Yogah karmasu kaushalam

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Listen to the result that one possessed of the wisdom of equanimity attains by performing one's own duties: Buddhi-yuktah, possessed of wisdom, possessed of the wisdom of equanimity; since one jahati, rejects; iha, here, in this world; ubhe, both; sukrta-duskrte, virtue and vice (righteousness and unrighteousness), through the purification of the mind and acquisition of Knowledge; tasmat, therefore; yujyasva, devote yourself; yogaya, to (Karma-) yoga, the wisdom of equanimity. For Yoga is kausalam, skilfulness; karmasu, in action. Skilfulness means the attitude of the skilful, the wisdom of equanimity with regard to one's success and failure while engaged in actions (karma) -- called one's own duties (sva-dharma) -- with the mind dedicated to God. Therefore, be you devoted to the wisdom of equanimity. 

Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam

This is the cardinal (most original and authentic) statement made by Lord Krushna in Bhagawad Gita (B.G.2-50).

It has three elements namely Yoga, Karma and Kaushal to be understood individually and collectively.

Yoga means Union

Yoga means “union”. Union with what? It is union with God, the cosmic super

consciousness. Brahman (God) desired to manifest (एको�हं�

बहुस्या�म् ) and HE created the universe. To make this game (ली�ली�) more

interesting, complex and perpetual, HE created life element (प्रत्यागा�त्म्�) as HIS tiny reflection.

Yoga means Union

This Pratyagatma was made to acquire a body (made of five elements – पं�चम्हं�भू�त).

When Pratyagatma attained a state of ego (अहं�को�र) of misconstruing the body as himself, it became a Jivatma

Jivatma = Pratyagatma + Ego God set up a Karmic cycle of reunion of

the Jivatma with Godhead by elevating and subliming acts.

Water cycle Let us understand this process with example of water cycle. Lord

Krushna says, “याझा�द्भवतित पंर्ज�न्या� याज्ञ: कोम्�सम्#द्भव:” (B.G.3-14) meaning Rainfall (पंर्ज�न्या:)happens due to Yagna and Yagna is outcome of Karma.

The water cycle starts with rains that fall on earth, flows as rivulets (various creatures) becoming rivers (human) that flow into the Ocean (a vast collection of human race). Sublimation of some of the water from ocean by Sunlight form clouds culminating into rain. Pure water (Pratyagatma) in the form of rain falls onto the earth (स$ष्टि&-universe) and acquires shape and momentum of a river (Body). The river does various acts (Karma) of irrigating fields, generating power, quenching thirst, providing transportation means etc., collects lot of impurities during the journey and culminates into ocean. Water in ocean (Jivatma) under influence of Sunlight (ज्ञ�न – ष्टि)या�या� न: प्रच�दया�त ) sublimes and elevates itself to merge with cloud (Godhead) and the cycle starts again. This sublimation occurs with small quantity of water as compared to vast ocean.

म्न#ष्या�णां�� सहंस्त्रे.षु# कोश्चि1द्यततित सिसद्धया.,यातत�म्तिपं सिसद्ध�न�� कोश्चि1न्म्�� व.श्चि5 तत्त्वत:|(B.G.7-3).

Amongst thousands of men, hardly one endeavors for the perfection of self realization, of these hardly one knows me truly.

Yoga

This will continue till God desires to pursue HIS game (ली�ली�).

This process of union of Jivatma with Paramatma (Godhead) is Yoga which is the process of purification and sublimation.

There are various paths (Ashtanga Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Swara Yoga, Tantra and like) of practicing Yoga, all leading to the Union.

Karma

Karma is action but a mere act is Kriya and not Karma.

When mind gets associated with a Kriya, it becomes Karma

Karma = Kriya + Mind The mind is under control of six enemies

(षुड् रिरपं# – को�म्,क्रो�),ली�भू, म्�हं,म्द,म्त्सर)desire, anger, greed, attachment, ego and jealousy respectively.

Karma

So when an action is performed in association with any of these, the Kriya becomes Karma, it bears fruits and one has to face consequences of such fruit bearing acts.

Lord Krushna tells to get involved in actions while practicing science of Yoga giving up attachments and become equipoised in success and failure.

या�गास्थ को# रु कोम्��श्चिणां स�गा� त्याक्त्व� )न�र्जया सिसद्धयासिसद्धया�: सम्� भू�त्व� सम्त्व� या�गा उच्यात.।(B.G.2-48)

Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

Karma is Selfless Act

It has to be a selfless act. Rationally speaking, asking for a reward of

Karma is like writing an examination and assessing your own paper!

In the example cited earlier, the river just flows, it does not discriminate while quenching thirst of an animal, bird or human; it does not discriminate the field it irrigates.

So would a human perform the selfless Karma which is a yajya (याज्ञ) and such a Karma is known as या�सिज्ञया कोम्�.

Doing Karma

It requires continuous ceaseless efforts to condition the mind with Yogic practices. For conquering a marathon an athlete has to practice ceaselessly though the final run is only for a short time.

As per Patanjali Yogasutra या�गाश्चि15व$श्चि5 तिनर�):-Yoga is bringing into captive, the fluctuations of mind.

म्न� म्)#कोर� म्.घो� म्�तिनतिन म्दन� म्रुतम्� म्द� म्को� टो� म्त्स्या� म्को�र� दश च�चली:।

Mind, wasp, cloud, female, lust, wind, goddess Lakshmi, ego, monkey and fish – all these ten words starting with a म् are of flickering nature.

Mind is always flickering. In the quoted saying, mind comes first! A person in control of his mind would be content with just required amount of diet, sleep, speech, sex; is clean, humble, having clear vision. An act performed with selfless mind is the Karma Lord Krushna has talked about.

या#क्ता�हं�र� या#क्तातिनद्रो� ष्टिम्तव�ङष्टिम्तम्Fथु#न: स्वच्छो� नम्र: श#सिचद�क्षो� या#क्ता: स्या�त सव�कोम्�स# ।

Kaushalam - Excellence Such selfless acts have to be performed with one’s

best of abilities – कोKशलीम् . The great painters, musicians, architects have

extraordinary capacities is because of their desire to excel.

Excellence is a journey and not a destination. In science it implies perpetual efforts to advance the frontiers of knowledge. .

In Search of Excellence is an international bestselling book written by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.. First published in 1982, it is one of the biggest selling and most widely read business books ever, selling 3 million copies in its first four years, and being the most widely held library book in the United States from 1989 to 2006

"Strive for excellence. Ignore success."— Professional driver Bill Young

"Excellence can be obtained if you: " ... care more than others think is wise; " ... risk more than others think is safe; " ... dream more than others think is

practical; " ... expect more than others think is

possible."

A selfless Karma performed with total devotion and without any expectations would turn out to be exemplary.

This is contrary to western philosophy that says motivate and reward whereas here one is incited to excel without expectation of fruits, do the act as worship.

Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam

In summing up, let us put all the three together and collectively a picture emerges wherein a Yogi who is on the spiritual path of enlightenment, has not only to perform his selfless Karmas but the performance should always be at it’s peak.

One should strive to excel. Missing a target is pardonable but not having a lower target. One should aim high and aim to excel and that is the sure path to union.

Hence यो�ग: कर्म�सु� कशलर्म । हंरिर: ॐ