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DHARMA AND KARMA YOGA

CONCEPT OF DHARMA—(ATHARVA VEDA):

The world dharma implies a fulfilment of honour and

recognition according to one's inherent purpose.
According to Vedas, the ancient spiritual scripture of
India, "There is nothing higher than Dharma. Verity
that which is dharma is truth". It is the law of our
existence, the path of destiny.

CONCEPT OF DHARMA:
• Right way of living
• Divine law
• Path of Righteousness
• Order
• Faith
• Nature harmony
• Rule
• "Fundamental" and "Duty"
• Rule of operation of the mind or universe in a
metaphysical system
Indian philosophy has been sorting out issues of
fairness, empathy, and self-sacrifice for more than
5000 years. The concept of Dharma is prevalent since
Vedic ages. The Indian philosophical thought goes to
the extent of saying that Dharma is nothing but ethical
action and the world survives because of ethical
actions.
Three Concepts of Dharma:
1. Mimasa: Dharma is ethical action. But action being
temporary, it cannot by itself account for the result.
Before the act is completed, the act produces an
appropriate effect, which abides in the individual until
its reward becomes apparent.
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2. Nyaya: Dharma is the "appropriate effect" and not

the action. Thus, it becomes a quality characterizing
the individual self.

3. Theistic Doctrine: Dharma is neither an action nor

a quality; it is the consequences of our meritorious
deeds, and explain the conferment of the reward.

Dharma i.e. Ethical Action is meant not merely for

further enjoyment but obtaining the highest form of
happiness or bliss. Ethical action is a pathway to
liberation or salvation, which is renunciation from
bondage to the laws of the world.

CONCEPT OF KARMA:

Each and every physical action or deed that you

perform with the cooperation of the mind, right from
morning to evening, during the whole day and night,
during the whole week, whole month, whole year and
during the whole of your life right from birth to death
is called Karma."

Karmas are divided into three categories according to

their stages as under:
1.Kriyaman Karma: It means an action done at the
spur of a moment or time in the present tense which
instantaneously bears fruit and results in reaction then
and there.

2.Sanchit Karma (Cumulative Karma): It means

the actions done but not yet ripe to give fruits
immediately or on the spot but take some time to get
ripened. Till then they remain in balance and are
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accumulated (SANCHIT).

3. Prarabdha Karma: It means those actions out of

the accumulated Sanchit Karmas which have now
become ripe and are ready to give fruits. They are
commonly known as destiny, luck, fate, fortune etc,

TYPES OF KARMA:
Karmas (Action) are of the following types:

1. Constructive and Destructive Actions:

Destructive actions are the actions which are to be
avoided and constructive actions are the actions which
are to be done in the form of duties.

2. Obligatory Actions: Obligatory actions are those

that have to be performed by every one. Their
performance supports man, society and universe and
does not bring any special kind of merit for man. But
their non-performance produces demerit.

3. Prohibited Actions: Prohibited actions are those

that produce demerit, therefore, their non-performance
brings merit. The non-performance of prohibited
actions is also obligatory.

4. Optional Actions: These are the actions, the

performance of which is optional. Their chief concern
is the individual well-being. They are explicitly
designed to secure personal benefits. The principle
underlying optional deeds is that desire as such is not
bad and need not therefore be suppressed, but it needs
to be properly controlled.
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5. Ethical Actions: Ethical action is any social,

organizational, national or personal activity into
which the individual is ready to perform in a spirit of
service and dedication. Ethical action is instrumental
to the attainment of some good or avoidance of some
evil.

KARMA YOGA:

Karma means action, work or deed. Karma produces

results. If we do not do Karma there will be no results.
Karma comes from an individual but the result comes
from the whole universe (samasthi). We can choose to
perform a certain act, but cannot choose the result.
There are many other factors that affect the result. The
law of Karma enthuses that all values, positive or
negative accounting from man's actions, are capable
of buying the joys and sorrows in this or another life.

The word 'Karma' has been derived from the Sanskrit

word 'Kri' which means to do. Karma is the sum total
of our acts, both in present and preceding life. As a
man sows, so shall he reap, this is a law of Karma.
Doctrine of Karma pushes a man to correct thinking
process, right speech, and right action and bring
peace, solace, contentment in life and its importance is
now acknowledged by westerners also. If Karma is
good, it returns happiness, gain, success and if
Karmas are bad it will return us grief, pain, loss,
failure.

THEORY OF ACTION AND KARMA YOGA:

The Jainism says every thing happens due to the result

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of our past doings. You reap what you sow and no

God or someone else can make this change. We are
the reason for our suffering or happiness.

This can be explained by the theory of Karma. It also

explains what karmas are, why and what role karmas
play in our life (with soul), and how we accumulate
different kind of karmas and how we get rid of them.
We do not realize that every thing we do brings
karmas to our souls.

When these karmas are mature, that is, when they are
ready to depart from the soul that process results into
happiness or suffering in our lives. This is how the
karmas are responsible for our happiness or suffering.

Karmas are the derivatives of the karman particles.

The Karman particles are made up of the non-living
matter (pudgals). They are scattered and floating all
over the universe (Lok). They are very fine particles
and we are neither able to see them with our eyes or
with the regular microscope.

A cluster of such innumerable karman particles is

called a karman vargana. The karman vargana has the
most subtle particles.

When the soul acts with a passion like aversion or

attachment; or anger, greed, ego, or deceitfulness, it
attracts these karman varganas to itself.

When these karman varganas get attached to the soul,

they are called karmas.
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The karmas can be good (punya) or bad (Pap). The

good karmas are the result of good or pious activities
while the bad karmas are the result of bad or sinful
activities.

BENEFITS OF KARMA YOGA:

1. It is the way of ethical action

2. Self management is consistent with Karmayoga.
3. Practicing Kramayoga helps us to practice, deep
awareness of real self.
4. It manages and controls the anger.
5. Selfishness is eradicated completely while
practicing karmayoga.
6. Feeling of oneness and unity will come.
7. Realisation of one in all, and all in one will come.
8. It protects from greatest fears.
9. It brings Ek- buddhi (clarity)
10. Brings more harmony in life.

NISHKAM KARMA AND SAKAM KARMA:

NISHKAM KARMA: The theory of Nishkam Karma

is explained in Chapter 11 of Bhagwat Gita. It speaks
about 'duty to act, but not the right to claim fruits from
it'. Trees, rivers are the live examples of performance
of full swadharma and not expecting anything in
return. It helps in inner purification and realization of
self, the real self.

SAKAM KARMA: Most of our lives in today's

world are based on Sakam Karma. In Gita, Sakam
Sadhana is a spiritual practice done with the
expectations of worldly achievements like a good job,
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a house, promotion at work, fame, wealth etc

NISHKAM KARMA: Lord Krishna talks about

Nishkam being superior to Sakam karma. Nishkma
Sadhana is a spiritual practice done with the sole aim
of spiritual growth. Thus, in this mode of spiritual
practice, the spiritual seekers will continue with their
spiritual practice. They ignore their current worldly
state of being.

The concept of Nishkam karma relates to detached

involvement with the material world and Sakam
Karma relates to attached involvement with the
material world.

ACTIONS PERFORMED SELFLESSLY WITH

DEVOTION UNTO GOD (NISHKAM KARMA):

Generally, people performing any action, any job or

business etc. expect and desire to have some reward or
fruit . Nobody would like to work totally without any
expectation of any reward or fruit of it. But there is a
mandatory provision in the law of Karma that every
action has got reaction, every cause has got effect and
every effort does result into destiny.

If you sow, you must reap, and as you sow; so shall

you reap and you cannot escape. But one should not
be crazy or mad to get the fruits of your actions, but
whatever fruits God would kindly and lawfully give
you for your actions in the form of destiny, you
should willingly accept them as God's grace and enjoy
them or suffer them boldly without any hesitation.
This is called Nishkam Karma.
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All the creatures and creations of nature in the entire

universe are doing this sort of Nishkam Karma
without any selfish motive and with full devotion and
service to the higher purpose of God. The sun is given
the duty to give light. The rivers are doing the work of
supplying water, the trees are giving you fruits and
cows give you milk. The fish keep the water clean and
the wind destroys pollution from the atmosphere. For
all these services, they do not demand, like us, any
pay, promotion, increment,etc.

Every creature in the universe is supposed to be and

bound to be active and sincere to the humanity at large
in the realm of God.

Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus Christ, Mohamad Prophet,

Swami Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekanand, Swami
Ramtirth and many such saints have ceaselessly
striven during their entire life span for the service of
the humanity only for the satisfaction of their inner
soul and for God, without any selfish motive like
worldly materialistic objects.

Saintly persons ceaselessly working for the service of

the humanity at large, selflessly for the satisfaction of
their inner soul only and God, are considered to be
liberated.
This is how you control your Karmas and do not allow
them to be accumulated, matured

BENEFITS OF NISHKAM KARMA:

The path of ego-less work or Nishkam Karma has the
following benefits:
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• Nishkam Karma frees one from bondages of

Karma
• No effort of nishkam karma is wasted
• There are no obstacles in the path of nishkam
karma
• Nishkam karma protects one from the greatest
fears
• Nishkam karma leads to ek-buddhi (clarity).

According to S.K. Chakarborthy, by steady practice of

nishkam-karma, one can yield the following results:
1. A stress free mind at work
2. A pure and transparent mind
3. An abiding instinct for ethical Tightness
4. An inner feeling of fullness

NISHKAM KARMA:
We talked about the bondage of karma and how
nishkam karma can free one from this bondage. Lord
Krishna goes on to say few more advantages of
nishkam karma.
• No effort of nishkam karmas is wasted
• There are no obstacles (pratyavatya) in the path of
nishkam karma and
• Nishkam karma protects one from the greatest
fear.
Every effort, however much it may be in the path of
sakam karma is a wasted effort. And the key word is
expectation (kamana). The formula for sakam karma
is:

Karma + kamana = sakam karma

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And the kamana knows no end. As long as we have

expectations, the effort will be wasted. There will be
results, but those results will not satisfy us. The
moment the expectation {kamana) is fulfilled, the
kamana changes.

There is no fulfilment, there is no satisfaction, there, is

no peace and there is no happiness. Frustration is
always the outcome. We keep on making effort but we
never get the expected outcome.

Lord Krishna says that contrary to sakam karma, no

effort is wasted in the path of nishkam karma. This is
interesting. Even a small effort is satisfying. There is
always fulfillment. Frustration never happens.
The formula for nishkam karma is:

Karma-kamana = Nishkam karma.

Simply eliminate the expectation part. And then there

is no wasted effort. Any effort you make will bring
some result. And you will be thankful for that result.
There is no expectation of how your effort should turn
out. It does not mean that such a person will not have
something prestigious, but then he will be happy-both
with it and without it.

A man on the path of nishkam karma does not see

obstacles as obstacles.

A man on the path of nishkam karma has a friendly

relationship with the obstacles while a man on the
path of sakam karma has a "Why this?" relationship
with the obstacle.
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One of our greatest fears is about our performance and

success. Every one has heard of mid-life crises.
Krishna is talking about this kind of fear. Again it is
easier to work with sakam karma. We evaluate our
performance and judge whether we have been
successful or not.

We have preconceived ideas about our successes and

failures. And we are always afraid of not measuring
up to our expectations.

If you remove these expectations there is no fear. If

you accept life as it presents itself, you will never
have any fear.

But strange as it may sound, we do not want to be

happy. But Krishna wants us to break that habit. Drop
the kamana and you will have no fear.

COMPARISON OF SAKAM AND NISHKAM

MODES OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE:

• When the spiritual energy generated through

spiritual practice is used for worldly aims, as in sakam
mode, usually all such desires are fulfilled, and as a
result no internal growth takes place. This is similar to
trying to fill pot full of holes with water. That pot will
never remain completely full.

Compared to this, the energy that we invest in doing

nishkam spiritual practice bears fruit, since it is
utilized solely for spiritual growth. In the nishkam
mode, the person's spiritual, as well as
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material/worldly aspirations are fulfilled.

• People experience worldly happiness by doing

sakam spiritual practice, while they experience bliss
by doing nishkam spiritual practice.

• Sakam spiritual practice cannot give permanence.

For example, suppose the person does spiritual
practice to acquire a lot of wealth. Once he gets
wealthy, he asks for good health, then, maybe, a good
spouse, then he continues to do spiritual practice to
have a child, and so on. Such a quest can never end, as
there is always something yet to be fulfilled. Thus,
one can never experience complete satisfaction from
this mode of spiritual practice.

However, in the nishkam mode of spiritual practice,

once your sole aim of spiritual progress is achieved,
you realize your true self, or become Self-Realized
(God-Realized), and get permanent experience of
continued Bliss.

• Sakam spiritual practice is about experiencing all

creation or created objects, whereas nishkam spiritual
practice is about experiencing the Creator.

• Sakam spiritual practice is about the untruth Great

(Great Illusion yoga), while nishkam spiritual practice
is about the Absolute Truth (Brahma).