Shrat ’ and ‘ Dha ’. ‘ Shrat ’ means truth, and ‘ Dha ’ means to hold or sustain. Thus, Shraddha means holding or abiding in Truth.   Shraddha is usually thought to mean belief or faith, but it is something beyond and the closest meaning is trust. In this state, we are free of doubt and all our questions dissipate. Humanity once believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth, until it was discovered that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Thus, belief is dependent on external factors while shraddha is an internal quality. Secondly, belief exists alongside its polar opposite, disbelief, whereas shraddha transcends both. Thirdly, shraddha is not blind faith, in which one is unwilling to listen to the other side. Shraddha is the assimilati...

  I n 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. At the same time, we should not lean towards akarma (inaction). This is the most quoted verse from the Gita as it touches upon multiple aspects of life. Krishna says that shraddha (trust) has the power to bring about miracles (7.21-7.22). The sincere practice of this verse’s literal meaning, with shraddha , can lead one to the pinnacle of karma yoga . This helps us internalise the essence without delving deeply into its logic or analysing its various facets. The next progression will be to understand that focusing on karma-phal of our actions will make us lose sight of karma itself. As a result, we will be denied karma-phal itself. A poorly executed karma such as studying by a student, can never yield the desired karma-...

  K rishna assures that even baby steps in the practice of karma yoga give good results and this dharma (discipline) protects us from great fears (2.40). The key point to note is that while sankhya yoga is characterised by pure awareness, karma yoga involves efforts. This is a definitive assurance from Lord Krishna for seekers who have just begun their spiritual journey and 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 nishkaam-karma (unmotivated action) and samatva (equanimity). One approach is to have shraddha (trust) in what Krishna said and start practising His teachings on karma yoga. Over time, as we consistently view our experiences through the lens of karma yoga , our realizations deepen gradually, leading us closer to our inner self. An alternate approach is to understand our fears and realise how the practice of karma yoga can r...

  K rishna says that there are four types of devotees. The first one wants to come out of the difficulties and misery he is facing in life. The second one desires to have physical possessions and worldly pleasures. Most devotees fall into these two categories irrespective of culture, gender, belief systems etc. Krishna says that these two kinds of devotees pray and perform rituals to various devatas . It is akin to approaching the right doctor based on the ailment one is suffering from. Krishna further says that the desires of these devotees are fulfilled because of their shraddha . It is in essence, a form of surrender. The following example will illustrate shraddha . Two farmers who have adjacent farms decide to dig a well to irrigate their farms. The first farmer would dig for a day or two and upon not finding any water would change the location to start digging afresh. The second farmer persistently kept digging at the same place. By the end of the month, the first ...