KARAMYOGI TRANSCENDS BONDAGE

Lord Krishna and Arjun were on their chariot parked between armies of Kaurava and Pandvas. Arjun refused to fight his kinsmen for mere earthly empire. He could find any solace to subdue grief drying his senses even in undisputed sovereignty of three dimensioned Kingdom of Demigods.

Na hi parpashayamimamapnuyatyad
yachhokamuchshoshrhamindriyarham I

Avapya bhumavsapatnamridhanam


rajyam surarhamapi chadhipatyam II (2.8)

Even gaining undisputed sovereignty and affluent kingdom of earth and Lordship over Gods I don’t see any means enabling me to drive away grief which is drying my senses.

A great warrior Arjun is so perturbed to think of the after war situation. Before even fighting it, he does not find any solace in undisputed Sovereign kingdom and Lordship of Gods which could sooth his drying senses.
When a person is over whelmed by deep attachment to worldly objects or relations he is disturbed even by apprehension of their loss and indulges in high sermons of detachment without actually resorting to it.
Ultimately Arjun decides not to fight his relations to gain kingdom or world objects.
Had Arjun not reached a point of saturation of attachment, Lord would have never revealed His eternal message of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta.
But it is with the inspiration of Lord himself that Arjun utters such words of coward ness and attachment that eternal message of Geeta spilled out of the mouth of Lord Krishna for the welfare of human kind. There is a message for entire universe, every being, mainly meant for self realization.
Lord Krishna has termed the embodiment as field to undergo reactions of past identifications with material reactions. A embodied self soul has a right to undergo past reactions coming in form of dualities but a desire to have positive results for these reactions is SIN causing transmigration.
Lord Krishna says in chapter two:

Karamarhyevadhikaraste ma faleshu kadachan I

Ma Karamfalheturbhurma te sangoastavkarmarhi II (2.47)

You have a right to perform your duty but you have no right to claim fruit in lieu of this performance. So you are not to suppose yourself cause of fruit by this mere performance nor should you be inclined to inaction.

This verse depicts complete philosophy of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta.

THIS IS WHOLE SOME BHAGWAD GEETA.

This verse is a part of daily course of Indian population. Even a layman can be found to refer this verse. May he not comprehend its true vitality?
An embodied soul has a right to act through mind, intellect, senses as per nature but desire of its fruits is a sin for it.

The real purport of this verse is little known to even some of the realized.

The self soul comes in contact with three modules of material nature in its quest for attaining opulence like that one Supreme Lord has.

Lord created these modules for the purpose of divine play. Self soul is the eternal servitor of Lord. He is an actor in this divine play of Lord. He has nothing as his own.

Eternity can not intermingle with material energy.

Self soul as it is Lord own reflection.

When he starts playing a role allotted to him in this divine drama enacted by Lord, acting with three different modules, he identifies with them. It also identified with the actions of particular module.
This results in bondage and resultant different embodiments in sequence of this eternal drama.

Devaadhine sharireusmin gurhbhavyen karmarha I Vartmaneabudhastatra kartaasmiti nibadhayate II

(Bhagwad Mahapuran 11.11.10)

Living in the body which is under the sway of resultant past actions, foolish one, on the action done by organs, becomes bound by identifying with them.

To cleanse the attachment, the body, mind, intellect, senses, work out actions with organs indulging in sense objects. Fruit are happiness-sorrow, hot-cold, love-hate etc. having opposite meanings.
The self seated in the embodiment, presumes him to be the doer of act and desires fruit of that act. It is neither doer nor he undergoes the fruit; it is the material nature which prompts body, mind, intellect, senses to act so as to liberate this self soul from embodiment.
But the impact of divine evolutes is so great that the self soul, presuming it to be the doer starts hoping for their fruits whereon he has no right nor has any control over these results.
The embodiment is the store of reactions of past deeds which go on changing every moment. A man with crores goes penniless in a moment and in next minutes; man worth nothing acquires an empire.

In chapter 18 the reason for this is given by Lord Krishna:

Anishtamishtam misharam ch trividham karmarha falam I

bhavtiatyaginam pretya na tu sannyasina kavchit II( 18.12)

Pleasant, unpleasant and mixed, three fold fruit of the action or actions is bound to follow for them who wish to have fruits of their action and have not yet renounced the desire of fruit but those who have renounced this desire, the actions don’t bring any fruit.

Panchetani mahabaho karnarhi nibodh me I

Sankhey kritante proktani sidhiye sarkamrhanam II


Adhishthanam tatha karta karrham ch prithakvadham I

Vivdha prithakcheshtha devam chevatra panchamam II


Sharirvangmanobhiryatkaram prarabhte narah I

Nayayam va vipreetam pachete tasya hetvah II


Tatraivm sati kartaram atmanam kevalam tu yah II

Pashayatiakritbudhitwatna sa pashayati durmati II 18.13-16)

Arjun! In the Sankhya branch of learning which gives out the ways to neutralize the actions, these five factors have been mentioned as contributories to the accomplishment of all actions, know them from me.

Seat of action, the agent, organs of different kinds and separate divergent movements and fifth is destiny.
Whatever actions, right or wrong performed from mind, speech and body, their causes are these five.

Not withstanding this, he who having impure mind considers the Self alone the doer, is a person of perverse understanding and does not know the truth.

The action done without attachment and desire do not bear fruit like the burnt seeds do not raise any crop. These actions become liberating when done by organs and all time witness Self Soul, sees them being done by these organs, whereas the identification with them puts this eternal self in stringent prison of transmigration.

There is not even a moment when embodied living entities remain without action. They will come in any form and continue till the past attachment which resulted embodiment exhausts.

In verse 11 of chapter 18 Lord Krishna confirms it:

Na hi dehbhrita shakyum tyaktum karmarhi asheshtah I

Yastu karamfaltyagi sa tyagietiabhdhiyate II ( 18.11)

A self soul having embodiment cannot remain act less in entirety, even for a moment, but he who renounces the fruit of the action is the man of renunciation.

Not only human being indulges in action, all the creatures are active all the time. Body itself is the result of attachment with three modes of nature.

In fifteenth verse of chapter five the Lord has addressed the embodied self soul a beast (jantvah).

For broad reference all the co related three verses are cited herein below:

na kartitvam na karamarhi lokasya srijti parbhu I
na karamfalsanyogam savbhavastu parvartate II

naadate kasaychitpapam na chev sukritam vibhuh I
agyanenavritam gyanam ten muhayanti jantavah II

gyanen tu tadagyanam yesham nashitamatmanah I
teshamadityavatgyanam parkashayati tatparam II (5.14-16)

Lord does not determine the doer ship or doings of embodied souls, nor their contact with fruit of actions, but it is the nature alone that functions.

Supreme Self neither receives sins nor virtues of embodied souls, since knowledge is clotted by ignorance; hence embodied soul (jantavah) is being constantly falling prey to delusion.

But whose ignorance has been set aside by virtue of true knowledge of self, that wisdom shining like Sun reveals Supreme.

The deeds of person of renunciation do not give any dividend but the deeds done with attachment do give good, bad and mixed pleasant and unpleasant results, which a soul in embodiment appears to undergo.

So the selfless deeds for the benefit of others and devoted to the Lord Krishna, become acts of Lord and emancipate embodied Self Soul.

The soul by way of attachment considers itself the doer, which infect, he is not.

Lord in the statement in verse 14 of chapter 4 of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta confirms this.

Na mam karmarhi limpanti na mei karamfale spriha I

Eti mam yoabhijanati karambhirna sa badhayate II (4.14)

Since I have no craving for the fruit of actions, actions don’t pollute Me. Even he who thus knows Me in reality is not bound by actions.

Actions as earlier enunciated by the Lord, have no binding force in them, rather they liberate the self soul from bondage. But it is the attachment and identification which tends to bind the self soul to nature causing continuous cycle of life and death, again life coming from life on end of yet another embodiment. This circle goes on till self soul renounces attachment and identification with actions and their fruit and realizes itself.

To end this imbroglio, the self soul has to act in nature but without attachment.

Lord in process of creation, maintenance, and destruction of universe, puts nature in action and he neither acts nor he attaches himself to these works of creation.

Self soul an eternal reflection of supreme self, is also pure and pious but he has committed a grave mistake of identification with material nature. This has contaminated its purity like pearl maligned by dirt. Leaving dirt of attachment and identification, by devotion to Lord Krishna by a complete surrender, self soul can again attain its pure form to go home.

Doing actions and sacrificing them to Lord is the salvation. The self soul when comes to know the truth that he is soul and is not the doer, he is free from bondage.

This universe has come into existence and continues to be in existence despite the fact that a large number of human beings and other creatures dying daily and coming in to existence too, but the creator self are witnessing all this play of Him dispassionately.
The eternal nature of self is no different. He is free like that of Lord but he has committed a folly of creating his own universe like Lord Krishna with help of material nature.

He can not be Lord.

A ray of Sun, though having all qualities of Sun in form, cannot be Sun with help of material nature.

One can see that the ‘ego’ is natural in embodied self soul because Lord omnipresent is all powerful with all opulence has created it as part of material nature (Verse 7.4).

So is the nature of his ray. We can understand that we as Self Soul are eternal and have no end like death buy material body has an end. But for identification with material nature the self soul is free.

Ego of embodiment has been caused by identification.

Human beings out of their ‘ego’ are making searches and researches forgetting their real aim of self realization.

By indescribable power of Lord in form of three modules (gunas), the universe exists, vanishes and is still coming into being. All the workmanship of doer, doing and done rests in the material nature in form of three qualities.

But self soul assumes doer ship by its identification with material nature in form of mind body set.
Self is neither doer, nor receiver of any action or its fruit.
The Lord is always willing to take him back to home but the self soul is not ready.

How the self, the sustainer of all can be doer?

It is the ‘jeeva’ the individual self who has done an act of attachment only by outer identification with these acts of material nature and thereby binding itself.

It is the mindset which is to be rectified. Salvation exists right now, just before you, it is to be felt.
But for ignorance, the blissful self is free.

Yogasthah kuru larmarhi sangam tyaktva dhananjay I

Sidhasidhyoh samam bhutva samatavam yog uchayate II (2.48)

Arjun! You should do your prescribed duty with equanimity, with no attachment to success or failure, this is yoga of equipoise.

Lord advises Arjun to act selflessly without any attachment to success or failure. Since it is the material ‘ego’ which has bounded self soul. Out of this ego, it has identified itself with body, mind, intellect, senses and sense objects. But when it shines upon the self soul that all this is the cheating game of ‘Maya’ it detaches itself from actions and desire for their fruit.

Actions done by body, mind, intellect, senses lose binding effect as they are coming naturally to emancipate the self soul.
As a mother cleaning a dirty child by applying soap and water, nature a graceful mother, compels embodiment to undergo reactions. Material nature is depiction of Lord Krishna, very attractive, fascinating.

The self soul has caused dirt of identification thrown at it by itself.

Attachment through simple identification with material nature is the real reason for bondage.

Out of sheer attachment, one develops desire to satisfy senses by acquiring sense objects. All the troubles which an embodied soul faces result from identification. This mischief is committed by mind which is nothing but a bundle of contours of different identifications.
If one is attached to one thing, he may be envious of its opposite. One desires to be happy by acquiring material possession in the farm of wealth, property, material acquisition of different kinds. Thereby he develops relations, but with these possessions, one can not find satisfaction. Selfless discharge of one’s duties gives the most sought mental satisfaction and peace.

This reflects awareness. This awareness is showcase of our real self.
The Lord has time and again laid emphasis on selflessness of acts.
You desire freedom and consider yourself doer as well, both are not possible simultaneously. These reactions are caused by material nature and material nature is also part of Lord Krishna. What is the problem to surrender these acts to Lord Krishna.

By surrendering freedom is ensured.

Lord Krishna says:


Ye tu sarvarhi karmarhi mayi sanyasy matparh I

Ananyenev yogen mam dhyayanat upaste II


Teshamaham samudhartah mrityusansarsagrat I

Bhavami na chirarth mayyaveshitchetsam II (12.6-7)

Those who surrender all their actions to me and who faithfully devote themselves by meditating on me and worshiping me.

I deliver them from the cycle of birth and death swiftly.

Lord Krishna has at many places in this eternal message to humanity has assured his devotees, deliverance from the circle of birth and death.

The devotion to Lord is very easy and available at hand.
As a child depending upon his mother is secure as his dependence / surrender is complete.

Such is the dependence of devotee on the Lord Krishna.

There is no other shelter.

Devotee has no wish of his own.

Every desire merged in desire of Lord.

Surrendering every activity unto Lord, remembering him every moment, mind and intellect completely submerged in Lord by transcendental devotional service, the Lord assures such devotee emancipation from the cycle of birth and death.

Liberty is in your heart and mind; surrender all acts to Lord Krishna. This is liberty.

Lord Krishna tells in chapter 18 as to how one liberates itself by its performance of duties:

Sve sve karmanyabhiratah sansidhinm labhate narah I

Savakaramniratah sidhinm yatha vindanti tatchhurhu II (18.45)


By devotion to one’s own prescribed natural duty one attains self realization. How one attains this, you may hear it from me.


Lord Krishna is disclosing as to how one can attain ‘Him’ while performing prescribed natural duties.

This is the easiest way of self realization.

Yatah parvritibhutanam yen sarvamidam tatam I

Savakarnarhah tamabhyachary sidhnm vindti manavah II



Shreyansavadharmo vigurhah pardharmatsavanushthitat I

Savbhavniyatam karam kurvananapnoti kilvisham II (18.46-47)


Through whom this tide of creation has streamed out and who is all pervading, a man attains highest perfection by worshipping HIM through his natural duties.


It is better to perform one’s natural duty though devoid of merit than well- performed duty of another, because by performing one’s natural duty one does not incur any sin.



If an embodiment prescribed by past deeds is entrusted to perform a particular set of deeds, it can not deviate from it and by force of one’s nature, one shall perform it.

It is better to perform one’ own natural duty than to do and perform well others best considered duty.

The reason is the nature which forces one to do so.

A warrior may be asked to defend his country and in that effort he may kill thousand of enemy soldiers, he can not be held guilty of culpable homicide as it was natural for him to kill enemy who could have definitely killed him had he failed to do so.

A person naturally dealing in merchandise can not develop any interest in Vedic scriptures.

It is the body which directed by past impression of work and actions done in previous embodiments and modified by the food it eats, is bound to do acts as per nature.

As long there is rapture of gunas leading to manifestation of the universe, so long is the diversity of soul.

When the embodied soul sheds the attachment with the qualities of nature, it separates itself from it. Rapture of equilibrium stops and the soul is free from transmigration.

All actions are result of attachment with body, body is result of gunas. Gunas emanate from nature. As told in Chapter VII nature is another aspect of self/god. If self soul acts for self, through the self, of the self, by the self, every thing done becomes self. Whatever is done by a embodiment, it should be presumed to have been done by Lord, and for the Lord and resulted from the inspiration and will of Lord.

By shedding attachment with body, its actions, a soul attains freedom from cycle of birth and death.

Bondage was only presumed one. Soul is never bounded. It is free and was free and shall remain free but from gunas point of view it is addressed as bound.

But it is not so in reality.

Gunas are creation of power of Lord, so by dedication of self to self, it ends in self like zero being divided, added, subtracted and multiplied, by zero results in zero.