KARMA YOGA AND GNANA YOGA AS EXPLAINED BY LORD KRISHNA TO ARJUNA

In the 2^nd and 3^rd Chapters of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the importance of doing Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga, which enables a person to attain Moksha (Liberation).

The 3rd Chapter begins with Arjuna’s complaint to lord Krishna. Arjuna tells the lord that his teaching was very confusing. We should know that any form of communication is a tough job where a teacher has to convert his thoughts into gross words. All the most it is a tough job to convert thoughts into words on the subject of ‘Atma’ which is an abstract one. The student (sishya) has to convert the words into his own thoughts. A television receiving station has to reconvert the transmitted waves into music or a movie. From the early ages Communication was always in the form of a dialogue between a Teacher (Guru) and a pupil (Sishya). All our Upanishads are in the form of a dialogue. What is in the mind of a guru and sishya is tallied by means of a dialogue (through communication). This spiritual dialogue is called Samvada.  

As per lord Krishna every spiritual seeker has to go through Karma yoga for preparing the mind. He is called a junior seeker or a preparing seeker for preparing his mind to go through Jnana yoga. Preparing seeker is called a junior seeker who prepares himself for Jnana yoga. After sometime he will be ready for Jnana yoga pradhana life in which one turns inwards enquiring about who am I. Prepared seeker is a serious seeker of Jnana yoga who does self enquiry. Once you go through Jnana yoga, you will discover; I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am the ‘Atma’. This discovery alone will give liberation (spiritual enlightenment) called ‘Moksha’. Liberation (Jeevan mukthi) is a state of mind in which I look upon human life as an asset and a blessing and is possible even when one is alive. On the other hand Samsara problem comes when you think that life is a liability, burden and boring. You start having negative attitude towards life. You curse yourself all the time and start doubting whether Bagawan is there at all.

The sequence is karma yoga> Preparation>Jnana yoga>Enlightenment>Liberation. Vedas existed long time ago. For a spiritual seeker Vedas are like a GPS (global positioning system as in a vehicle). In the 3^rd chapter Sri Krishna tells (Arjuna) that everybody has to go through karma yoga and Jnana yoga sequentially. A junior seeker has to become a senior seeker and prepares him for Jnana yoga. Arjuna mistakes that these two are independent paths towards attaining liberation. (Moksha, destination). Arjuna thought that Jnana yoga is superior. Karma yoga is doing one’s own duty. As an escape route Arjuna wanted to do Jnana yoga as doing karma yoga is painful. With this confusion Arjuna starts the 3^rd Chapter of Bhagavad Gita.

   

Spiritual purity comes by giving more and more and taking less and less. If Gita is told backwards it sounds tagi tagi and Thyagi (one who does not desire about the fruits of action). We have to learn to give more and more and take lesser than what we contribute. Krishna calls it as karma yoga nishta. We have to contribute in the 5 fields of pancha maha yagna. Krishna calls them as yogis or junior seekers. They are preparing their mind for Jnana yoga by following the karma yoga way of life. I should have infrastructure set up. Karma yoga sadana requires karma yoga nishta which is a conducive infrastructure (life style). It involves religious activities and social activities (Vaidiga and Logiga karmas). Vedic rituals require a man and a wife (couple). Just as an office requires different departments Vedic rituals require a family type of set up in which husband and wife should participate. Karma yoga requires earning (a person has to earn a lot) and Jnana yoga requires learning. I should work and earn lot of wealth for doing karma yoga. Infrastructure requires continuous earning and a set up.

Knowing what PORT is will help us doing our action properly.

P refers to Possession. You have to possess something in order to give it to someone. Possession is required for doing karma yoga. Starting point is your house.  

O refers to Obligation. You have to perform your obligatory duties to your Spouse, Children, Employees, employer etc; to the Priest who is helping you to perform the rituals.

R refers to Relationship. You have to maintain relationship with a lot of people like your Wife, Children, In-laws and others. You have to know as to how to maintain the relationship. Greater the relationship greater will be your contacts and you will be successful. You have to have the qualities of a PRO.

T refers to Transaction. A lot of transaction is required. I have to visit other person’s functions and also give gifts to them as reciprocation.

An expanded PORT is called Grihasta Ashrama. The 4 Ashramas are Bramachari, Grihasta, Vanapresta and Sanyasa.

Karma yoga infrastructure is not conducive to Jnana yoga. Jnana yoga requires a contemplative lifestyle. Jnana yoga infrastructure consists of: the study of ‘Atma’ (Nithya, Sathya, Akartha, Aboktha, Sarvagathaga, Nirvikara, and Aprameya). I will get to know the truth about myself through Jnana yoga and it requires study. For doing Jnana yoga PORT reduction is required. Reduce the no of relationships, no of transactions etc. PORT reduction is conducive to Jnana yoga. A reduced PORT is called Sanyasa ashrama. Jnana yoga says the whole world is in me which is ‘Brahman’. A temporary withdrawal is required from the society to assimilate the teaching and then you can come back again to your society. ‘Atma’ is also called Nishkarma.

Learn to be alone for some time now and then. Nobody is going to be with us all the time. Learn to be independent of them. Otherwise the shock will be so much that you will not be able to withstand. That requires tremendous maturity and also requires Karma yoga. Jnana yoga is impossible without Karma yoga. Karma yoga is incomplete without Jnana yoga.

While studying the nature of Brahman mankind has tried to grapple with the challenge of realising the Supreme Brahman since time immemorial. The question is; knowing the difference between the eternal truth and the unreal.  It becomes a fruitful exercise only if one has tremendous faith in one’s preceptor. Through inference we should be able to know that Truth is eternal while the universe is Maya also called “Maya Sakthi”. The observance of smoke leads us to infer fire’s presence. Similarly by inference we recognize or realise consciousness that is the cause of our existence.

Waker jevatma does 4 things.

1.    It projects the dream world.

2.    Enters the dream world.

3.    Disowns the waker jevatma status and

4.    Claims as Dreamer jevatma.

For a dreamer Jevatma the dream becomes a nightmare and not a dream. In fact I should drop the wrong notion that I am the waker Jevatma. Actually I am the Paramatma with a special power called “Maya Sakthi”. I should claim that I am the Paramatma with “Maya sakthi” and created this world, entire universe and the entire body mind complex. I am Brahman. I am Jagat Karanamasmi. Without the waker the dream cannot survive. I (waker Jevatma) am the Projection of consciousness. I am the consciousness principle. I am the Karanam. Everything else is the Karyam. Karanam alone is appearing as karyam. I am in the form of everything.

We can take wave as an example to explain Consciousness or Brahman. When a Wave mistook it as a wave it was humble, simple and worshipped the Ocean. ‘I am borne out of you. I will worship you’. Let us imagine the wave to shift its vision through Vedanta. It understands that ‘I am not a wave but I am Water’. After claiming that I am water the enlightened wave addresses the ocean and says that there is no such thing called ocean. Ocean is also the same thing called water. I the water alone am appearing as a wave and also as a large ocean. There is neither a wave nor an ocean separated from the water. Similarly Jevatma is the Bhakta and Paramathma is the Bagawan. Bagawan and Bhakta are one and the same consciousness principle. They are the same and one Ekathma. An enlightened Jnani proclaims that ‘I am everything’.

S.SEKAR

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