Introduction
The Bhagavad Gita is a set of sermons given by Lord Krishna to his nephew Arjuna who was caught in a mental dilemma where he was unable to decide between lifting arms and annihilating his own relatives who were against him and his brothers (Pavulraj, 2014). The sole purpose of the entire scripture was to demystify the connection between the humans and the God. Lord Krishna holds the religious value of being an incarnation of lord Vishnu who is among the three main deities in the Hinduism. Thus, although literally, the message of Bhagavad Gita was to inculcate the concepts of divine truth into Arjuna’s soul, the document as further served as a most venerable source of divine knowledge regarding how a true Hindu should conduct his life in this world so that he earns enough merit to earn the trust and blessing of the God Himself (Pavulraj, 2014). This notion of behaving in the most righteous way and conducting oneself towards being a part of the divine power by improving the Karma Yoga is the core values explained in the religious texts of the Bhagavad Gita.
This essay aims at analyzing the notion of Karma Yoga as a mode of self-realization which is explained in the sacred Hindu scripture of the Bhagavad Gita.
Karma-Yoga: Its meaning and purpose in Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most prominent ancient scriptures of the Hinduism and it has the detailed teachings and sermons of Lord Krishna regarding the most righteous duties and responsibilities of an individual (Pavulraj, 2014). Although, the entire text of the Bhagavad Gita was actually meant to appraise the importance of the following just and obligatory behavior for any individual, some of the critical notions explained in these verses and sermons are related to the Karma-Yoga. The word Karma is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kriya’ which means ‘Sacred action’.Thus, Karma-Yoga is far critical than the generally perceived meaning of doing one’s work without expecting any specific results. The Bhagavad Gita gives a plausible explanation for the objective of Karma-Yoga to be actually based on imploding the true religious values that can help the individual in connecting with God while still maintaining the worldly life affairs.
The spiritual roots of Hinduism are entrenched into the two basic aspects of the Karma (actions) and the Dharma (religious rules) (Pavulraj, 2014). However, multiple interpretations of these two aspects of the Hindu religion have often resulted in hazy conclusions regarding how the two are mutually connected. The Bhagavad Gita has elucidated this connection as it explains Karma Yoga as the most optimum way of performing, thinking, and willing one’s duties as per the Dharma to ensure that no selfish and self-centered pursuits affect the deeds. Hence, it can be summarized that the notion of Karma Yoga implies the religious means of transforming oneself and liberating the soul from the burden of possible consequences of various actions in the divine pursuit of doing the righteous duties.
How Karma, ‘Dharma’ (religion) and ‘Guna’ (traits) of an individual are linked?
According to the core idea of Karma expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, the actions of the people in this world bind them to their actions and their possible consequences which ultimately turn out to be a vicious circle as people get obsessed with the results of their own Karma (Pavulraj, 2014). In terms of explaining the importance of Karma, the Bhagavad Gita has clearly explained in the fifth Chapter that someone how tries to escape from his work or renounces it when doing that work is the most important requirement of the time then it is equivalent to a sin in itself. This is further explained by using the concept of ‘Guna’ (traits) which are blessed in the worthy individuals by the almighty according to their fate of doing their Karma in this world. Thus, by being inactive or abstaining from Karma, the individual can never seek mental peace and freedom because his ‘Guna’ will always propel him towards his Dharma. The Bhagavad Gita clearly accredits the ‘Guna’ to be responsible for all the willing actions of an individual apart from the autonomous body actions like breathing and digestion.
Hence, according to the Bhagavad Gita, the divine expectation from the individuals who are blessed with specific ‘Guna’ (traits) is to comply with their Dharma and keep working towards their duties rather than thinking about the results of their actions or inactions (Pavulraj, 2014). This entire concept of work, traits, religion, and the divine expectation regarding the continuance of the work define the true essence of Karma Yoga, as envisaged by the Bhagavad Gita.
Karma Yoga and the notion of self-realization
In Hinduism, the practice of Karma Yoga converts the person into a ‘Karma-Yogi’ who is aware of the importance of controlling his senses and desires while conducting his role in this world (Pavulraj, 2014). The Bhagavad Gita intends to explain the relevance of being a Karma-Yogi for mastering the art of self-realization. After attaining the self realization, the individual tends to detach his worldly desires and worries from his actions and keeps his senses and organs focused on conducting their moral duties. The true Karma-Yogi has realized the reasons of his existence and has accepted the fact of having negligible interests in the intended results of his actions and is an ideal example for other people in terms of performing one’s duties without any attachment.
The most emphasizing aspect of the sermons of the Bhagavad Gita regarding the Karma Yoga is in the fact that even the supreme power is considered to be a Karma-Yogi who is performing his duties of governing and managing the activities of this world without any concern towards the possible consequences. He is controlling the Karma of the individuals by providing them a religious guide in terms of the sacred scriptures (Bhagavad Gita) and asks them to decide the fate of their world by improving and regulating their Karma (Pavulraj, 2014). Hence, the Dharma is a supreme guide by the almighty to conduct one’s life with utmost values of Karma-Yoga to ensure that the deeds of individuals are more about their roles and actions and less about the consequences.
Conclusion
One question that obviously persists after the entire discourse on the Karma Yoga is regarding how the practice of selfless (Nishkam Karma) and process-oriented actions can lead to the self-realization for individuals (Pavulraj, 2014). The explanation for this in terms of the divine expectation from the Karma Yoga to be not resulting in only selfless action but to deprive the inclusion of ego and vanity in various pursuits. The Bhagavad Gita assumes the ego to be the root of all the bad deeds and the true practice of Karma Yoga negates this evil. Hence, the selfless work helps in purifying one’s soul, realizing the true essence of human presence, and then connects to the divine by using this self-realization of existence and salvation.
References
Pavulraj, S.J. M. (2014). Karma Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita: Way for all to Self-Realization. Asia Journal of Theology, 28(2):203-220.
