Resources

All activities are physical and sensory alone. Interactions are at the sensory level, involving the body alone. Such bodily involvement cannot cause any kind of taint to the mind and intelligence, which are above matter and energy. Subtler than even space, they are not affected by any material, physical or interactional display. This is a truth the seeker has to understand and be guided by sooner or later. Right understanding is the true outcome of spiritual sadhana.

Dear and blessed souls:

Harih Om Tat Sat.

Action and its outcome inseparable

Krishna just explained (4.19) that blending all activities with Nature, its pulsations and motivations, is what the seeker has to strive for and achieve. In the next verse also  (4.20) Krishna continues to say that even intense activity will not be considered so if the actor is able to rise above the delusional clinging his mind fosters to the subjective results of whatever he does. What does this mean? Every activity is, no doubt, designed to bring about a certain outcome, fruition. The thread connecting actions with objective results and outcomes cannot be tampered with, even in the name of spirituality or spiritual pursuit.

There is nothing wrong, therefore, in acting with a view to attain a certain result or fruition. But every performer has to understand that while the desired result is expected to follow when the action is completed, rarely some hindrances to this sequence may occur. Even when it so happens, the performer need not get disturbed at all. This does not mean that the expected result will evade the action and the actor every time.

Action and its outcome are inseparable. Design the action for deriving a certain outcome, and pursue the required effort earnestly. This is all what the performer is expected to do. Irresistibly, the outcome will be had.

But understand that the world is huge and you are not the only individual living in it. There are many human and non-human factors playing every time, and sometimes it may so happen that the action you perform may not hit at the expected fruition. Find where the wrong or deficiency is and redress it. Then the desired result is bound to be. Thus, for a once in a while incompleteness and non-fruition or partial fruition, why should you entertain an undue suffering, doubt and delusion during all your performances? Is it not a sheer folly to be victimized like this?

Be harmonious with laws of Nature

Mind you, you are working in a world where everything is governed by visible and invisible laws of nature. You cannot interfere with them. Rather be harmonious with all. This harmony will ensure whatever safeguard and safety are required. The whole emphasis is in understanding the matter properly.

This is how Krishna says to leave the delusional clinging of the mind, but retain the even attitude towards fruition and non-fruition. Do your actions with all fervour, insight and will. Let whatever outcomes befall. If such a resolve and harmony reign in you, the mind instantly becomes ever contented and free of all dependences.

Keep the mind free from delusional clinging

The point to be noted is that the effort of the seeker should at every time be not interference with his activity, but to keep his mind free from its delusional clinging to the pleasant and unpleasant nature of the results. If this evenness in attitude is inculcated properly, one can be completely free from undue fear, anxiety, etc. Then the performance will be imbued with far greater fervour and resolve. And the results will invariably be what each activity is meant to bring about. One has to try this mind-sublimating approach consistently to experience how glorious and rewarding it is.

Incessant contentment and freedom from dependences

Nitya-tṛpti and nirāśrayatva, incessant contentment and freedom from dependences, both will instantly result when the saṅga is treated and redressed by proper introspection. At no time can any external world-object generate contentment. For, contentment is emotional and hence belongs to the inner mind alone. It is foolhardiness to think that by any worldly object or interaction with it, one can derive ceaseless joy and happiness. This understanding will itself work a great revolution in the seeker. It will change the pattern of his thinking and evaluation. The extrovert thoughts will give place to introvert introspection. An altogether new evaluation will transpire and that will set a new direction for him to think, pursue and realize.

Let all activities and interactions be with joyfulness

No activity or interaction should be for seeking joy as an outcome. Instead, let all activities and interactions follow joyfulness. Let them be more an expression and extension of inner happiness, rather than an effort to gain happiness. What a wonderful change, correction! 

Such a one, even if he is active, no matter whether activity is a colossal war like what Arjuna is about to engage in, nothing of it will have any adverse effect in him. Like any number, big or small, in arithmetic, multiplied with zero becomes zero, all his activities will mean nothing at all, to cause in the mind anything like sin and virtue, or loss and gain. Activity is a note of inner fulfilment and fruition. As long as one nourishes the body, activity becomes inevitable. It will be more an expression of harmony rather than a strenuous effort or struggle.

It is the same as karmaṇi-akarma yaḥ paśyet, one perceiving inaction in action as explained earlier by Krishna (4.18). This is the second of the pentad (fivefold verses).

Integrating senses, mind, intelligence and the ‘I’

Now we go to 4.21, the 3rd of the pentad (five-fold verses). It too, like each other of the group, gives a different but complementary insight, evaluation and outlook.

All the sublimating notes Krishna posits here are verily inner, internal. The first emphasis of Krishna is to make the mind desire-free. Be devoid of desires, he exhorts. Desire is not necessary to live and move in the world. Food and nourishment of the body are what make us active. Energy built by food must find its expression through activity. Desire only constricts our potential for action, actional pursuit itself. Desire freedom gives rise to yata-citta-ātmatva, meaning the whole inner being becoming integrated – senses with the mind, mind with intelligence and intelligence with the ‘I’, the Self. Once this happens, the seeker will not have any yearning for anything at all. Even if someone gifts him something, he would not need it. He becomes tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ. Rather he will keep himself away from receiving all kinds of gifts. Once the inner being thus becomes pure, free, contented and full, whatever activity he does will not have any deep touch in him; nothing will scar him.

Significance of mind sublimation and refinement

Activities will be more bodily and sensory – merely external. It will not have any inner imprint on the mind or the intelligence to cause hindrance or bondage. Try to  understand the lofty significance of such a sublimation and refinement. The gross mind will be refined and all its disturbing notes will vanish. As a result, mind will be radiant, harmonious and jubilant.

These are the benign effects yogic enrichment and sublimation bestow instantly. Normally, one does not have any kind of inwardness by which the mind and the intelligence will undergo purification or refinement. Now, it is a totally different state of activity and interaction, which will be more an expression of inner spiritual harmony and joy rather than any gross effort to be happy.

Inner spiritual attunement

The whole process is one wherein the seeker’s mind gets more and more spiritually and inwardly attuned, reformed and refined. And all activities and interactions become a rewarding, joyful flow from within rather than a strenuous effort or process. The difference is enormous, phenomenal. It is to be closely understood with all attention and astuteness. This itself will be a yoga-sadhana as well as outcome.

Krishna again says that this kind of an inwardly rooted spiritual flow of activity will not ever be subject to any kind of stain like sinfulness and the like. What an assurance! Remember, Arjuna is poised to fight a colossal war in which 4.5 million warriors are ranged against one another. And invariably, all are ready to kill the enemies or get killed by them. Imagine the severity of consequence. All that completely changes before the yogic enrichment and refinement Krishna prescribes and imparts.

You will not incur any sin

Remember, as described in the third chapter (3.42), your senses are superior to the objects of the world, mind is superior to the senses, intelligence is superior to the mind, and the ‘I’ is superior to the intelligence. What does this mean? Right from the senses everything in one’s personality is inwardly superior to the other, thus superior to the worldliness or worldly objects.

Therefore, is it not right that the physical eventuality of the war, namely colossal slaughter, is totally overwhelmed by the mind and intelligence, to make the whole consequence a full zero, illusion?

Never think that the gross world and whatever terrible takes place in this will ever subdue or overcome the inner personality of the human, namely the emotional mind and the rational intelligence. This is how Krishna says, by doing any extent of physical activity, however bad it may be, the Yogi will not incur any sin or taint whatsoever. Is this not the pinnacle of Karma-yoga?

Be empowered to take up any activity

Instead of blaming or fearing activity and interaction, adducing one kind of doubt or another, what the seeker should do is to focus on his own mind and intelligence, refining and sublimating them adequately so that they will be empowered to take up any activity and still feel unaffected, noble and great.

Krishna emphasizes here that all activities are physical and sensory alone. Interactions are at the sensory level. He calls them kevalam śārīram, involving the body alone. Such bodily involvement cannot cause any kind of taint to the mind and intelligence, which are above matter and energy. Subtler than even space, they are not affected by any material, physical or interactional display. This is a truth the seeker has to understand and be guided by sooner or later. Right understanding is the true outcome of spiritual sadhana. All else are only helpful to take the seeker to the plane of understanding. It is a dexterous process.