The Key to Karma Yoga

Karma Needs Vikarma (1) to complement it.

1. Brothers, as stated before, about the yoga of desire less action. It is impossible to attain desirelessness if we give up Swadharma and embrace the dharma which is not ours. It is a trader's swadharma to sell indigenous goods. But when he gives it up and starts selling foreign goods imported from distant lands, his motive are nothing but to earn more profit. How can such work be free from desire? Pursuit of swadharma is therefore indispensable for desire less work. But swadharma could also be pursued with an eye on the gains. Take the case of non-violence. Violence is taboo for a votary of non-violence; but he could be outwardly non-violent while being steeped in violence inwardly. For violence is an attribute of the mind. The mind would not be non-violent merely by throwing the sword away. The same is true about swadharma also. To have desirelessness. It is not sufficient for attainment of that goal.

      Desirelessness is an attribute of the mind. Pursuit of swadharma is necessary but not sufficient for acquiring that attribute. Other means must also be used towards this ends. To light a lamp, oil and wick are necessary to have a flame. Darkness disappears only when we light a flame. How to light a flame? For this one must purify ones mind. The mind should be thoroughly cleansed through intense self-examination. The Lord has given this important advice at the end of the Third Chapter. The Fourth Chapter has its genesis in this advice.

2    The Gita uses the word Karma (action) in the sense of swadharma. We eat, drink, and sleep; these are all actions. But they are not the actions that the Gita refers to when it talks of Karma. Karma refers to the performance of swadharam. But in order to attain desirelessness through such Karma, an important aid is necessary. One must overcome desire, attachment and anger. One cannot have desirelessness unless and until the mind has become pure and calm like the waters of the Ganga. The actions necessary for the purification of mind are called vikarma by the Gita. Karma, vikarma and akarma - these three terms are important in the Fourth Chapter. Karma means the outward actions done in the pursuit of swadharma. Vikaram means total involvement of the mind therein. We may bow our head before somebody, but that outward action is meaningless without inner humility in the mind. There should be unity between the inner and the outer. I may worship the image of the Lord; but that act is worthless if it is not accompanied with devotion. In the absence of devotion, the idol will just be a piece of stone and so shall I; and the worship will only mean that a stone is facing a stone! Desire less, selfless karma yoga is attained only when outward actions are complemented with the inward action of the purification of mind.

3    In the phrase desire less action, the adjective desire less is more important than the word action, just as in the phrase non-violent non-cooperation, the adjective non-violent is more important that the word non-cooperation. Non-cooperation without non-violence could be a terrible thing. In the same way, it could be dangerous if performance of swadharma is not complemented with vikarma of the mind.

      Those engaged in social service today are certainly pursuing their swadharma. When people are poor and destitute, it is a natural duty to serve them and make them happy. But all social workers cannot therefore be called karmahogis. Social service without pure motives in the heart of the workers could have disastrous results. Such a social service can generate in equal measure the vanity, hatred, envy and selfishness that wee generate when we serve our families exclusively. This is clearly evident in the world of social work today.