Nishkaama karmeti yaduchyate cha
daadau bhavenno sukaram janaanaam
Param tu tasyaanya janusshshuchaapi
naabhikramachchedanamasti kinchit

"Performing Karma without expecting anything in return (Nishkaama Karma) is not easy. Still, one should try to do so because, if one starts making effort in this direction, it (such tendency) will continue in the future births also. What one does in this birth will never go waste."

The above Sookti urges us to undertake Nishkaama Karma (selfless karma). If one can read between lines, the Sookti is implying that all the karmas we undertake are in fact Sakaama Karmas (actions with desire).

For an action to take place, there should be the 'knowledge-desire-effort' triad behind it. Here, desire represents Kama. This was amply discussed in the May issue of Bhakti Mala. Therefore it follows that all our actions are actions with knowledge(Jnana), actions with desire (Kama) and actions with effort (prayatna). Why is it then necessary to point out that all our actions are Sakaama in nature?

Among the triad of knowledge-desire-effort, it is desire (Kama) that bridges the karma and the performer. Therefore the Sookti is trying to point out that all our Karmas are Sakaama Karmas. What is meant by bridging the karma and its performer?

Assume that a karma(action) takes place. The performer feels that he is responsible for it and thereby becomes the enjoyer of its fruits. If the fruit of action is sweet, he becomes happy. If it is bitter, he will immediately try to avoid it because it brings him unhappiness. But it is not possible to escape now because, he has already imposed upon himself, the role of doership. He can not disown the fruit now. This is what is meant by 'bridging the Karma and the performer'.

That which bridges is Kama. If there is no Kama (desire), man does not try to convert his knowledge in to a device for achieving his aim. This point was also discussed in the May issue of Bhakti Mala. Thus, because Kama (desire) plays a key role, it is generally said that all our actions are Sakaama Karmas.

So what if our actions are Sakaama in nature?

Let us see. If all our actions were to bring us true happiness, no one would take notice of the above Sookti. By experience, we know that it is not so. Many of our actions, although undertaken to gain happiness, result in unhappiness. When one tries to analyse the reason behind this, one will easily understand that the so called happiness derived out of one's actions are only transitory. We will also realise that we are under the influence of some delusion which makes us to mistake these temporary flashes of pleasurable stimuli to be real happiness.

For example, we are very hungry. The aroma of our favourite dish is coming from the kitchen. It is very tasty too. Because of the hunger and relish for good taste, we overeat. After some time, the stomach starts giving problems. We rush to a doctor. We incur expenditure for treatment. The doctor advises fasting for a couple of days. Our routine suffers. Our work schedule is disrupted. The doctor cautions that if such overeating is repeated, it might cause even more serious problems.

Because of this episode, we will realise that what was thought to be a pleasurable sensation (relishing the dish) was after all not really a completely pleasurable because it caused problems for us. We may even curse ourselves for our action.

When we face such situations, we start thinking. We ask ourselves 'is this the price I had to pay for it? Did I have to go through all the hardship just for this?'
Hardship is a form of unhappiness. If we say 'we are facing hardship to gain happiness', it is as though saying 'we invite unhappiness so that we can be happy'! Of course, when we are intensely striving for happiness, even hardships do not seem to affect us.

For example, a warrior who becomes happy only when he fights and wins a war for his king. During the war, eventhough he gets hurt, he does not feel unhappy. Similarly, a business man, who is intent on amassing money does not care even if his health is spoiled. All he cares about is money and nothing else.

After some time, as a result of some incident, he wakes up and asks himself 'what was my input? What is my gain?' The answer to these questions will never please him.

Ironically, by the time such enquiry starts, the person will already be too old. He will not be in the best of his health. Therefore, neither the question nor its answer may no longer be of any importance and relevance.

It is now clear that if our actions are 'Sakaama' in nature, the adversaries will be ourselves. The intention of the above Sookti in saying that the actions should be 'Nishkaama' is to avert such a situation.

How is it possible when the triad of knowledge-desire-effort is at work?

True, even if one of the three is absent, no action can take place. But it must be understood that just because the three are present, the karma need not necessarily be 'Sakaama'.

Only when the component of desire binds the action to its performer, the action becomes 'Sakaama'. If it can somehow be ensured that desire becomes incapable if binding the action and the doer, then such a desire is as good as dead. Actions undertaken with such a Kama will automatically become 'Nishkaama Karma'. The above Sookti is trying to highlight this point.

Is it really possible to disable Kama?

'It is possible' says Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita. The first verse of the sixth chapter of Bhagavad-Gita echoes this idea. Says the Lord

Anaashritah karma phalam karyam karma karoti yah
Sa sanyaasee cha yogee cha . .. ………

(He who performs an action which is his duty, without depending on the result of action, he is a monk and a yogi; ….)

It is therefore established that it is possible to undertake 'Nishkaama karma'.

'It may be possible; but certainly it is not so easy' says this Sookti. To whom is it difficult? 'To the one who is beginning to tread this path' agrees the Sookti.

Understandably, when Arjuna first heard about such 'Nishkaama karma', he said 'it is utterly difficult!' He also added 'O! Lord, the mind is unsteady, turbulent, strong and obstinate. I consider its control to be as greatly difficult as controlling the mind.'

Was Arjuna, who said this an ordinary man? He had pleased Lord Shiva with his intense tapas and had received great weapons from Him. If mind control was difficult even for Arjuna, what about the ordinary mortals?

Even Lord Krishna acknowledges that controlling the mind is difficult. He said, 'Indeed the mind is intractable and restless.' He did not stop there. He added, 'it can be brought under control through Abhyaasa( practice) and Vairaagya(detachment').

What is practice? What is detachment?

Attempting again and again constitutes Abhyaasa. It means, repeatedly doing a particular act.

There are two kinds of situations in which actions are repeated. One example for the first kind is eating - which we do every day. By eating, we get some happiness. After some time, this happiness disappears and makes way to hunger, which is in a way, an unhappy feeling. We eat again. This goes on every day. This is one kind of practice.

A student who is taught a new lesson in the school comes home and studies the same lesson. When he reads for the first time, he may not understand anything. But after resolutely studying the same lesson over and over again, he will understand it. After two or three days, he will forget it. He will again study it many times and with such repeated studying, he will come to a stage when he will never forget that lesson. This is another kind of practice.

Even a difficult task becomes easy if it is done repeatedly. One will even develop a liking for it after some time. This is a normal mental tendency. This liking will give some satisfaction and happiness. This will tempt the person to undertake the task repeatedly everyday. Thus, finally both kinds of practice are undertaken simultaneously. This state - in which both kinds of practice have merged - is what is meant by 'Abhyaasa' as told by Lord Krishna.

Such 'Abhyaasa' should be incorporated by the seeker to get rid of 'Kama'. The seeker should repeatedly caution himself that it is 'Kama' which attributes doership (of an action) to the performer, thereby making the performer suffer the outcome of action. He should also take care not to fall in to this vicious circle. This is real 'Abhyaasa'.

'What if one does not perform any action at all? Will he not be spared from this situation altogether?' is the question which comes to the mind. It is impossible for anyone to be totally actionless. Everyone has to do something or the other. If one undertakes some action based on what comes to one's mind, it will immediately become a 'Sakaama Karma'. Such an action will certainly bind him to its effect. Therefore one should do what has been ordained by the scriptures. By doing so, it will be easy to disown the fruit of action because, the motivation for the action is not the mind, but the commandment of the scripture. Therefore Lord Krishna has said 'one should perform action in such a way that the fruits do not affect the performer'. By undertaking one's duties with such an attitude, (by repeatedly reminding one's self about developing such an attitude) mind control can be achieved.

This is how mind control is achieved with the help of constant practice.

Let us now see how Vairagya is helpful. 'Raaga' means accepting objects of pleasure based on desire. Opposite of this is Viraaga or Vairaagya (renunciation). Some people are under the impression that merely discarding objects constitutes Vairaagya.
A person sees a snake creeping under his bed. He will immediately distance himself from the bed. He will say 'I do not want this bed'. Can this be called as Vairaagya?

A person who discards an object will have learnt about its danger or uselessness. Therefore, the act of discarding is based on his dislike or hatred or fear. This is not real renunciation.

Giving up attachment (arising out of desire) as well as aversion (arising out of hatred and dislike) and understanding the meagreness of the object is real Vairaagya.

In this context, the word object is used to mean the fruit of action. To realise that the fruit of action is transitory in nature and therefore, it need not be liked or hated, is real Vairaagya.

Such a Vairaagya will bestow upon the seeker, the ability to view any object or idea with an unbiased eye. Such unbiased attitude will greatly help in gaining control over the mind. This is how Vairaagya helps in achieving mind control.

One should repeatedly perform actions ordained by the scriptures with such a detached mind. By doing so, Vairaagya will strengthen Abhyaasa and Abhyaasa will reinforce Vairaagya. Both are equally important. Mind control can be achieved only when these two work in tandem. Because Kama (desire) resides in the mind, these two work together to exert their influence on the mind. As a result, Kama can be inhibited. With more and more such inhibition, the Kama component of the Karma becomes totally disabled and it will no more be capable of binding the performer to the fruits of action. Actions undertaken in such a state will be definitely devoid of any desire; in other words, such actions become 'Nishkaama' in nature.

Very well. But is it really possible to achieve it in one life time? When a person like Arjuna thought that it is very difficult, why should any lesser mortal think that it can be achieved? If it not possible, why should one attempt at all? Let us say, we start it now, after some time we become too old to carry on and we die. If this goes on and on, we will never be able to achieve it completely in any birth. If it is so, why should we attempt for something that can never be achieved? This doubt arose even in Arjuna's mind. The answer which Lord Krishna gave is echoed in the last two lines of the Sookti. The words of Lord Krishna are of so much importance in answering this doubt that it is worthwhile to quote it completely.

Paartha naiveha naamutra vinaashastasya vidyate
Na hi kalyaana krit kinchit durgatim taata gachchati
Praapya punya kritaam lokaan ushitvaa shaashwateeh samaah
Shucheenaam srimataam gehe yogabhrashtobhijaayate
Athavaa yoginaameva kule bhavati dheemataam
Etaddhi durlabhataram loke janma yadeedrisham
Tatra tam buddhi samyogam labhate pourvadaihikam
Yatate cha tato bhooyah samsiddhou kuru nandana
Poorvaabhyaasena tenaiva hliyate hyavashopi sah
Jijnaasurapi yogasya shabdabrahmaati vartate
Prayatnaadyata maanastu yogee samshuddhi kilbishah
Aneka janma samsiddhistato yaati paraam gatim

"Certainly, there is no ruin of him (who undertakes Nishkaama karma) here or hereafter. One who is engaged in good never meets with a deplorable end. By virtue of the good deeds performed in the present life, the Jeevi will go to Punya Loka (heaven). After the merits are fully enjoyed, the Jeevi takes birth again. This time, he will automatically get the opportunity to continue from where he had left in the previous life. He will be born in the house of the pious and prosperous. He may even be born in the family of wise Yogis. There he becomes endowed with the wisdom acquired in the previous body. And he strives more than before for achieving the aim. By that very past practice he is carried forward even in spite of himself. By applying himself assiduously, becoming purified from sin and attaining perfection through many births, the Jeevi achieves the highest goal."

One need not have any doubt regarding this for, these words have come from the Lord Himself.

Even those who undertake Sakaama Karma do so with an intention of being happy here and hereafter. But on account of lack of application, many do not achieve anything at all.

On the other hand, if actions are undertaken as 'Nishkaama karma', even if there is an abrupt end in this life, the merits take the Jeevi to heaven and thereafter will bestow him with a noble birth. This is the purport of the words of the Lord.

Therefore the Sookti given at the outset cautions us against 'Sakaama Karma' and encourages us to undertake 'Nishkaama Karma'

May this message always guide you in your actions.

Jaya Guru Datta.