Lord says that the actions should be free from desires; they should be done for Yagya alone. The 9th shloka of Chapter 3 of the Gita highlights this fact –
This world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of Yagya; therefore, O son of Kunti, being free from attachment perfectly perform action for that sake (for Yagya) alone.
The essence of karmayoga is implicit in the above shloka. The objective of ‘Naishkarmya siddhi’ cannot be achieved without this. Performing action against the spirit of Yagya will make the knot of the ego stronger. Doing activities with the sense of Yagya or surrendering them to God will loosen the knot gradually, and in the process liberate oneself. By actions for the sake of Yagya Lord Krishna means the actions for the benefit of the whole world. This Yagya is very different from the Puranic Yagya whose paeans of praise have been sung from the ages. In fact, the essence of Yagya in which swaha-swaha is uttered is the same – that our actions should be directed towards social welfare. Param Pujya Gurudev has defined Yagya as the superior action done for the welfare of all. ‘Yagyo vai shreshtam karma’ implies the same thing. The great men like Kabir, Guru Nanak Dev, Maharshi Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda, etc., who sacrificed their lives for social welfare, performed Yagya with this spirit. The actions that we perform for our benefit do not come under the category of Yagya. If we go on engaging in them, then we will go on getting attached to them loko’ya® karmabandhana’ implies that the actions done for the benefit of self, become the cause of bondage. Therefore, the work done without attachment becomes the cause of liberation. Shri Krishna is trying to bring home this point again and again to Arjuna who has gone into the deep slumber of attachment. Which actions become the causes of bondage? These are the actions that are done for the self, one’s family, one’s entertainment, or earning one’s resources.
If our actions are motivated by selfishness, then, later on, they are going to produce more passion/ lust, which will further create dissatisfaction and discomfort. But if the same actions are performed without ego or ego-centered desires, then they become the cause of liberation from passion/lust. That is why our seers have advised that the actions must be performed with the spirit of Yagya, that is, ‘idam na mam’ (this is not mine). The activities that are done with a cooperative spirit do not produce new desires, and hence, they are called those done for the sake of Yagya, and they become the cause of liberation from passion/lust.Lord has given a comprehensive exposition of Yagya. Yagya extends from the journey of human life to the entire eco-system. We and our actions are part of the process of Yagya that is going on in the whole universe. Our efforts should not be for exploiting others or indulging in the fulfillment of sensual desires instead, they should be for the welfare of others. Nowadays, everywhere we see that people are busy chasing their goals. It appears that Karmayogis have increased in society. People in developed countries like the USA or Japan seem to be active in karmayoga. But this is not true karmayoga, in the words of Param Pujya Gurudev, it is karmalipsa (passion for work). This karma is for material enjoyment; it is not for social welfare. If we grow by exploiting our friends, parents, society, the nation and everybody else, then, in the opinion of the author of the Gita, this life is surrendered to ‘lokoayam,’ that is, it is the cause of bondage. If our actions are Yajórtht (for the sake of Yagya), that is pertaining to the upliftment of society, the nation, and the world at large; then our lives are sacrificial. In fact, karma is a kind of flow in which all the powers of life are embedded. Our actions are like veins and arteries of the nation. By wrong moves, we should not block the flow of the blood of growth and development. The development should not remain confined to the urban areas, this nourishment must also reach the rural areas. For this purpose, a suitable infrastructure, like the one envisaged by our seers and sages, is required to be developed. This would be called Yagya.
Indian culture is a spiritual culture,it is a divine culture. The pioneers of our culture say – ‘Parhit saris dharam nahin bhai, par pidha sam nahin aghamai’ (meaning – there is no religion better than helping others and there is no sin worse than troubling others). This is the core of our culture. When Lord Krishna is saying – engage in Yajórtht actions, it means that ‘live for others’ welfare’ and not for selfish ends. Shri Krishna is advising his brave friend and disciple that he should perform all his actions with the spirit of Yagya – Tadartha® karma kaunteya muktasanga¡ samcara. The aim behind this advice is that he should perform actions perfectly (samcara) and without attachment (muktasanga¡). These days, there appears to be a lack of nationalism in today’s youths. They become karmayogi for their benefit, but they are unable to dedicate themselves to the goals of national interest. After completing their degrees they will go abroad to earn a fat salary. This brain drain causes loss to the nation. We are witnessing an all-round shameless dance of ego and ego-centered desires and their reactions. And this is the cause of all the problems of society. This shloka (9/3) of the Gita gives us the solution to all the problems.
“As the kindled fire consumes the fuel, so in the flame of wisdom, the embers of action are burnt to ashes. – The Bhagavad Gita”
Param Pujya Gurudev used to say whatever we do – be it social service or one’s own work, it should be done in a perfect manner and with the spirit of Yagya. This is true nationalism and social service. Excellence with nonattachment produces beauty in work. Such an attitude uplifts one’s personality. Whether we are engaged in Gyan-Yagya (spreading Pujyawar’s thoughts) or in creative activities of the Mission, we should not aspire for fame/ glory; and should not worry about the fruits of our actions. One should go on doing his duty. This is true karmayagya.
Elaborating the significance of Yagya, Lord says further which signifies the meaning that- At the beginning of creation, Prajapati Brahma after creating all beings with the help of Yagya, said: “By the performance of Yagya, may you evolve and prosper, may this Yagya bestow all that is desired by you. With this (Yagya) you nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you thus nourishing one another, you will obtain supreme blessings. The gods, nourished by the Yagya, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering (in return) to them, is certainly a thief. The righteous, who eat of the remnants of the Yagya are freed from all sins; but those who cook food (only) for their consumption, those sinners eat only sin.”
At first glance, it may appear that this Yagya (the benefit of which Lord is explaining) is some traditional, ritualistic, havan. But this is not mere Vedic Yagya; its meaning is quite extensive. Here, Lord is making an effort so that Arjuna accepts the principle of performing an action with the spirit of Yagya. In fact, this is a universal law of Nature. The ecological cycle is a kind of global process of Yagya. Sun is providing heat and light to this world, but it does not expect anybody’s praise for this work. Oceans are heated, their evaporation makes the clouds, and the latter gives rains where there is greenery; the rains fill the rivers, and they start flowing and ultimately merge with the oceans. This well-managed cycle of nature continuously goes on. The beauty of nature is a unique expression of the process of Yagya.The same thing has been clearly explained by Lord Krishna (through the medium of philosopher-poet Veda Vyasa) in the tenth shloka that Prajapati (Lord Brahma) while creating the living beings has kept the spirit of Yagya in mind and handed over the reins of this universe to his best creation – the human being. If the human race, keeping the spirit of collectiveness and selflessness, works dedicatedly for the protection
“If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to the mission, man attains perfection. – The Bhagavad Gita”
of the environment, then the latter too will respond favorably, that is, it will provide desired objects. Indeed, there is no match to the joy of working collectively but for this people will have to live for others they will have to abandon the ego and ego-centered desires. Param Pujya Gurudev used to say that the Yagya of life is sustained by the team spirit. If someone in the team works with selfish motives, then the plan of working in the group will fail. This principle applies everywhere – whether it is the task of nation-building or the making of the family.
Set thy heart upon thy work but never its reward. – The Bhagavad Gita”
Suppose the entire humankind works unitedly with the spirit of Yagya, then, considering that the natural forces cannot be controlled, what is the guaranty that nature will behave favorably. On this aspect, the author of the Gita says in the eleventh shloka – ‘With this Yagya you nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus nourishing one another, you will obtain supreme blessings; that is, the desired objects.’ It should be clearly understood that this is the voice of Brahmaji that has been cited by Yogeshwar Krishna here. The essence of his saying is that when people work together with the spirit of Yagya, then miraculous changes can be seen in the external world. When we collectively work for pleasing the natural powers, then the latter too responds favorably. But the only condition is that we should selflessly work together for the refinement and nourishment of physical as well as subtle aspects of the environment.
It is well-known that the world is facing a severe problem of environmental pollution. The condition has been further aggravated by the poisoning of thoughts and emotions. The result is that while some parts are getting no rains, causing a situation like drought / famine and some parts are getting heavy rains causing floods; and, people are suffering from various physical and mental ailments. The solution to this lies in living a life dedicated to Yagya. Lessons of the real art of living are hidden in this word Yagya which is formed by the root word ‘yaj.’ It has three meanings – devpujan, sangatikaran, and daan. These three words together explain what the purpose of our life is. Vedic culture has a specialty that it takes a holistic view of life. The essence of Devpujan is to refine the personality traits so that a person becomes righteous and he gets engaged in the actions for the sake of Yagya. sangatikaran means performing activities collectively for the universal good and, daan means charity, developing a generous attitude of giving. If we keep these thoughts, imparted by Param Pujya Gurudev, in our minds, then all our actions will be filled with divinity. Once the gesture of giving comes in mind, all the ego, greed, attachment, and related desires which cause bondage vanish and a person starts living an other-centered life.
“All works are being done by the power of Nature; but due to the delusion of ego, people assume themselves to be the doers. – The Bhagavad Gita”
Source: Akhand Jyoti Sept-Oct 2019