SRIMAD BHAGVAD GITA — LORD KRISHNA’S OWN WORDS

Chapter 3 Karma Yoga

CHAPTER 3,   SHLOKA 43

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Here Lord Krishna says that know that you are the “Self” or Atman and believing it to be so kill the desire which is the root cause of all suffering.When a person is attuned to higher goal, he can overcome the base desire and do superhuman acts.A soldier guarding the border, a selfless social worker etc, are all common people like us who are attuned to a higher goal and are able to perform  a Supreme act.If the soldier starts thinking about his family he can’t go for a war, but because he believes that he belongs to the country, he goes to war without batting an eyelid.

Similarly, if a man thinks that he is Atman and has no limitations, he will not cry for these little desires.Because he knows that what is pleasurable today will lead to misery tomorrow.Reflect upon your own life.Let us say a man gets a desired job – is very happy- works day and night for the organization with the “desire” to be the Head of the organization one day.Imagine, half way up the ladder of positions he is kicked out.He becomes bitter, cribs and becomes bitter -says “I sacrificed everything for this organization and no one recognized it “.I am not asking anyone not to work.But imagine another person works for some organization – puts all his effort – but surrenders the fruits of his action to God.He may be a workaholic but devotes time to family and good things in life.He is more relaxed than the first person, more focussed, because he is not in the rat race.Imagine, this person is superseded by his junior, does not feel bad as his ego is not hurt.Takes consolation thinking God wanted it that way because he believes, God is the giver or the reward and not the organization.He has faith that God will give him what he deserves.

So had the second person had a craving to be the MD of this organization, his puffed up ego would have made him resign.

So Karma Yoga teaches that our Ultimate goal in life is to reach the Atman and not to gather petty glass baubles or cry over small thorns on the path.Focussing on Atman one can overlook the small sensual desires of life.

So here ends the third Chapter named Karma Yoga.