Karma Yoga:

Complete self-sacrifice

Thilaka V. Wijeyaratnam

"Do your duty and leave the fruits thereof unto me" said Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra. Arjuna saw among the array of enemy soldiers his relatives and friends, some of whom he loved. Arjuna threw his bow and arrows and refused to fight - to do his duty towards his country and king. Lord krishna told him sternly to stand up and fight. Arjuna's 'love' made him forget his duty - "Yield not O Partha to feebleness. It ill befits you. Abandon this petty faint-heartedness. Wake up to valour" was Krishna's advice to Arjuna.

"He is a Karma Yogi who enjoys the tranquillity of the mountain cave while being engaged in the toils of the city" said Swamy Vivekananda in his discourse on Karma Yoga. The Bhagavad Gita says, "A Karma Yogi is he who acts abandoning attachment, dedicating his deeds to the Cosmic Reality and is untainted by Karma as a lotus leaf by water." This is the essence of Karma Yoga. Bhagawad Gita says we must work incessantly. Some of our actions may do some good. Some may cause harm somewhere to someone. So every form of work is a mixture of good and evil. Both good and evil will have their results and produce Karma. Good actions will show good effects and bad actions bad.

A Karma Yogi needs neither. For he works incessantly but is not attached to his work expecting something in return. Let not the work or thought produce a deep impression on the mind. Work incessantly without binding yourself. self-bondage is something terrible. You become unattached when there is real love - love free from attachments. We work for our children's welfare. It is our duty. Do we ask for anything in return? In the same way you give free offering to the world, without expecting a return, then your work brings you no attachment. Work like a master and not like a slave. Anyone belonging to any racial or religious group can be a Karma Yogi. In one way Karma Yoga is complete self-sacrifice. There is a story in Mahabharatha which illustrates the value of complete self-sacrifice.

After the Kurukshetra battle was over the Pandavas performed a Yaga and gave many gifts to the poor. All the people praised them, who sacrificed their wealth to the poor. Just then a mongoose appeared. Half of its body was golden. It rolled on the floor of the Hall where the sacrifices were made. Then it exclaimed, "This is not sacrifice." The people were annoyed that the mongoose should make light of the great sacrifices made by the Pandavas. To prove his point the mongoose told them the following story. "There was once a poor Brahmin family comprising of the father, mother, son and daughter-in-law. In that land where they lived there was a famine and one day the Brahmin managed to bring some flour home. He divided the flour into four portions for each of them - a portion he gave.

They prepared a meal. Just as they sat down to eat, a guest appeared. He said he was starving and begged for food. The Brahmin, the head of the household was bound to treat a guest. He gave his share of the meal to him. The guest ate and said it had made him more hungry. Then the Brahmin's wife gave her portion, saying it's her duty to follow her husband's wish. Even that was not enough for the guest. Then the son sacrificed his portion to fulfil his obligations to the father. When the guest complained of hunger, the daughter-in-law too gave her portion to him. He ate, blessed them and departed.

That night the four of them died of starvation. The mongoose had crept into the house. There was a little bit of the flour on the floor. He rolled over it and half his body turned to gold. "That did't happen here", said the mongoose. So this is not real sacrifice." This is Karma Yoga. On the point of death to help others without thinking of a return - out of unattached love.

I may mention here that during the several communal riots, when people were in camps, there were many who came with food and clothes - this from members of all communities. did they expect anything in return form the receivers? No. They did this work out of love with no attachment to the action. They are worthy of being mentioned as Karma Yogis.

There was a young sanyasi. He lived in a forest, meditated, worshipped and practised Yoga for a long period so much so that he acquired certain powers. Once when he was meditating under a tree the droppings of a crane on the branch of the tree fell on his head. He looked up angrily. The crane burnt to ashes.

He then left for the next village to beg for food. He called out, "Mother give me food." He heard the voice of the lady. "Just wait please." She took a long time in coming out with food. the angry Sanyasi stared at her. "Oh! do you take me for the crane?", she asked.

The Sanyasi was awestruck. He fell at her feet and asked her how she knew it. She replied, "I don't perform any Yoga like you. In fact I know nothing about Yoga. I have as a young girl done my duty to my parents. Now I do my duty to my husband who is sick.

By doing my duty I have become illumined. If you want to know more about it go and see a butcher in the next village." "Why should I, an illumined Sanyasi see a low caste man?" thought the Sanyasi. Anyway out of curiosity he went. He found the butcher cutting meat bargaining with customers. He saw the Sanyasi and asked, "Did that lady send you to me? Please wait." After he finished his business he took the Sanyasi to his house. Sanyasi asked him what he knew about God and Soul. The butcher gave him a lecture, which is also included in the Mahabharatha under the title 'Vyadha-Gita.'

The Sanyasi then asked him why he has taken this body to perform the work of a butcher. He answered that he learnt to work from young age - but he does his duty without attachment. Now I do my duty towards my old and sick parents. Bathe them, feed them and care for them. This is all I know. I know neither Yoga nor am I a Sanyasi. I do my duty in an unattached way.

Do your duty as worship for it is the highest form of worship - do it with devotion and be happy and cheerful in the execution of your duty. These two stories have summed up the entire meaning of Karma Yoga.