“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.47)

Download this episode (right click and save)

कर्मण्य् एवाधिकारस् ते
मा फलेषु कदाचन
मा कर्म-फल-हेतुर् भूर्
मा ते सङ्गो ऽस्त्व् अकर्मणि

karmaṇy evādhikāras te
mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr
mā te saṅgo ‘stv akarmaṇi

Words to live by. Enough words to fill the memory. Those words result in principles to implement. Sort of like a science experiment where the entire living experience is your laboratory, the principles presented in the science of self-realization have real-world applicability.

This is one of the appeals in following Vedic culture. The separation from the more common approaches of dogmatic insistence and fear and intimidation is clear from the beginning. As there is always free will, a person can still follow blindly, out of allegiance to traditions within the area, or for any other reason.

But for the inquisitive, for the person who wants to know more, there is a lifetime of instruction. For every question that might arise, there is at least an attempt to explain, when approaching a teacher within the authorized system.

One of the key principles is renunciation. Known as vairagya in Sanskrit, the literal translation is “lack of attachment.” It is understandable that this principle would cause confusion at the beginning. Does vairagya mean we are to imitate the trees? No talking? No interaction? No emotion? Just stand there. Is that the only way to advance?

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada can explain vairagya in two sentences. A certain mindset when travelling in this direction, and another mindset for the other direction. We bring the two together for achieving perfection in a single lifetime.

1. Unattached to my benefit

This path is rather straightforward. It is not difficult to understand. Vairagya accompanies jnana, which is knowledge. That knowledge begins with awareness of the distinct nature of the individual. Namely, the individual is not the body; they are a separate entity.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

This principle immediately makes clear the justification for vairagya. Remove attachment to the body. Otherwise, in illusion the body guides us. We indulge in that extra slice of pizza. We stay up too late into the night, when we know there is an important function the next day. We give in to addiction to a harmful substance, one that causes major health problems in old age.

Implement detachment for a better way of life. We can still work, but we can remain aloof from the results. Sort of like the employee in the large corporation. They may have their ideas on how things should be run, but in order to keep their job they simply carry out whatever is assigned to them. The associated project may be doomed in the future or it may result in the company’s value rising exponentially, but the focus remains on carrying out the specifically assigned responsibilities.

We can take the same mentality with all of our activities. There is intelligence to this approach because the outcomes are neither fully in our control nor responsible for our ultimate well-being. We can work out of a sense of duty, and not be affected by that work.

2. Attached to Krishna’s benefit

This is actually the more important principle. If we have attachment for Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then vairagya will happen on its own. We will not require a separate endeavor.

How exactly do we work for Krishna’s benefit? How do we make Him happy? How do we confirm that He is pleased with us?

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं
यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
तद् अहं भक्त्य्-उपहृतम्
अश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

He is kind enough to provide a roadmap. Through the recommendations offered to the friend and disciple named Arjuna, Krishna shows the way. We can make a simple offering of fruit or water. We can offer everything we do to Krishna. This means that there is no question of shortage or lack of opportunity.

मन्-मना भव मद्-भक्तो
मद्-याजी मां नमस्कुरु
माम् एवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवम्
आत्मानं मत्-परायणः

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

The rewards in this path are many. There is the aforementioned vairagya, which aligns with intelligence. The detached person is generally happier, has less problems, can more easily focus, and is better equipped to handle the turmoil of the life experience.

Through attachment to Krishna, which can be described by words such as bhakti, prema, sneha, and raganuga, we come in close proximity to the one who is attractiveness personified. There is nothing lacking in Krishna, and therefore the process of Krishna consciousness is ever-fulfilling and eternally rewarding.

In Closing:

For end ever-fulfilling,
Some discipline instilling.

That renunciation to try,
Not on outcomes to rely.

Attachment on other side,
That in consciousness to reside.

For Krishna’s pleasure to seek,
With focused activity each.

Categories: the two

Tags: god, hare krishna, hinduism, karma, poem, poems, poetry, religion