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Karma Yoga: Necessity for Upliftment of Society

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Karma Yoga: Necessity for Upliftment of Society Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 KARMA YOGA: NECESSITY FOR UPLIFTMENT OF SOCIETY Dr. Swarupa Pal Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy Kanchrapara College, West Bengal Email id: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Karma yoga is both simple and complex at the time and as such requires a measured and reflective response. Karma yoga is revealed to have an eternal relevance, one that benefits from intimate knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita. The doctrine of Niskama Karma and the doctrine of liberation in Indian thought is a very primordial and extensively discussed theme. It is generally said that we define any performance which done by us can be treated by us as action or Karma. All actions may cause bondage. A social message of Karma yoga plays an important role in bringing about for changing in the society through selfless action. The message of the Bhagavad Gita may be transferred into set of practical, ethical guideline and its insistence that involvement with world is an ethically correct function of human behaviour. Some great thinkers have greatly influenced by the ideal of Karma yoga. The world is full of violence. To establish peace in the World; man should follow the Niskama Karma yoga of Gita. Keywords: Karma, Niskama Karma, Guna, Chaturvarna, Liberation. The word “Karma” comes from the Sanskrit word “kri” which means doing, affairs or activities and that same ordinary meaning is intended in the Bhagavad Gita. Karma as used in the exposition made in the Bhagavad Gita must not be taken in the restrictive meaning of action prescribed by the Srutis or the Smritis, but in a more comprehensive meaning. In short, all the actions which a man performs for example- eating, drinking, playing, breathing, smiling etc. all included in the word Karma as used in the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita introduces itself as a treatise on Karma yoga or the path of action. In the verse no. 47 of the second chapter of the Gita said that, man has right only in action, man should not do action with the desire for fruits, man should not reject Karma also. In the third chapter of Bhagavad Gita, such as “Karma brahmobhavam viddhi”, i.e. Karma is created out of the Brahma or yajnah karma samudhavan. The definition of Karma in eighth chapter of Bhagavad Gita itself, as the action, whereby variegated cosmos, such as the five primordial elements etc. comes into existence out of the imperishable parabrahman is known as Karma. The main theme of Niskama Karma yoga of the Gita is that we have to reject the desire for fruits of action. Karma yoga is a method to attain liberation through work, i.e. through work without any desire looking for no result as is described in Gita as Niskama karma. Gita leads one not only ultimate spiritual enlightenment but also offers a philosophy of life which has a practical implication in one’s social life as well. The word “Yoga” originated from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” which means ‘to join’, the State of Union, combination, addition or co-existence or staying together and later on it has also come to mean the means, device or method or things to be done etc. According to J.R. Mulla and V.R. Krishnan the concept is used in three ways in Mahabharata. i. Special skills, ii. Equa ability of mind for the consequences, iii. Elimination of creating any bondage through Karma. Although the term Yoga and Karma yoga is used interchangeably in various instances of Bhagavad Gita. In 21st century, Karma yoga has been described by B.D. Singh (1999) as the quintessence of the Philosophy of life and is one of the path people can choose to achieve their ultimate goal i.e. Moksha and Liberation from re-birth. Krishnan used the Karma yoga as “a technique for intelligently performing Volume IX Issue VIII AUGUST 2020 Page No : 60 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 actions”. In 2014, Ashish Rastogi and Surya Prakash Pati defined Karma yoga as a “positive state of mind that is characterised by absorption and service consciousness”. In this context, we may mention that in Buddhism, Karma is viewed as action and consequences of action. The doctrine of the concept has two meaning in Buddhism: Universal and Psychological. But, in Buddhist Philosophy, Psychological Karma is profound which means for all intentional actions of body, mind and speech by individuals we have psychological consequences. Universal Law of Karma amounts to the theory of universal moral justice which has its origin in ancient religion and philosophical thought. In Vedic Philosophy, Karma was viewed through life’s rituals. By the term Karma, the Mimansakas tried to mean sacrifice. Indian Philosophy advocates that the path for liberation must be suited to an individual situation, temperament and disposition. Depending on the individual situation, context and timing people may give priorities to one over the others. Swami Vivekananda explained four general types of man such as rational, emotional, the mystical and the worker. For each of these we must provide suitable forms of worship. * It preached the ultimate goal of mankind, the aim and end of all religions is but one reunion with God. If further added but while the aim is one, the method of attaining may vary with the different temperaments of men. He explained that both the goal and the methods employed for reaching it are called yoga, meaning to join us to our reality, i.e. God. He classified the Yoga under four heads: Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, and Jnana yoga. These are all different roads leading to the same centre i.e. God. One must follow the path for which one is best suited, but in this age special stress should be laid on Karma yoga. About Karma yoga, the path of action Swamiji stressed only true duty is to be unattached and work as free beings to give up all works to God. It further guided, let us to do because it is good to do good. Every good thought that is send to the world without thinking of any return will be stored up there and make us purer and purer until we become purest of mortals. So, the only way is to give up all the fruits of work, to be unattached. This means that any work that is done with least selfish motive, for example- even if some good work is done in order to get to heaven hinds one down and makes bondage for him. Indian Philosophy is based on three fundamental beliefs: i) theory of Karma ii) the existence of permanent entity i.e. soul iii) doctrine of salvation i.e. mukti. The core philosophy of Bhagavad Gita is based on these three beliefs and suggested that one can be free from the cycle of birth and death by performing one’s duty selflessly or without any attachment of interest. Karma yoga is a method to attain liberation through work i.e. through work without any desire looking for no result- as is described in Bhagavad Gita as Niskama Karma. The classification of Karma depends on various points of view. From the Sadhan point of view, Karma maybe three types namely: mental, vocal, bodily. From the Religious point of view, Karma is of three types: Sattvika Karma, Rajoshik Karma and Tamoshik Karma. From the Vedantic point of view, Karma maybe classified into: Prabddha Karma, Sanchita Karma, and Kriyamana Karma. From Scientific point of view, Karma is of three types: Karma, Akarma, and Vikarma. From the cause/ hetu point of view, Karma may be classified into four categories: Nitya Karma, Naimittika Karma, Kamya Karma and Nisiddha Karma. From another point of view (traditional view), all actions are classified into two categories: Sakama karma and Niskama Karma. Niskama Karma is a composite concept and is based on two distinctive words, namely: Niskama and Karma. Furthermore, Niskama is also composite concept that is made up on “Nih” and “Kama”. The meaning of “Nih” is a sense of denial or negation. Hence, Niskama means denial of Karma. Kama is used in Bhagavad Gita to mean of sensuous desire but not the satisfaction of sensuous desires. Sakama Karma is that which does only for self interest. The works with desires are called Sakama Karma. Niskama Karmas are not inspired by any intention or necessities. Niskama Karmayogi will not be blissful in his successful activities and will not be sorrowful in his unsuccessful activities. I am doing action and I will enjoy the fruits of actions- such type of thinking is called Egoism. A Niskama Karmayogi is free from all types of ego. To surrender all actions to God means that at the time of action a person to think that he is doing action not for his own desire but by the desire of God he is doing God’s action. Niskama Karma yoga is not aimless; its aim is to protect the creation of God. So, Niskama Karma is actually an action of God. A Niskama Karmayogi gives all the fruits of action to God. He considers all the works as works of God. He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is really a wise man and he is real Yogi. A real intelligent man does not think himself as the doer at the time of action. His action is actually inaction. He is actually free from all types of ego. Ego is a cause of bondage. A person cannot be free if Volume IX Issue VIII AUGUST 2020 Page No : 61 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 he rejects action and not ego.
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