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Quest Journals
Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science
Volume 9 ~ Issue 3 (2021)pp: 10 - 19
ISSN(Online):2321- 9467
www.questjournals.org
Research Paper
A Study on Karmayoga in Bhagavad Gita
Gobinda Bhattacharjee
1
Abstract: The philosophy of ‘karma’ is a doctrine to consider being the foundation stone of the entire Indian
Philosophical outlook. The Bhagavad Gita is most beloved scripture of Indian thought and one of the prime chapters of this scripture is the ‘law of karma’. According to it, every man profit from what he does and suffers from what he does. Karmayoga is mainly based on niskam-karma but not the mere renunciation of Karma. We have to give up the attachment and the fruit regarding the action. So, the action is our Svadharma, fruit or result is not our concern. The Gita said that the nature of Karma was natural, inherent in man’s existence and everybody has to work. Hence an attempt is made here to discuss the law of karma as considered by the Bhagavad Gita.
Keywords : Karma, Niskama-karma, Svadharma.
Received 02 Mar, 2021; Revised: 12 Mar, 2021; Accepted 14 Mar, 2021 © The author(s) 2021.
Published with open access at www.questjournals.org
I. INTRODUCTION
In this paper, I shall deal with the concept of “Karma-Yoga in Bhagavad-Gita”. The Bhagavad-Gita is a part of Mahabharata; it is regarded as one of the most sacred book of the Hindus. Be it noted here that if the Gita is regarded as an excellent religious work, it is no less excellent as an ethical one. Bhagavad-Gita literally means ‘The Lord’s Song’ i.e., the philosophical discourse of Lord Krishna to persuade the reluctant Arjuna to fight. To fight against evil is the duty of man. To make the situation relatives and beloved friends and revered elders stand on both sides and Arjuna has to vindicate his claim, he has to follow his Svabhava and Svadharma. The Gita lays down the different paths of realization of God. Its teaching is universal and intended for all persons of different temperaments. Some are predominantly men of action and they ought to follow the path of action or karma yoga. Some are predominantly emotional and they ought to follow the path of devotion or bhaktiyoga. And some are predominantly intellectual. They ought to follow the path of knowledge or jnanayoga. Action, devotion and knowledge lead to union with God. In Bhagavad-Gita the supreme duty is action without desire. Action without desire does not mean unmotivated action but acting with a sagacious intention of submission to God. The Gita represents a unique synthesis of Action, Knolwdge, and Devotion. Man is a complex of intellect, will and emotion; he is a being who thinks, wills and feels. Intellect has given rise to the philosophy of Knowledge; will to the philosophy of Action; and emotion to the philosophy of Devotion. Karmayoga is not opposed to jnanayoga; in fact, the former is possible only when the latter is attained. I have divided this project work into following sections, which are as follows: In Introduction , I gave a brief explanation of Bhagavad-Gita as a synthesis of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti yoga. All these three paths are interrelated with each other. In the Section I: Philosophy of Karma , I deal with the concept of karma and its different classifications. Karma generally means ‘to do’ something. The law of karma is said to be based on the law of causation to the sphere of human conduct. There are different classifications of Karma, as voluntary, non-voluntary, sakama, niskama, etc. are explained in this chapter. In the Section II: Karma in Bhagavad-Gita is explained in very elaborately. Here I also expound the concept of ‘karma-yoga’, ‘niskama karma’ and ‘lokasamgraha’ in the context of Bhagavad-Gita.
(^1) GOBINDA BHATTACHARJEE, PhD Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Tripura University (A
Central University), Suryamaninagar – 799022. E-mail: gbnda09@gmail.com & Mobile No: 8794398201
In the Section III : Karma-yoga in contemporary time , I discuss the social application of Karma-yoga of the Bhagavad-Gita by contemporary thinker Vivekanda, Aurobindo, Gandhi, and Tilak. In the last section, I conclude that the Bhagavad Gita is not a mere Hindu sastra of universal wisdom, meant for all possible situations. Irrespective of age, sex, religion and status it offers varieties of spiritual insights and disciplines, so that everyone at every level of evolution can get nourishment from it to evolve further. The importance of the Gita and its eternal message of niskama karma, we think, is relevant even today.
SECTION I PHILOSOPHY OF KARMA Karma is one of the most important and fundamental principle of classical philosophy and all classical Indian schools of thought except Carvaka believe in the principles of karma unquestionably. The most important presupposition of morality on which the entire Indian ethical thought is based is called the law of Karma. The idea of the Gita is not negation of action, but performance of action with detached mind. This section is divided into three parts: Part I – Meaning of Karma, Part II – Classification of Karma, and Part III – Theory of Karma.
PART I Meaning of Karma : Now the question is what is exactly meant by the word ‘Karma’? It is not easy to answer to the question because we find that there is no agreement among the scholars on this issue. This is simply because the word karma has been used to mean different senses in different contexts. There is no particular meaning of it. So it may be stated that in order to realize the meaning of the word ‘karma’ we must go through its different uses found in the explanation of different schools of philosophy (Pal, 2004). The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘kr’ etymologically and this word means ‘to do’ and therefore karma means by derivation an action, a work, a deed, etc (ibid). Explanation of karma in the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is bhutabhavodbhavakora visargha karmasamjnitha (The Gita 8.3), i.e., the sacrifice which release the creative forces of the universe is known as karma. In this verse the meaning of the word ‘visargah’ is ‘visaryan’, i.e., immersed and different substances as ghee, cake; fruits etc. are given up without desire of fruits for the sake of god. Thus the commentators take decision to give up the substances as ghee, cake; fruits etc. to the God without desire are a main cause of attaining liberation. So if one performs sacrifices maintaining Vedic commands gets heavenly pleasure (Tiwary, K. (1998). Keeps on transmigrating from one life to another along with the soul till liberation is attained. The concept of karma is also used to signify two different meanings as casual and ethical sense. The casual sense, the use of karma is descriptive in character because it describes the casual character of act- phenomena and its asserts that every action has natural, casual result and the effect of karma is never destroyed till it is realize by doer of karma and before its realization it exists in the form of samaskara which cannot be perceived by our sense organs. While the non-theistic karmavadins think that samskara resides in soul and when it is ripened it automatically starts ginving result mechanically without the role of any divine agency (Pal, J. (2004). According to Swami Vivekananda, the word karma has come from the root ‘kr’ and the meaning of root’kr’ is to do ‘ so all action are karmas’ (Vivekananda, S. (2001). Etymologically the word karma means the effect of actions. So with all our actions and feelings. Karma is the most tremendous power that man has to deal with and all the actions that we see in the world, all the movements in human society, all the works that we have around us are simply the display of thought, the manifestation of the will of man and this is caused by character and character is manufactured by karma. Karma is the manifestation of will (ibid).
PART II Classification of Karma : Karma literally means action of any kind done by human being. But actions which are morally significant are known as voluntary actions. Karma amy be classified into various ways according to the Indian thinkers
1. Voluntary Action or Aichhika Karma : voluntary action is an action performed knowingly and willingly by self conscious and self determining person with desire, pre-vision and free choice of means and ends voluntary action is done by a spring of action and this action is also done by feeling of want. The bodily actions produce changes in the external world and these changes are called consequences (Sannyal, J. 2006). Non-voluntary Action or Anaichhika Karma : non-voluntary actions are those actions which are devoid of moral quality and cannot be judged as right or wrong. Non-voluntary action is also considered as reflex actions or automatic actions which responses to sensory stimulation and these actions are not controlled by consciousness. By repetition non-voluntary actions are fixed as habits and become automatic ( Ibid., pp.26-30).
fall into our life ( Rajendra Prasad, Karma, Causation and Retributive Morality Indian Council of Pholosophical Research, 1989, pp.218-219). So man as the moral being, endowed with consciousness of ought and ought not, right and wrong, good and evil and moved by the conception of some ideals capable of being by means of his voluntary efforts. It has given rise to the conception of the law of karma. It is a belief in the principle of justice underlying the course of our life and the world. Man as a moral being cannot stake off this belief and hence cannot but formulate some such law. Thus the rational mind of man find itself in a position in which it can neither given up the belief in the law of karma nor can accept it in any definite form.
SECTION II Karma-Yoga in Bhagavad-Gita It is necessary to properly realize the meaning of the word ‘Karma yoga,’ we should define some important words and otherwise many difficulties subsequently may arise. Which is also describe in the second chapter for this reason, we should first examine and explain the meaning of the word ‘Karma’ and ‘Yoga’. This section is divided into three parts – Karma and Yoga, Niskama Karma; and Lokasamgraha.
Part I Karma and Yoga : The word ‘Karma’ comes from the root ‘Kr’ which means ‘doing’, ‘affairs’, or ‘activity’ and that same ordinary meaning is intended in the Bhagavad-Gita. It prescribes some action for realizing Isvara in each and every religion. According to the ancient Vedic religion, this action is sacrificial ritual (Tilak, SrimadBhagavadgitaRahasya or karmayogasastra, pp. 71-72). The word ‘yoga’ comes from the root ‘yuj’ which means ‘to join ‘ and its root meaning is ‘the state of union ‘, ‘combination’, ‘addition’ or ‘co-existence’, or ‘staying together’ and later on it has also come to mean the ‘means’, ‘device’, ‘method’ or ‘thing to be done’ etc. In the Gita, the word ‘yoga’, yogi or other compounds from the word ‘yoga’ have occurred so many times. We find almost everywhere the word used more or less in the meaning of ‘means’, ‘skilful device’, ‘method’, ‘the thing to be done’, ‘union’ etc. And it must be said that this is one of the comprehensive words used in the Gita. In order to explain what particular skill, means, method or process is mainly signified in the Gita by the use of the word yoga. This word has intentionally been clearly defined in the Gita as: ‘yogahkarmasukausalam’(The Gita, 2.50), i.e., here ‘yoga’ means a special skill, device, intelligent method or graceful way of performing actions.
Part II MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NISKAMA KARMA The concept of niskama karma is a composite concept because it is made up of two different concepts, i.e., ‘niskama' and ‘Karma’ and it has been used in various senses in Indian system of thought. But in the Bhagavad-Gita the concept of karma has been used without any ambiguity in the sense of action and action is that what is done. The word ‘niskama' is also a composite concept because it is made up of two different concepts as ‘nihi' and ‘kama'. The word ‘kama' means desire or ‘kama' is highly a vague concept because this word has been used in different senses in different contexts. But in the Bhagavad-Gita, it is generally used in the sense of sensuous desires. So when niskama karma translated in terms of desireless action, it should be taken mean an action done by the doer in desireless spirit. In the Gita, it has been stated that to live for a moment in the world is to do some sorts of krama. It is not possible for one to abandon action, i.e., if one has to live in the world, in the land of action, can one escape from action? We see ourselves that thirst, hunger and other desires do not leave us so long as our body lives. If the path of renunciation gives us the liberty of performing a disgraceful action like begging for satisfying desires, then according to sastrasthere is no inconvenience to perform all worldly actions with a desirelessframe of mind. According to the Gita, all abandonment of actions made when the mental control is not perfect and all abandonment of actions is the result of ignorance. It has been stated in the Gita that the saints who have known the identity of Brahman and the atman performs all activities in the illusory world merely by their body or merely by their organs and it has also being stated that the real abandonment of actions consists in performing actions with unattached mind without entertaining the hope of reward merely as a duty and non-performance of action is not a real abandonment of action. So there is no problem of performing actions through the bodily organs with disinterested mind. Some persons raise a further objection that when the mind has become desirless as a result of the acquisition of knowledge and all desires have been destroyed. There remains nothing which moreover, in support of this argument, it has been stated in the Uttara Gita: Jnanamrtenatraptasyakrtakrtyasyayoginah | Na castikinchitkartavyamasticennasatattvavit|| (Uttaragita,1.23)
That is, a man who has become jnani (krtakrtya) as a result having drunk the rector of knowledge, no further duty remains and if further duty remains that man is not a real jnani or tattvajnani. So someone thinks that the Bhagavad-Gita accepts this position that karma leaves a man of its own accord after the acquisition of knowledge. The root cause of our suffering is attachment which is a part of desire not merely a wish. According to the Gita, instead of killing desires of all kinds, one should only give up the attachment to the object of desire and go on performing all actions. Though one May be free from desires of all kinds, it is not possible that activity comes to an end. We see that whether there is desire or not, constant actions like breathing etc. Go on. Even for a single moment is an action by itself. So it is not possible for us to become free from karma after acquisition of perfect knowledge as well as the destruction of desire of all kinds. And that why it has been stated in the Gita: ‘na hi kascitksanamapijatutisthatyakarmakrt’(ibid. 3.5), no one can remain alive without performing action. In the third chapter of the Gita (3/17-19), the Gita has said that there is no duty for the jnani after the acquisition of knowledge of his own. Someone says that the two propositions as the jnani is free from duty and the jnani does not escape from karma are mutually contradictory. So as the jnani has more duty for himself, it is now necessary for him to perform all his duties without desire. It is true that the hope for fruit may thus be destroyed by means of knowledge. So it is true that the jnani should, after acquisition of knowledge, perform those very actions which are performed by the ignorant with a hope for fruit but looking upon advantages or disadvantages, happiness or unhappiness as one and the same with courage and one should perform it with pure reason Being indifferent in the matter of fruit according to his own authority and purely as a matter of duty. If it is thus proved that the jnani must, so long as life lasts, desirelessly perform all duties which befall him in the course of life, having given up the hope for result. And therefore the last and most important advice of the Lord of Arjuna in support of the doctrine of Karma yoga is that: ‘lokasamgrahamevapisampasyankartumarhasi', (The Gita 3.20) i.e., one must perform action without attachment for the public benefit. It is true that the word ‘lokasamgraha’ ordinarily means the benefit of human beings, and it also means that the man is superior to the other created beings in the world. Harmonisation of Action (karma) and Renunciation (Tyaga): According to the Gita, though the Karma yoga is superior to renunciation for attaining salvation, nowhere in the Gita has been shown any dishonour for that path. The lord has clearly stated that both the path of renunciation and the path of action equally lead to salvation, that is to say, they are both of the same value. And therefore the Lord has stated that ‘ekamsamkyam ca yogam ca yah pasyati.’(The Gita, 5.5) The jnani (wise man) says that if any one path is properly followed, the same result of both is achieved and where the follower of the samkhya path reach, the follower of the action reach the same goal. A person who realises that jnana and karma is the same thing may be said to have seen the true principle. Moreover in the Karma yoga, one has to renounce the hope for the fruit of action. ‘nahyasamnyastasamkalpoyogi bhavatikascana,’(Ibid., 6.2) i.e., unless one performs sannyasa i.e., tyaga of the samkalpa of the hope of reward or fruit in the shape of desirous mind, he does not become a yogi (Karma yogi). In this way the Lord has skilfully harmonised as far as possible between these two paths. But from the point of view of worldly affairs, the most superior mode of life is to keep renunciation in the mind itself and to go on performing the lifelong action which is beneficial to the world through the medium of bodily organs because the Lord has definitely said that both renunciation and action are found in the same place. Karmanabadhyatejanturvidyayatupramucyate| Tasmatkarma nakurvantiyatayahparadarsinah || The proposition : ‘karmanabadhyatejanturvidyayatupramucyate means karma neither binds nor releases anybody; rather man is bound by karma as a result of his hope for fruits or by his own attachment. So it is not necessary to give up action because when this attachment is given up, one stands released and then he may perform action by his extranal organs. In this way the Gita has harmonised between knowledge and action. In the Vedic religion the two independent paths of karma sannyasa, i.e., renunciation and desire less action, i.e., yoga are equally good alternatives through the Karma yoga is superior to the path of renunciation. Thus the synthesis between karma and jnana has been shown in the Gita. It has been drawn that if the main object of the Gita is to harmonise knowledge with devotion to support the path of Karma yoga on that basis, then all this apparent inconsistencies disappear and one cannot but admire the super human wisdom of the Gita in bringing about a fusion among knowledge, devotion and Karma yoga in most comprehensive way. Whatever it may contain, the Karma yoga ultimately remains the main subject matter of the Gita.
objective of actions. The aim of the Mission is to preach those ideal truths which are mainly extracted from the niskamakarma or karmayoga of the Bhagavadgita for the good of humanity to demonstrate the practical life of Sri Ramkrishna, to help the poor, diseased etc. to put these truths into practical in their lives for their temporal, mental and spiritual advancement. Swamiji strongly believed that the spirit of karmayoga and he respected the person who served and helped other without caring for his own services and helps others without caring for his own bhakti and mukti. It is of great interest to note that the social work of Ramkrishna Mission now covers as many as six board areas namely, (a) educational work, (b) health, (c) cultural activities, (d) rural uplift (f) tribal welfare and (g) youth movement (Patel, I. (1992). Vivekananda's Approach to Social Work, p 92). According to Swami Vivekananda , renunciation and service are the twofold national ideals of modern India and to practice and preach these ideals is the work of Ramkrishna Mission and the chief workers of the Mission are Monks and sannyasisns. The highest love for God can never be achieved without renunciation. Even the Gita says : kanyanam karmanam nyasam samnyasam kavayo viduh , i.e. The sages know that sannyasa to be the giving up of all works that have desires for its end (Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works of Vivekananda Advaita Ashram, 5 Delhi Entally Road, Kolkata, 1963 Vol. VI, pp. 504-505). The Bhagavadgita has a very significant role in the life and works of Vivekananda.The most significant elements from the teaching of the Gita, which Vivekananda explained to his followers, listeners and readers and himself utilizes his work are contained in his book entitled karmayoga, is to become ready to sacrifice himself for others, expecting no personal gain in return. Swamiji recognized that krishna as the first man who opens the door of religious to every caste.
Aurobindo : Social aspect of karmayoga Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, a great freedom fighter, social worker was initially inspired by karmayoga of the Bhagavadgita and later he found there substantial elements of purnayoga also.
Importance and significance of Lokasamgraha in the ‘Essays on the Gita’ : Sri Aurobindo presents a new interpretation of the Gita based on new ideas associated with purusottama, prakrti and sat-cit-ananda. Aurobindo attaches special importance to purusottama in the Gita as :
Yasmat ksaram atitoham aksarad api cottamah
Atosmi loke vede ca prathitah purusotommah ǁ The Gita, 15.18.
That is there are three purusas namely the ksara, the aksara and the purushottama. The purusottama is the Lord in the ksara. He is in the heart of the every creature and is manifested in his countless bibhuties. The kshara , the personal, the purusa self – subjected to prakrti, is only one aspect of the purusottama. Another aspects of the purusottama is the aksara, the impersonal, the inactive, immutable self of all. The purusottama is the cosmic spirit in time and that gives the command to the divine action of the liberated human spirit ( Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, Arya Publishing House,Kolkata, 1949,p. 222). The Gita makes a deep and momentous distinction which is the practical basis of all its yoga, the distinction between the two natures as phenomenal nature and the spiritual nature. The spiritual nature is designated by srikrishna as paraprakriti, the purusottama, the supreme Being, the supreme soul, the Transcendent and universal spirit. The original and eternal nature of the spirit and its transcendent and origainating sakti is what is meant by the paraprakrti and the origin of the world is the active power of his nature and this is the womb of all beings, etadyontni bhutani (Gita 7.6).The lord is the birth of the whole world and so too its dissolution and there is nothing else beyond him. Sri Aurobindo thinks over the para prakrti as the infinite, timeless consciousness power of self existent being. Out of which all the objects of the world are manisfested and come out of representing a synthesis of the vedantic concept of sat-chit- ananda. Harmonizing ‘chit’ or consciousness is reffered to as chit-sakti or consciousness force. According to Sri Aurobindo, the main message of the Gita is founded upon the concepts of purusottama and paraprakrti and his new interpretation of the Gita is irrevocably linked with action performed for purposes of lokasamgraha. He explains the famous verse.
Karmanyevadhikaraste maphalesu kadacana
Ma karmaphalheturbhurma te samgostatvakarmani ǁ(Gita 2.47) That is, we have a right to perform action only but have no right to fruits of action. When Sri Aurobindo characterizes the call to action as a right , it does imply that he is encouraging inaction. Sri Aurobindo quotes
the lords warning that none can stand even for a moment without doing work because everyone is made to do action. So action cannot be avoided.
Sri Aurobindo gives a good deal of attention to yajna and the eternal truth of god and the worlds and works which also helps him to explain special significance of purosottama. Aurobindo thinks that if the sacrifice were to be offered to the impersonal Brahman, then there is a risk that works may be reduced to a minimum and the nature of the works may not receive it deserves. According to Sri Aurobindo, lokasamgraha means the holding together of the people. In his view , this great march of the people towards a far-of divine ideal has to be held together, prevented from falling into the bewilderment, confusion and utter discord of the understanding which would lead to dissolution and destruction and to which the world moving forward in the night or dark twilight of ignorance would be too easily prone if it were not held together, conducted, kept to the great lines of its discipline by the illumination , by the strength, by the rule and example, by the visible.
Collective Liberation form integral yoga : The purpose of the present study shows that the integral yoga or purnayoga of Aurobindo has important social implication. According to Aurobindo meaning of the word integral yoga is to denote the technique by which one can ascend to the supramental palne and then descend back to the material plane with a view to helping others to achieve a similar spiritual evolutaion as quickly as possible.
Sri Aurobindo was primarily inspired by the karmayoga of the Bhagavadgita and later he found there substantial elements of purnayoga also.
According to Aurobindo the main message of the Gita is irrevocably linked with action performed for the purposes of lokasamgraha. Aurobindo’s comment on the Gita is primarily a work of religion though it was a wide social significance with emphasizing ethical nature of Gita’s teaching (Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga, p 23). As a karmayoga, Sri Aurobindo joined the uprising against the Bengal-partition as the high priest of new nationalism, the chief traits of new culy. R.C. Majumder explains that the elevation of patriotism into religion and transformation of religion into patriotism by convincing the motherland not only as mother, but as Supreme Being whose service is the only way to salvation and belief in God as the leader of the movement in complete freedom as goal.
Mahatma Gandhi: Ideals of karmayoga in thought and action Gandhi was greatly influenced by the Bhagavadgita, Gandhiji was enthusiastic for applying the message of the niskama karma of the Gita to the political problems of the country and his insistence on viewing truth and nonviolence as the basis of all social and political activities.The Gita hads become a spiritual reference book and we ever fail to act I perfect accord with the teaching (Agarwal, S. P. (1997). Gandhiji idea of nonviolent fight for independence of india from a foreign rule has closed links with the Gita doctrine of swadharma. Ganghiji technique of waging non- violent fights for social and political causes take a concrete shape in South Africa during the years 1906-14 and his own spiritual, moral and mental preparation for making such a new experiment. Role of Bhagavad Gita : Contribution of Gandhiji in regard to the application of karmayoga of the Gita to social causes is that he developed the technique of Satyagraha based on Ahimsa. While Gandhiji was busy experimenting with mans applications of Ahimsa to deal with issues of social injustice, discrimination and exploitation, just then Tilak completes his commentary on the Gita emphasizing karmayoga and lokasamgraha as the main teaching thereof. According to Gandhiji the practical application of karmayoga of the Gita means the Voluntary acceptance and enthusiastic fulfillment of duties that naturally comes one’s way, i.e. Swadharma. The Gita further insists on cultivating an attitude of equanimity, a state of perfection is represented in the personality of a Sthitaprajna. This is also meant Satyagrahi. So he thought that patriotism is for him a stage on his journey to the land of eternal freedom and peace. Another concept of the Gita which helps Gandhi strengthen the social aspect of the teaching is yajna and he values the approach of the Gita of modifying the meaning of yajna. The Gita envisages the possibility of using fire in a symbolic sense, but Gandhi tries to create public opinion in favour of subjecting every religious practice to the test of relevance in modern times (ibid pp.232-235 ).
of all actions. The doctrine of sacrifice is thus given a completely different meaning in the Gita, where action dedicated to god. Practical Relevance of Niskama Karmayoga of the Bhagavadgita: The importance of the Gita and its eternal message of niskama karma, we think, is relevant even today. It needs more propagation and review. The Gita contains a very rich and multi sided thought. It manifests a realization of different aspects of the ethical and spiritual life. It can even be said that it contains most of the main clues of the secret of the reconciliation of the supreme state of consciousness. It demands the battles of life in which we find ourselves all time but particularly at critical moments. The Gita is a great religious book of the world and it is given as an episode in an epic history of the nations and their wars and deeds. The Bhagavadgita declares that we have right to perform our prescribed duty only but we are not entitled to have the fruits of actions. We should never consider ourselves the causes of the result of the activities. Inaction is sinful so we should never attach to not doing our duty. We should perform our duty equipoised, abandoning all attachment to success or failure and such equanimity is called yoga. That is to say, we should act in accordance with the principles of yoga. Yoga means to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme by controlling the ever-disturbing sense. The Supreme is the Lord. We have nothing to do with the result of our prescribed duty. Gain and victory are God’s concern. We are directed to act according to the advice of God. It is universal in its appeal. It is relevant for all mankind at all time to come. (2) It helps the man to know himself, that is, knows his real nature, his duties and responsibilities for self and the society, the concept like svadharma, svabhava, paradharma, varna, niskama karma etc. are key concepts are discussed in the Gita to make one aware of his duties, to lead a better life in the society with freedom here and hereafter. (3) It also commands and inspires man to devote himself to lokasamgraha, i.e., to work for the betterment of the fellow beings. Thus it contributes to social harmony and peace. (4) It is sacrifice (tyaga) which constitutes the quintessence of the Gita. One has to sacrifice his ignorance, attachments for worldly enjoyment and egoistic blindness so that his divine nature like love, fellow-feeling, feeling of oneness will shine. The teaching of the Gita is having universal value, which not only protects the society from spiritual deadlock, but also propotes the universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence in the globe. According to all classical Indian systems of thought except the Carvaka, whatever is done by an individual leaves behind it some sorts of potency which has the power to produce happiness or pain either in the present life or in the future life. The Law of karma operates in the entire domain of universe-human and non- human in an inviolable manner and cause bondage. They consider knowledge and non-attached action as the necessary conditions for attaining freedom from the obstacles of karma.
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