This week's JKYog Bhagavad Gita Online Class discussed the principles of selfless action, devotion to God, and the consequences of actions as described in the Bhagavad Gita chapter 5. It emphasises that enlightened yogis perform actions for self-purification and dedicate their efforts to God, recognising that God needs nothing from us. The discussion also highlighted the importance of purifying the heart and performing actions without attachment to material rewards. It explains the concepts of yukt (spiritually aligned) and ayukt (not aligned with divine consciousness) individuals and emphasises that God is not responsible for one's actions but grants the power to act, observes actions, and delivers results based on individual choices and free will.
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि |
योगिन: कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये || 11||
kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair indriyair api
yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śhuddhaye
Geeta 5.11 Yogis realise that seeking happiness through material desires is as pointless as chasing a mirage in the desert — it will never satisfy them. Realising this, they let go of selfish desires and focus on doing everything for the pleasure of God, who is the true enjoyer of all actions bhoktāraṁ yajña tapasām (Supreme enjoyer of all activities).
Shree Krishna teaches that enlightened yogis perform their actions for self-purification. But how, then, are these actions dedicated to God? The truth is that God needs nothing from us. He is the Supreme Lord of all that exists, perfect and complete in Himself. What could a tiny soul possibly offer to the Almighty God that He doesn't already have?
Therefore, when making an offering to God, it is customary to say: “O God, I am giving back to You what was already Yours.” Similarly, Saint Yamunacharya expresses this idea in his verse:
मम नाथ यदस्ति योस्म्यहं सकलं तद्धि तवैव माधव ।
नियत स्वमिति प्रबुद्धधीरथवा किन्नू समर्पयामि ते।।
mama nātha yad asti yo ’smyahaṁ sakalam taddhī tavaiva mādhava
niyata-svam iti prabuddha-dhāir atha vā kiṁ nu samarpayāmi te
(Śhrī Stotra Ratna, 50)
"O Bhagwan Vishnu, husband of the Goddess of Fortune, when I was in ignorance, I thought I would give You many things. But now that I have gained knowledge, I realise that everything I own is already Yours. What, then, can I offer to You?"
There is one thing within our control that God cannot do for us: the purification of our own heart. When we cleanse our heart and devote it to God, this act pleases Him more than anything else. Recognising this, great yogis make the purification of their hearts their primary goal—not out of selfishness, but to bring joy to God.
Before the battle of Lanka, Bhagwan Ram noticed that Sugreev was feeling anxious. To comfort him, Shree Ram said:
"If I, the Supreme Lord, were to simply bend the little finger of My left hand, all the demons of the world, including Ravan and Kumbhakarn, would be defeated."
Sugreev then asked, "If that's the case, why gather an army to fight Ravan?"
Bhagwan Ram replied, "The purpose of gathering the army is not for My need but to give you all a chance to engage in devotional service and purify yourselves. Do not think that I need your assistance to defeat these demons."
Our only lasting asset is the purity we achieve, which accompanies us into the next life, while all material possessions are left behind. Ultimately, the success or failure of our life is measured by how much we attain purity of heart. With this understanding, enlightened yogis embrace challenging situations, viewing them as chances to purify their hearts.
युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् |
अयुक्त: कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते || 12||
yuktaḥ karma-phalaṁ tyaktvā śhāntim āpnoti naiṣhṭhikīm
ayuktaḥ kāma-kāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate
Geeta 5.12 The way people experience the consequences of their actions can vary greatly, even if they perform the same actions.
Those who act without attachment or desire for material rewards remain free from the bonds of karma.
In contrast, individuals driven by a craving for rewards and material pleasures become entangled in the consequences of their actions.
When actions are performed with selflessness and without concern for personal gain, they do not generate new karma and do not bind the individual to material existence. However, when actions are motivated by a desire for enjoyment or reward, they create new karma that keeps the individual bound to the cycle of material existence and its associated reactions.
Those who are yukt or spiritually aligned let go of their desire for the fruits of their actions and instead perform their duties with the intention of self-purification. As a result, they quickly attain divine consciousness and everlasting bliss.
Conversely, the term ayukt refers to those who are not united with divine consciousness. These individuals are driven by desires for temporary rewards that do not benefit their souls. Fueled by cravings, they seek the outcomes of their actions with intense attachment. The reactions from such actions keep these ayukt individuals bound to the cycle of birth and death, or samsara.
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभु: |
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तव: || 15||
nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ
ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ
Geeta 5.15 God is not responsible for anyone's virtuous or sinful actions. Instead, God's role is threefold:
- Granting the Power to Act: God provides the soul with the ability to take action.
- Observing Actions: After we perform actions using the power given to us, God records these actions.
- Delivering Results: God then administers the outcomes of our actions (karmas).
The individual soul has the freedom to choose between good and bad actions through its own free will. There can be no love without free will, and a machine cannot love since it lacks the independence to choose.
Since God created us to be capable of loving Him, He has granted us free will. The choices we make with this free will lead to our actions, whether good or bad, and we should not blame God for the outcomes of those choices.
In their ignorance, some souls fail to recognise their own freedom to choose their actions and instead blame God for their mistakes.
Others do understand that they have free will but fall into the trap of ego, taking pride in their actions and identifying themselves with the body. This, too, reflects a form of ignorance.
न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् |
स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मणि स्थित: || 20||
na prahṛiṣhyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya chāpriyam
sthira-buddhir asammūḍho brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ
Geeta 5.20 The part of this verse—neither celebrating pleasure nor grieving over pain—is a key goal in Vipassanā meditation in Buddhism.
Achieving this requires intense training to develop clarity and balance and to overcome personal desires. Similarly, in devotion to God, surrendering our will to the divine can naturally lead us to this same state of calm and acceptance.
A poignant story illustrates this attitude.
A wild horse once wandered onto a farmer's land, and the neighbours congratulated him on his good fortune. The farmer responded, "Good fortune, bad fortune—who can say? It is all God's will."
A few days later, the horse ran away back into the forest, and the neighbours expressed sympathy for his misfortune. The farmer replied, "Misfortune, good fortune—who can tell? It is all God's will."
Then, the horse returned with twenty more wild horses. The neighbours congratulated the farmer once again on his remarkable luck. He calmly reflected, "What is luck or misluck? This is all God's will."
Shortly after, the farmer's son broke his leg while riding one of the new horses. The neighbours came to offer their condolences. The farmer responded, "Pleasant or unpleasant, it is only God's will."
A few days later, the king's soldiers arrived to conscript all the young men for a war that had just begun. All the young men in the neighbourhood were taken, but the farmer's son was left behind due to his broken leg.
Divine knowledge reveals that our true self-interest is found in pleasing God. This realisation leads to surrendering to God's will. When personal will align with divine will, one gains the equanimity to calmly accept both pleasure and pain as expressions of His grace. This reflects a person who is established in transcendence.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 10.08.2024
