Lectures 20

2. Lectures 20 • Text Book1: Bhagavad Gita As It Is • His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada • Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Mumbai • Karma

3. Karma • Generally people talk Krishna less and karma more • Karma is subject of conditioned living entities. It applies to only those who have rebelled against Lord and who want to enjoy independently. • Action need not necessarily means karma.

4. What is karma? çré-bhagavän uväca akñaraà brahma paramaà svabhävo 'dhyätmam ucyate bhüta-bhävodbhava-karo visargaù karma-saàjïitaù The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyätma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities. (Bhagavad-gita 8.3)

5. What is karma? Karma means actions which lead to development of future bodies. It means those activities which get some reaction Akarma (inaction) means actions which don’t bear any reaction

6. What is karma: Even the Intelligent are Bewildered kià karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitäù tat te karma pravakñyämi yaj jïätvä mokñyase 'çubhät Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all misfortune. (Bhagavad-gita 4.16)

7. Law of Karma Very very complicated Dhrtarashtra to under go the pain of killing the bird’s babies have to go through 100 lives and acquire punya enough to get 100 sons. The reaction came through killing of his 100 sons Reaction is many-fold: prarabdha (manifested reaction), aprabdha (unmanifested reaction), kuta (inclination), bija (desire)

8. Karma, Akarma, Vikarma karmaëo hy api boddhavyaà boddhavyaà ca vikarmaëaù akarmaëaç ca boddhavyaà gahanä karmaëo gatiù The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is. (Bhagavad-gita 4.17)

9. Karma, Akarma, Vikarma Karma or sakarma (action): Action impelled by three modes but as per scriptural regulations Performing one’s prescribed duty, charity, feeding cows, ganga snan, feeding brahmanas, feeding poor …. Vikarma (forbidden action): Action impelled by three modes but against scriptural injunctions Cheating, exploiting, abortion, meat eating, taking intoxicants, stealing, physical relationships outside marriage, watching forbidden actions in some form … Akarma (inaction): action without any reaction. Action carried out for the pleasure of Supreme Lord Krishna

10. Karma, Akarma, Vikarma karma (punya) and vikarma (papa) both bring reactions in the form of future body. Dry stool, and Wet stool. Which is better? Punya is not spiritual. Punya is relatively better than papa. Papa is really bad. We can’t neutralise punya by papa or papa by punya. They have their own separate reactions which are to be experienced.

11. Reactions to Sakarma or Vikarma Any act (sakarma or vikarma) will result in Prarabdha (manifested reaction): specific bodily features; short or tall, beautiful or ugly, intelligence; dull or sharp, situations one is born in: rich or poor etc Aprarabdha (unmanifested reaction): reactions in stock yet to be manifested. When there is such stock, one feels distress, anxiety for no reason. Kuta (sinful inclination or pious inclination): when one does an activity it gives tendency to do it again. Such tendencies accumulate and form a desire. Bija (desire to do pious or sinful act): When one has got a desire to do something, he makes plans and efforts to fulfill it.

12. Reactions to Sakarma or Vikarma Prarabdha and aprarabdha finish with time but kuta and bija can’t be put to end by one’s own endeavor. The desires will lead to further activities. Once one does karma, it goes on endlessly Original karma started with jiva envying the Supreme Lord. Whatever jiva does after that will carry that tendency. Therefore this can’t be overcome by any amount of karma. Akarma is required.

13. Akarma yajïärthät karmaëo 'nyatra loko 'yaà karma-bandhanaù tad-arthaà karma kaunteya mukta-saìgaù samäcara Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage. (Bhagavad-gita 3.9)

14. Akarma Since every activity has stringent reactions, some think that better not to do any work. Leave everything and go to forest. But in forest also, by staying in a cave, one gets tendency (desire) to stay in the cave. Work and reactions can’t be avoided this way. Akarma means inaction. Inaction doesn’t mean no work.

15. Akarma Action done only for the pleasure of Vishnu This doesn’t bear any material results It has the potency to uproot all four types of accumulated reactions namely Prarabdha Aprarabdha Kuta Bija

16. Akarma:Yajna Yajna means any activity done for the pleasure of Vishnu. Vishnu is also known as Yajna purusha or Yajna. To act for pleasure of Vishnu requires selflessness. Acting in a selfless way is not easy. It necessitates need for spiritual master.

17. Yajna & Prescribed Duties annäd bhavanti bhütäni parjanyäd anna-sambhavaù yajïäd bhavati parjanyo yajïaù karma-samudbhavaù All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties. (Bhagavad-gita 3.14)

18. Yajna Yajna karma samudbhavah: Yajna is born of prescribed duties. One performs one’s prescribed duties as an act of sacrifice Duties are prescribed in Vedic scriptures For Arjuna, fighting is the prescribed duty. But instead if he does begging for living, it is vikarma. If Arjuna fights then it is karma. If Arjuna fights for the pleasure of Vishnu, then it is akarma

19. Prescribed Duties niyataà kuru karma tvaà karma jyäyo hy akarmaëaù çaréra-yäträpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaëaù Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one's physical body without work. (Bhagavad-gita 3.8)

20. Prescribed Duties One has to perform prescribed duty for the satisfaction of Lord Vishnu Although directions for work are given in Vedic scriptures, still some one has to prescribe it according to persons nature This necessitates spiritual relationship with spiritual master Performing an act for pleasure of Lord is possible only when one has a relationship with Him. Therefore yoga is required. This will be discussed later.

21. Yajna: non-fruitive karmaëy evädhikäras te mä phaleñu kadäcana mä karma-phala-hetur bhür mä te saìgo 'stv akarmaëi You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. (Bhagavad-gita 2.47)

22. Yajna: non-fruitive Work is worship (karm hi pooja hi): Which work is worship? Only a prescribed duty when done with the only motivation of pleasing Lord Vishnu. To know prescribed duty, it requires spiritual master to tell us. Claiming proprietorship over the results of one’s work doesn’t make it worship. Work should be carried out without desire for any fruits. And only desire is to bring happiness to the Supreme Lord

23. Yajna Yajna means doing prescribed duty without attachment to fruits of one’s work and performing it only for the pleasure of Lord Vishnu

24. Offering Results of Work mayi sarväëi karmäëi sannyasyädhyätma-cetasä niräçér nirmamo bhütvä yudhyasva vigata-jvaraù Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight. (Bhagavad-gita 3.30)

25. Why not desire results of work? prakåteù kriyamäëäni guëaiù karmäëi sarvaçaù ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä kartäham iti manyate The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature. (Bhagavad-gita 3.27)

26. Why not desire results of work? païcaitäni mahä-bäho käraëäni nibodha me säìkhye kåtänte proktäni siddhaye sarva-karmaëäm O mighty-armed Arjuna, according to the Vedanta there are five causes for the accomplishment of all action. Now learn of these from Me. (Bhagavad-gita 18.13)

27. Why not desire results of work? adhiñöhänaà tathä kartä karaëaà ca påthag-vidham vividhäç ca påthak ceñöä daivaà caivätra païcamam The place of action [the body], the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul—these are the five factors of action. (Bhagavad-gita 18.14)

28. Analysis of action Five factors of action Place to action (body) Performer (doer, soul) Senses Different kinds of endeavour Supersoul Motivation (impetus) for action Knowledge Object of knowledge Knower Constituents Senses Work Doer

29. Why not desire results of work? çaréra-väì-manobhir yat karma prärabhate naraù nyäyyaà vä viparétaà vä païcaite tasya hetavaù Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors. (Bhagavad-gita 18.15)

30. Why not desire results of work? tatraivaà sati kartäram ätmänaà kevalaà tu yaù paçyaty akåta-buddhitvän na sa paçyati durmatiù Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are. (Bhagavad-gita 18.16)

31. Peace Formula bhoktäraàyajïa-tapasäà sarva-loka-maheçvaram suhådaàsarva-bhütänäà jïätvämäàçäntimåcchati A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries. (Bhagavad-gita 5.29)

32. Peace Formula • Krsna is the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities • Any activity can’t happen without the sanction of Krishna. • If an activity is permitted by Him means He has some purpose behind it. Therefore for any activity the beneficiary is Krishna. • Krsna is the controller and proprietor of all planets • One can claim proprietorship over something only if he owns it in the past, present and future. Only the Supreme Lord can claim this. • Krsna is the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities

33. Akarma (inaction) Inaction means prescribed activity performed without attachment for results and only for the pleasure of Vishnu Action is not strictly inaction if one is not aware of these three attributes of the Supreme Lord. Knowing is different from being aware of.

34. Spiritual Work Work must be prescribed duty It is performed without attachment to results One performs it being aware of these 3 attributes for His pleasure

35. Performing one’s duty: One’s Quota éçäväsyamidamsarvaà yatkiïcajagatyäà jagat tenatyaktenabhuïjéthä mägådhaùkasyasviddhanam Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. (Sri Isopanishad Mantra 1)

36. Performing one’s duty: One’s Quota Everything animate and inanimate belongs to the Supreme Lord One should accept only those things necessary for carrying out one’s prescribed duty Accepting more than necessary is dishonesty and everything one does with that dishonesty is bad karma only.

37. Different Platforms of Worship Fear One worships out of fear of something going wrong Desire One worships expecting something material results in return Duty One worships out of scriptural obligations Love One worships out of selfless love with the only motivation of giving happiness

38. Sannyasa vs Tyaga Sannyasa is giving up one’s work Tyaga is giving up the fruits of work Sannyasa and tyaga are the same but tyaga is better It is impossible for the embodied being to give up all activities Mood of tyaga is to be cultivated

39. Thank you