Eternal in essence & practice

Moving on from saankhya yoga, Krishna now talks of karma yoga, the yoga of action in the third chapter. Each one of us must engage in some activity for as long as one is in this material world. The stress on activity is so intense here that it may not be inappropriate to deduce that life and action are synonymous terms.

As a natural corollary of this, inaction becomes synonymous with death. Viewed in a larger perspective, here activity also implies change. As the cliché goes change is the only constant, and it is only the dead or ignorant who never change.

Though naturally driven by individual personality traits, our voluntary actions must be chosen carefully. These should not be such that further bind us to this life on earth. Ideally, our actions should be of the kind that encourage selfless service and detachment, leading to eventual liberation from life itself.

Condemning outward manifestation of renunciation, Krishna stresses that this can fool ordinary mortals but does not result in any advancement on the path of spirituality. True renunciation must come from within, and must satisfy a need in one’s own self. This must not be motivated by any vested social interest in gaining brownie points for being a spiritually exalted person.

For as long as we are alive, basic activities like eating, sleeping, etc., are essential. Familial and professional responsibilities must all be fulfilled, especially by those who are in responsible positions, so as to lead by example. Even while in a state of renunciation these basic activities must be performed, but with no desire for any return in terms of monetary gains, or to fulfill expectations of a particular peer group.

Chapter Three clarifies in no uncertain terms that any task performed with sincerity and honesty is equivalent to the most elaborate of religious rituals. This declaration of the Gita might come as a rude shock for those who believe that the size of the donation is directly proportionate to the credits earned. This is possible but only if the act of charity is performed with a genuine desire to do so, and not for social or any other recognition.

Here Krishna delves into details of

* action and reaction

* the inevitability of action

* the impossibility of inaction

* being alive and being active are synonymous

* social need for an inspirational leader

* exemplary leadership qualities

*l desire as an inherent human failing

* conquering the mind with intellect

* overcoming lust by exercising self-control

Desire and lust are the worst enemies of human beings, and more often than not cloud better judgement, resulting in serious impairment of the discerning power in individuals. These twin evils can sometimes make even right-minded people act ‘out of character’.

Carefully built lives and reputations acquired through years of hard work and exemplary conduct, can be razed to the ground when people perform rash acts blinded by desire and lust. These adversaries of a balanced human mind should be overcome with judicious use of the intellect and by mastering the art of self-control.

The primary focus of this chapter remains action and its paramount importance in our daily lives. In a nutshell, Krishna is telling Arjuna—to act is to be, and to be is to act.

Equally important is the ‘what, why, when and how’ that propels our actions. The ethos of human action and why we do what we do is best articulated in the following verse.

There is no one who can remain without doing something even for a moment.

All beings are compelled to act by the qualities born of their individual material nature:

The three gunas—knowledge, passion or ignorance

—Verse 3.05

3.03: The Supreme Lord said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained the two paths leading to enlightenment: the path of knowledge, for those inclined toward contemplation, and the path of work for those inclined toward action.

Earlier on, Krishna had explained the two paths leading to spiritual perfection, namely saankhya yoga and karma yoga. This is explained here in greater detail.

Saankhya yoga is the acquisition of knowledge through analytical study of the nature of the soul, and its distinction from the body. Those with a philosophic bent of mind are inclined towards this path of knowing the self through intellectual discourse and analysis.

Karma yoga is the spirit of devotion to God through constructive work. Krishna also calls this Buddhi yoga. Work done in this manner purifies the mind, enabling acquisition of knowledge which in turn leads to enlightenment.

Of all the people interested in walking the spiritual path, there are those who are inclined towards philosophy and contemplation, and on the other hand, there are those inclined to action and a work-oriented lifestyle. Both these paths have coexisted since the beginning of time. Krishna upholds both of them since his message of enlightenment is meant for people of all dispositions and individual mental makeup.

3.04: One cannot achieve freedom from karmic reactions by merely not performing work, nor can one attain perfection of knowledge by mere physical renunciation.

The first line of this verse refers to the karma yogi (one who subscribes to the discipline of work), and the second line refers to the saankhya yogi (one who subscribes to the discipline of knowledge).

Though the two paths to salvation may appear to be well defined and quite distinct from one another, there are certain aspects that may have commonalities. One who believes in focussing on his work or duties is a karma yogi. But physical performance of duties and completion of assigned tasks in not enough even for a karma yogi. His thoughts also have to be pure, and even when he is not engaged in any fruitful activity his mind must remain pristine, and not entertain any unacceptable thoughts and ideas.

The saankhya yogi is one who adheres to strict discipline in life and renounces the world and all the material pleasures that it has to offer. He might also don saffron clothes and live away from people. But just renunciation is not enough. He must have control over his thoughts also, and not allow any impure ideas or desires to pollute his mind.

Therefore, whether one chooses either the path of work or of renunciation, purity of the mind and control over one’s thoughts, are important. In other words, outward manifestations of one’s convictions are good but unless the mind and body are in complete sync with each other it’s a job half done.

Salvation can be achieved only when our thoughts and actions are in perfect harmony, and our words, deeds, actions, appearance, thoughts and philosophy of life are subsets of the same narrative. The propensity or inclination for one or another of these may vary from person to person, but ultimately both action and knowledge are essential for both karma yoga and saankhya yoga. It is only their proportion that is at variance and creates an impression of the two paths being completely different from one another.

3.05: There is no one who can remain without doing something even for a moment. All beings are compelled to act by the qualities born of material nature, the three gunas.

Each of us acts by our individual mode of nature (gunas) which could be driven by knowledge, passion or ignorance (sattva, rajas, and tamas)

It is the nature of the physical body to be always active and engaged. We mistakenly believe that activity implies only visible acts such as reading, eating, drinking, sleeping, walking, etc. We also tend to feel that our professional work is the only work we perform. These are only partial realities.

The truth is that nobody can remain inactive for even a moment. When Krishna talks of activity in this verse he refers to something much larger than these tangible physical acts. Since the mind is as much a part of us as any other limb, everything that the mind thinks, voluntarily or involuntarily, also constitutes activity.

And so complete inactivity is never possible. When we are asleep our body may be immobile but continues to work on the inside. The heart beats, food is digested and blood runs through our veins. The mind seems to be at rest but it makes us dream while the body is in slumber.

Till such time as we are alive we are always at work. Thus Krishna declares that for human beings inactivity is an impossible state to be in, since the triangle of the body, mind and intellect is constantly propelled by its own individual inclination towards the three modes of nature to perform work in the world.

3.21: Whatever actions a great person performs, the common man follows. Whatever standards they set by performing exemplary acts, the world follows in those footsteps.

Most people feel the need to have a role model. This can be a political leader, a spiritual guru, a mentor, a teacher, a senior, a parent, a celebrity or a historical figure. Human beings are inspired by the ideals that they see in people they admire, and try to emulate these in real life. Role models play an important part in character development and sometimes even in the day-to-day actions of the masses. It is possible that they may also emerge as popular leaders, and eventually wield a lot of power over the minds, and indeed lives, of the masses.

Leaders therefore carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders, and have a moral responsibility to live an impeccable life and inspire others by their words, deeds, and character. When leaders are exemplary in their conduct society naturally looks up to them for setting standards of morality, selfless service, moral courage, and spiritual strength.

If there is a vacuum in the presence of inspirational leadership, then society may experience waywardness, moral bankruptcy, and deflection from the spiritual path. Therefore, leaders are an important cog in the wheel that keeps the moral fibre of social groups or individuals intact on the path of positive growth.

Leaders and change-makers may have personally risen above having to perform mundane tasks, but doing these every now and then helps people identify with them. For instance, when a district magistrate cycles to office, she does it not because she lacks other means of transport, but to set an example to others. This act of actually cycling as compared to delivering a speech on the merits of cycling, is a far more effective way of getting the message across.

In another scenario, when the commander of a military unit leads from the front, he is giving a message to the soldiers to fight fearlessly. On the other hand, if he were to issue the instructions sitting in a safe place, the men may not feel motivated to do their best.

3.25: As ignorant people perform their duties with attachment to the results, O scion of Bharata, the wise must similarly act without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.

Krishna says that one of the duties of those who are wise and learned should be to always act for the benefit of humankind, and to set an inspirational example.

People who are ignorant and have not yet started their spiritual journey tend to perform their duties with an eye on the result.

(Excerpted with permission from Vandana Singh’s The Bhagavad Gita; published by Niyogi Books)