Right approach to right duty

The third chapter of the Bhagavad Geeta is titled 'Karmayoga'— the yoga of action. If in the Vedic times, 'Karma' meant rituals and sacrifices to the Gods to seek their blessings, in the present context it means one’s duty in this world, whatever it may be.

The essence of this chapter is that man must carry out his duties sincerely, to the best of his abilities with a pure mind, as an offering to the divine, without thinking of the fruits of his actions alone. As mortals, we are all impelled by our desires to do actions to fructify our wants. If for a serious ‘sadhak’ or practitioner, it would be appropriate to desist from all worldly wants, for ordinary men, it would mean limiting or controlling his insatiable senses and restrict himself to only the essentials. “Such a man, who controls his senses and does his duty is superior to other ordinary men,” says the Lord. When he takes this approach, his mind is cleansed of its impurities and he is filled with a sense of vigour, enthusiasm and energy. With this, he can channelise his efforts towards doing his duty in an efficient way with the humility that he is offering it to the divine.

Now the Lord significantly says, “do your allotted duty, whatever it may be, for, doing something is better than not doing anything at all. You need to do something at least for sustaining your physical body”. The importance of this statement does not need elaboration.

Next comes another valuable piece of advice, timeless in its eternal appeal and significance. “Doing your duty is one thing. But, do it as a “Yagna”, not only as your offering to the Gods but as your contribution to this world, for the welfare of society”. When a man does his work efficiently, selflessly, with pure heart, keeping the larger interests of mankind in mind, his work becomes a 'Yagna'; a 'yoga'. Society is benefitted. The Lord beautifully says “even this mindset to work like this and the ability to do so is also given to you by the creator. It inheres in you. You just have to tap into that inner reservoir. When you do this, the Gods are pleased and bless you with all prosperity”. History shows that all great human achievements have been made by individuals who have just done their work quietly without any expectations. This is true ‘Karma Yoga’.