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Have you ever wondered about the secret to living a fulfilled and meaningful life? The Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita (Selfless Service) constantly states the importance of an ‘action’. Let us explore how this Yoga can significantly change our lives!
Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita
This Yoga, or the path of action, encourages performing actions without concern for their outcome. It’s also understood by the statement, “ What goes around comes around”. According to the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna advises, “Do your duty without thinking for the fruits of it.”
Therefore, Yoga is all about performing daily duties with commitment and devotion. It also lets go of the ego and increases focus on responsibilities.
Principles of Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita
There are four essential principles of this Yoga:
1. Duty
We all have to perform specific duties in our lives. Duties are termed Dharma in Yoga. This means the work you do should be done with dedication. This principle tells us to do our duties without expecting anything in return.
2. Ego
Ego is our mirror, reflecting our place on earth. It describes how we think about our wishes, desires, likes, and dislikes. The Bhagavad Gita tells us to let go of the ego and to do selfless work for the betterment of others.
3. Attachment
Gita states attachment is nothing but an illusion that can stop one from growing spiritually. Attachment is our belief about the things we love in our lives. Bhagavad Gita tells us that we should perform our duties and not be concerned about the results we get in return.
4. Expectation
The fourth principle in Gita is about our life expectations. This means doing the work selflessly and putting in effort without expecting rewards. We should be neutral in our work and not consider our successes and failures.
How Can We Practice Karma Yoga?
This Yoga tells people to practice and implement it into their lives. These are:
1. Listing our Duties
Preparing a list always helps us decide what tasks to prioritize, starting from the beginning. This allows us to identify and align our responsibilities, helping us understand our duties in life.
2. Presence in Work
You should be dedicated to your commitments and tasks without expecting the outcome. This attitude can help you achieve many things in life.
3. Positivity and Gratitude
Positivism always brings happiness to our lives. We should appreciate the opportunity to help others and be grateful for what we have in our lives.
4. Volunteer
Volunteering for small things brings happiness not only to others but also to self-happiness. This can lessen our anxieties and stress and improve our health and well-being.
Also Read: How Adhi Yoga is Formed in Kundli in Astrology?
Types of Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita
Once we understand this, we can learn about the types of Yoga: Sanchita, Aagami, Prabhadha, and Kriyaman.
1. Sanchita Karma
Sanchita Karma is the collection of actions from this life and all the past lives. It has stored all the Karmas for which you have not received any results or fruit. However, you should also know that good and bad Karma go hand in Karma and don’t remove the evil Karma in your current life.
2. Aagami Karma
Agami Karma refers to the actions that we perform in our current lives and also shapes our future. It shows how our current choices and behaviors influence future experiences and outcomes. This helps us create a new Karma that will manifest in our future lives.
3. Prabhadha Karma
Prabhadha Karma is part of this significant Yoga. It is the past action that shapes our current life circumstances and experiences. This yoga excludes situations we experience from our past actions. Thus, we face the results of our actions in our past and current lives.
4. Kriyaman Karma
Kriyaman Karma refers to our current actions or KarmKar, which can bring favorable and unfavorable results. As mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, these actions lead to consequences for everybody. However, the selfless actions that we do for others can help neutralize the adverse effects.
Benefits of Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita
We now understand the types of Yogas mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. But did you know that Karma yoga has several benefits? Let’s explore each point.
1. Increased awareness and activeness
People work daily to complete their tasks. However, when they practice Yoga, they perform their functions with awareness, focus, and energy. This approach helps them complete their work and improves their physical and mental well-being.
2. Success in achieving goals
Practicing this Yoga helps achieve goals by enjoying the task, giving your best, and detaching from the outcome. It brings success, recognition, and rewards professionally and personally. In personal relationships, dedicating yourself without expecting anything in return strengthens bonds and improves relationships.
3. Reduced Negativity
An essential benefit of Yoga is to let go of negativity such as hatred, hidden fears, and jealousy. This also helps us let go of our ego and focus on the present tasks.
4. Boosts your sense of calmness
Detaching from the results of your actions prevents anger, sadness, and disappointment, freeing your mind and making it more flexible. Practicing this Yoga increases wisdom and patience, helping you become calmer and more tolerant.
5. Experience joy & fulfillment
People mistakenly think this Yoga is just about service and duty and that detaching from results means no happiness or fulfillment. Instead, enjoying work for its own sake brings focus and awareness. This approach helps you embrace the present, leading to joy, fulfillment, and peace.
6. Increased Community
This essential Yoga can help you build a community of like-minded people. You can contribute to the community’s well-being and strengthen your bond with them.
Bhagavad Gita Quotes on Karma Yoga
1. Karma Yogi has a firm determination for god realization only.
Meaning: A Karma Yogi has a firm determination for God’s realization only, but the desires of one who works to enjoy the fruits of work are endless.
2. Free yourself from attachment.
Meaning: Karma Yogi – who is free from the attachment, whose mind is fixed in self-knowledge, and who does work as a service to the Lord merges entirely in the knowledge form as Brahman.
3. Focus on the Process, not the results.
Meaning: Those motivated only by a desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.
4. If you do any good work, then that good work never comes to a bad end.
Meaning: No one who does good work will ever come to a wrong end, either here or in the world to come.
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Shlokas on Karma Yoga
1. arjuna uvācha jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava
Translation: Arjuna said: If you think that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, do you ask me to engage in this terrible action?
2. śhrī bhagavān uvācha loke’smin dvi-vidhā niṣhṭhā purā proktā mayānagha jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karma-yogena yoginām
Translation: The Blessed Lord said, “In this world, there are two paths, as I have explained before, O sinless one: the path of knowledge for the Sankhyas and the path of action for the Yogis.”
3. karmendriyāṇi sanyamya ya āste manasā smaran indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyate
Translation: While controlling the organs of action, sits thinking about sense-objects in his mind is of misguided understanding and is called a hypocrite.
Myths About Karma Yoga
Some myths can confuse people about the meaning of Karma. Below, learn about some Karma people believe can lead to this Yoga.
1. An Exchange
Karma is not a transaction or exchange. Some say spending time and service in another service leads to karma yoga, a myth. You can get this Yoga if you devote time to a service where you get eternal happiness. This should be performed selflessly without thinking about what you get in return.
2. Free Work
People say that this Yoga relates to free work. However, it is connected to selfless service. One should not focus on the monetary compensation but perform the task without expecting good results.
3. Low Compensation
One cannot get this Yoga if he gives low wages and exploits poor people. Underpaying anyone is unethical, and you should act without a selfless attitude. If anyone compensates less, his actions will never lead to karma yoga.
4. Social Service
The Yoga does not cover all social services. It tells an individual about the act of selflessness without expecting any reward and about removing one’s egoistic attitude.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do you break the karma cycle?
2. Where is Karma stored in the body?
3. What is the symbol of Karma?
4. What is the path of karma yoga in Bhagavad Gita?
5. What is the hardest Karma?
6. Which God controls Karma?
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