Chapter 5

Karma-Sannyasa-Yoga

 Jnyana-Karma-Saamarasya Yoga

 Harmony of Knowledge and Action

The main topics of Chapter 5 are:

1.  Knowledge and Action are mutually complementary.
2. Mental disposition necessary to gain Perfection by Action.
3. Description of Atman or one’s own Self as always free from Action but enabling all Actions.
4. Equal presence of Atman in everything, everywhere, always.
5. Description of One Who does his Actions with this essential Knowledge – BrahmaBhuta.
6. Yogin‘s Desire for Public Welfare.

SUMMARY

Sir Krishna further explains how the principles in the two paths, the path of Knowledge – Jnyana (also referred as Sannyasa or Saankhya)  and the path of Action – Yoga  or Karma-Yoga are not mutually exclusive or contradicting.   For Self-Knowledge to take hold on a person, one has to loose all sense desires.  From this, one may conclude that when desire has vanished, one will not have the need to do any thing and he can rest self-absorbed in his Self-Knowledge.  Then, how is Sri Krishna’s repeated advice saying “Arjuna acquire Knowledge, make your Reason pure, get up and fight”  tenable?  To the same doubt posed by Arjuna, in the beginning of chapter 3 and again now, at the beginning of chapter 5, SriKrishna clearly explains how abandoning of Action (which the Saankhya school holds as necessary for Knowledge)  is not possible or plausible or even necessary.  Sri Krishna also clearly explains:

• how the two paths merge into one.
• that Action serves as a means for perfecting oneself and acquiring Self-Knowledge (jnyana).
• that after Self-Knowledge is acquired,  continuing the Action with serenity, without any mental disturbance, serves to hold together society in harmony and preserves Dharma – lokasangraha and lokakalyaana.
• that Action of person possessed of Self-Knowledge is perfect and benefits the society most and draws every one toward his own Divine nature.
• that everyone must engage in Action for Self-Knowledge and later by Self-Knowledge.

Outward Sannyasa or abandonment of action to pursue Self-Knowledge by contemplation on Self is painful and impossible, unless one has full control over his senses, mind, reason and will power.  Such an effort entails forceful suppression of senses and starving them and killing their potential.  Such an effort is contrary to the purpose of creation and does not contribute to the smooth running of the society and nature.  Easier path is to accept the all pervading Divine as the Self in all creatures by faith in people who have experienced this and the scriptures.   With this understanding, one can engage in the self-less execution of Svadharma, or free expression of one’s innate propensities as one’s own duties, with a serene mind, with devotion and dedication.  By this, perfect control of mind is gained.

One has to have steadfast understanding and faith that all-pervading Brahman is the infinite, unchanging power from whom all actions proceed.  One has also to know that Brahman also does not participate in Action.  Further, Brahman, the  infinite consciousness resides in himself and everything around in the world.  With this firm conviction, one can engage in his Svadharma, own duty,  with a serene mind, dedicating it to the Divine.  This is true Sannyasa or renunciation of false notions, or renunciation of false self-identification with ego.   In this path of Karma-yoga, when sense desire has ceased, the desire has only merged with one’s own Self, the source of the universal desire for being happy without limitation.  When such a stage is reached, one has no need to do any Action.  Such a person has no need for inaction either!  Therefore, since even basic life actions like breathing and maintaining the body is full of Action, it would be excellent for him to continue to do all his duties only for the sake of public benefit.  Thus, Action has two purposes – gaining Self-Knowledge and to keep the society and creation glued together as One Whole.  This is the advice SriKrishna gives Arjuna and the best role model is SriKrishna’s own Being and Action!

As explained in Chapters two, three and four, one has to do all his duties pertaining to his stage of life and stage of development with enthusiasm, as a dedication to the all-pervading Divine with out coveting the result of action for himself.   All Actions and the fruit of Action have to be renounced, ONLY inwardly or mentally  (NOT OUTWARDLY by abandoning action),  to the all-pervading Divine.  This is the only way one can be free from the smear of both the merit and demerit of actions (punya and paapa).   Thus, he does not generate the chain of ignorance-action-reaction cascade.  Thereby, one can free oneself from suffering and grief.

Sri Krishna gives a description of the person who has merged himself in his own Self – BrahmaBhuta – one who has become Brahman,  one who has reached BrahmaNirvana – one who has dissolved himself in Brahman.  This is same as the description of the Sthita Prajnya in Chapter 2.  One can reach this state by being steadfast in his approach, with no doubts about the infinite capacity within himself  and thereby, capable of handling the force of desire and anger intelligently.  A BrahmaBhuta  sees with an equal eye the learned Brahmin, the cow, the elephant, the dog and an outcaste.  He stays in this state now, in this world, in his body and engages in all his actions.  He enjoys infinite happiness which is not disturbed by happenings around.

Toward the end of Chapter five there is an introduction of  Dhyana – contemplation which is expanded in Chapter six.  Chapter five ends with a most beautiful description by Sri Krishna of himself that one can contemplate on.   SriKrishna says: “Knowing ME this way – as One who receives and enjoys the offerings of all sacrifices and austerities, as One who is the Lord of the universe, as A friend of all creatures, one attains tranquility”.  This is a recipe for life in which Knowledge, Action, and Devotion are inextricably fused into one.

CONTENTS

Knowledge and Action are not opposed to each other.

Arjuna asks the same question that he asked in the beginning of Chapter 3.  SriKrishna has been stressing that it is necessary to acquire Self-knowledge and engage in self-less action.  Arjuna tells SriKrishna that he cannot decipher whether the superior path is the path of Self-Knowledge (jnyana) or Action (Karma-yoga or Yoga).  Arjuna asks SriKrishna to instruct him clearly, with certainty, ONE path that is right for him. BG:5:1.

SriKrishna clearly lays out the explanation of how the two paths are neither contradictory nor opposed to each other.  SriKrishna lays out clearly the premise for the fact that the right choice for Arjuna is to engage in Action and take up to fight in the battle.

With respect the goal, which is freedom, both the paths (Jnyana and Karma-yoga)  are equally productive.  Between the two, engaging in Action (Karma-Yoga) is superior to abandonment of Action (Jnyana or sannyaasa).   Only immature people have the notion that the two paths are separate, men of wisdom do not think them to be different.  One who puts forth proper effort in either of the paths, obtains the result of both.  One who sees the oneness of both the paths has a proper understanding.  BG:5:2,4,5. (BG:3:7)

Without mastering the Karma-yoga, any attempt to acquire jnyana  by renunciation (sannyasa), will only give lot of grief.  On the other hand, when one who has acquired Karma-yoga,  reaching Brahaman (acquiring jnyana) is very  swift thereafter.  One who has tread this path of Karma-Yoga (who has carried out his duties and interacted extensively in the society) will be purified from his ego, will own his Atman, will have mastered his senses, sees his Self as the Self in all beings, he is fully satisfied, hankers for nothing,  does not dislike anything, does not vacillate in dualities.  A person performing all his actions with this mind set can be called a perpetual ascetic – Nitya sannyasi.  He is always happy, is relieved form all bonds and does not experience the recoil of the results of his actions (both paapa and punya or demerit and merit).  BG:5:3,6,7. (BG:3:27-29, 4:21)

Mental disposition of Karma-yogi.

One who understands the truth about the reality  (visible, ever changing world is a manifestation of the eternal, unchanging Brahman) and is united with this fact, regards that he is not doing anything while he is seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing, talking, relieving, holding, winking his eyes.  He considers that the sense organs are only reaching out to contact the sense-objects (Atman is not involved in action though no life process can happen without it).  Doing all actions thus, having reposed them in Brahman and having given up attachment, does not taint the person just as the lotus leaf is not soaked by water a droplet.  A Karma-yogi does all actions merely through his body, mind,  reason and senses, renouncing attachment, for purifying his consciousness.   A Karma-yogi achieves perfect peace by steadfast faith in reality and abandoning desire for the results.  Action becomes binding only when one hankers for results not knowing the reality behind all appearances.  The embodied being sits serene in the body – the city with nine gates (nine openings – two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, two excretory apertures), having perfect control over his lower nature and renouncing all actions to the divine within and all round mentally (not by outward non-performance).   BG:5:8-13.

Philosophical basis of being in Yoga.

SriKrishna again explains the nature of Parameshwara – the eternal and the two powers of manifestation of Parameshwara – Purusha and Prakriti or immutable and mutable or Akshara and Kshara or Ishwara and Maya or Atman and Deha.

The parameshwara (prabhu) does not create either the capacity for action or action or the results of action.  They are inherent in the nature of prakriti.  Vibhu (all pervading parameshwara) does not acquire the merit or de-merit of any body’s action.  Since Knowledge (of Atman) is concealed by Ignorance (Maya), all beings are confused as if under a spell.   When ignorance is destroyed by Self-Knowledge, in such a person Knowledge lights up from within like a sun.  In those beings whose reason has become engrossed in the highest principle (Thath or parameshwara), who have found happiness in it, are fixed on it and are devoted to it, in them all the demerits are washed away by Knowledge and they do not come to birth again.   BG:5:14-17.

Description of features of a Brahma-bhuta or jeevanmukta or karma-yogi in the world.

Sages endowed with knowledge and humility, view equally a brahmin cow, elephant, a dog and an outcaste.  People whose reason has become steady, conquer the mortal world wherever they are (have overcome the fear of death).  Brahman is faultless and equal in all.  The intelligence of the one who knows Brahman this way is firmly fixed, dwells in Brahman, never gets bewildered and neither rejoices by securing the pleasant nor grieves securing the unpleasant.  When one is latched with Brahman in his Atman by Yoga, feels no attachment to the encounter of outward things, finds happiness in his Self and enjoys imperishable happiness.  The happiness that comes by the touch of external things are time bound, they have a beginning and an end.  Man with an awakened understanding of this fact does not repose his delight in them.  A person who has the strength to withstand the momentum of desire and anger in this body, is a Yogin, a happy man.  One who has in his possession the inner happiness, inner comfort and inner light, he is a Yogi, he is one with Brahman (Brahmabhuta) and is dissolved in Brahman (Brahmanirvana).   BG:5:18-23. 

A Yogi is dedicated to public welfare.

Those who have erased all the stains of demerit (paapa), snapped all knots of doubt about the dualities, mastered themselves, gain the Brahmanirvana and are relentlessly engaged in doing good to all creatures.  For the sages who have mastered themselves by yoga and austerity, who are released from the hold of desire and anger, for them Brahman exists all around.  They live in it, they are encompassed by it and live in it because of the Knowledge of the Self.  BG:5:24-26.

State of being in Yoga always.

One is ever free by keeping things external to him always external to him (does not get mentally attached and holds on to them),  by having the vision between the eyebrows, by equalizing his breathing, having controlled his senses, mind devoted to understanding and liberation and free from the hold of desire and anger. BG:5:27,28.

Final words – Fusion of Knowledge, Action and Devotion.

SriKrishna says:  “By knowing ME as the ONE who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the mighty Lord of all worlds,  a friend of all creatures, one gains total peace”.  BG:5:29.

OM TAT SAT

This concludes the Chapter Five entitled  ‘Harmony of Knowledge and Action’ (‘Karmasannyasa yoga‘) in the dialogue between SriKrishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita Upanishad (Upanishad told by the Lord), on the Science of  Science of right Action (Yoga-Shastra), included in the Knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-Vidya).