abhyAsa : karmabandhana : the bonds of karma – applying Gita Slokas to my context. « Ancient Indians

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abhyAsa : karmabandhana : the bonds of karma – applying Gita Slokas to my context.

Krishna said “ayam lokah karma bandhanah”.

This world is a karma-bandhana not an iron bandhana or a silk bond, but one of karma.

To be free from that,

Know that karma (action/consequences of action/duty/vedic karma) comes from Brahma. (3:15 Know that karma comes from brahma and brahma comes from akSara (The indivisible kAraNa brahma). That is why, the brahman that goes everywhere is stabilised in yagnya.)
We have already learnt that Inactivity is impossible (3:5 “Everyone does karma helplessly by the guNAs (bonds/qualities) of prakRti, and does not stand still for a moment anytime doing no karma”.)

The source of our action, its consequences, our duty and vedic rites are divine. They are the kArya brahma, the kSara or manifest universe and/or prakRTi.

My present effort to study the Gita and share my notes with whoever wants to know on this web-site, is my karma.

prAkRti will make me do this, whether I choose to or do not choose to. I am bound by the guNAs – sattva, rajas and tamas. Like a puppet on these three strings I do this karma. If not this I would clean the kitchen or watch tv or chitchat with my friends.

“karma brahmodbhavam viddhi.” Know that this karma rises from (the manifest) brahman, which comes from the unmnifest!

Now.

This karma that I do binds me. Every step I take makes some other steps more likely and some other steps more remote. It has consequences. The consequences bind me.

By nature (by prakRti) I am curious, analytical and expressive (my guNAs). Therefore I read, think and write. (my karma)

This has some consequences. (karma).

It will be ignored, praised, criticized or clarifications may be sought. (karmaphala)

If I work on the Gita for the response I get from other people then I am focused on karmaphala. Everytime I am ignored or criticised I lose motivation. Everytime I get recognition or praise I become self-pleased and distracted and want to write in such a way as to repeat that praise. If I focus on the karmaphala of response to my expression, I become bound by that response, its existence or lack thereof, the volume, the pleasantness and so on.

Krishna said, “mA karmaphalahetuh bhU”, do not be motivated by karmaphala, do not be motivated by response. (karmaphala is given by the dEvAs. 3: 12 dEvAs who are regarded through yagnyAs will give you your desired bhOgAs.)

Krishna said, “mA tE sangah tu akarmaNi”, do not have attachment to inaction. Do not be attached to the idea of non-study, non-thinking, non-writing. (because you will do it anyway).

Krishna said ”tE adhikArah mA phalESu kadAcana, karmaNi eva”, your right is in karma alone and never in results.

This karma is sourced in the brahman and done through you by prakRTi-guNAs.

Do work for yOga and for yagnya.

yagnya is worshipful work. For a trEtA yuga brahmin this may have been a vedic ritual. For me, it is writing.

If I study and write as a form of worship to Krishna (yagnyArthAt), with an idea of attaining yOga (excellence in work, balanced towards success and failure), then I could be said to be practicing Gita or call my self a gItA abhyAsI.

Then, I become free from karmabandhana.

Whatever action, nature is making me do anyway, I do that as worship of Krishna. I realise that Pursusha and Prakruti are the source of action and that I will do what I must do anyway., but I will do it devoutly, worshipfully for the sake of excellence (yOgah karmasu kous’alam).

The change is not in my actions but in my mind (my manas). That change will free me from karmabandhana.

My dEvatA, my yagnyA :

Since I focus on study, analysis and writing, my yagnya is a gnyAna yagnya, and the dEvata of this yagnya can be any of the gnyAna dEvatas, saraswatI, hayagrIva, gaNEs’A, dakshiNAmUrti…..

My mind indicates saraswatI as the dEvata who is in charge of my karmaphala.

So whatever bhOga, I receive as a result of this adhyayana yagnya, is a gift from saraswatI dEvI. I must offer to Her what I get and accept as Her prasaada what is left. Then I will be freed from sarvakilbiSa (all mistakes).

So what has been the bhOga or karmaphala of my adhyayana yagnya?

Blessings from people like the descendants of Thyagarajaswamy’s descendants and other blog readers.
Friendship and Respect.
Exposure to ideas of Krishna and Sankaracharya and Vyasa and Valmiki and Gauthama and Bharadwaja and Bhishma and… (Oh the joy of this!)
Understanding things clearly. (This is terribly important to me.)
The joy of learning and illumination. (I won’t even explain.)

All these wonderful bhOgAs/karma-yagnya-phalAs have been Saraswathi Devi’s gift to me! What a generous deity! What a lucky woman I am!

How do I now offer unto Her the illumination she is conferring upon me?

May the light she has gifted to my mind be a lamp at Her divine feet! May I never forget that it is Her grace that my mind is illumined and that I am understanding things and receiving the love, respect, guidance and blessings of other people!

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