Vedanta - Isavasya Upanishad - Karma Yoga - An overview - Slokas 9-11

After the general introduction in the previous blog, let us see now the famous word Karma.

Karma and Karma Yoga are the most talked/written about subject when it comes to Sanatana Dharma. Practically everyone everywhere seems to be talking about it and doing it (and nowadays recording/documenting about it).

Karma Yoga consists of two words. It is a compound word consisting of – Karma and Yoga. The word Karma in this context refers to proper action or appropriate action. The word Yoga means proper attitude or appropriate attitude – in Sanskrit Bhāvanā. In simple language Karma Yoga is nothing but proper action with proper attitude. The question that will arise now is “what is proper? What is appropriate?”. Here is a simple answer for this.

The principle of Karma Yoga is living a lifestyle in which one contribute to the society and benefit in one’s spiritual growth while one fulfills his/her personal and family needs. This is the short and sweet definition of proper or appropriate action.

While one can understand one’s personal, family and spiritual need, the contribution to the society needs a little amplification. This is by the five fold means known as Pancha Maha Yajna. The contribution is termed as Yajna because of the reverential attitude one has in performing these. 

Pancha Yagna (clockwise, from centre) - Deva Yagna, Pitr Yagna, Bhuta Yagna, Manushya Yagna, Bramha Yagna. 

The Pancha Yagna (also known as Pancha Maha Yagna) are:

Deva Yagna (worship of Devas)

Pitr Yagna (worship of ones forefathers)

Bhuta Yagna (worship of other beings)

Manushya Yagna (worship of fellow humans)

Bramha Yagna (worship of knowledge)

Homa (the pouring into the fire) the Deva Yagna,  (the offering of water) is the Pitr Yagna , Bali (food) is the Bhuta Yagna, hospitality to guests the Manushya Yagna and Teaching is the Brahma Yagna.

Veda doesn’t specify the scale in which it should be done. It can be a smaller scale or in a very grand scale, according to one’s own capacity. The Veda points out that these pañca-mahā-yajñas can be utilized in two fold forms. 

1. they can be done for the sake of material benefits, family benefits etc. that comes under worldly benefits. This is called the sakāma-karma.

2. it can be done for spiritual growth also which is meant for the well-being of the whole world. This is called niṣkāma-karma - Desireless action.      

Karma Phala - வினைப்பயன் - Consequences

It is said that there is no right or wrong in a karma/action. There are only consequences for the karmas. Everyone reaps the consequences of one’s own actions/inactions. What is that one harvests depends on what one sows. வினைவிதைத்தவன் வினை அறுப்பான், தினை வினைத்தவன் தினை அறுப்பான் 

Generally it follows the principle of “good reaps good; bad reaps bad” - you can term it as reward and punishment ; starting from the level in which one operates, he/she can move up/down the value chain in-terms of spiritual progress depending upon the performance (net of all karmas) of that individual at the end of that life span (birth to death).

Reward/punishment is identified as the life  in different worlds (lokas); fourteen (14) have been identfied with seven each in either directions (up or down). 

The movement up/down this value chain through out the total life cycle is through repeated cycles of birth and  till one exhaust all consequences of his/her actionsdeath (akin to opening balance b/f  + work in progress + closing bal c/f   in financial parlance of a “going concern” for each financial year over the company life span) . This is called the ocean of samsara - பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல். 

The ultimate reward in crossing the ocean of samsara is the seamless integration with the Lord known as Moksha/Mukti/liberation/salvation/வீடு பேறு, as brought out by the Tamil Poet Thiruvalluvar in Thirukural.

“பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார்இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார்”  

We will commence the study of the verses in the subsequent blogs.

Before we do that, here is a simple yet deep message from the Tamil Poet Maruthakasi from a Tamil film “Bhakta Markandeya” made when I was a four year old kid. 

நாம் எந்த ஒருவினைதனைப் புரியுமுன்னே, இப்பாடலின் கருத்தினை எண்ணித் துணிந்தால், நல்வினைதனயே புரிவோம். இக்கருத்தினையே திருவள்ளுவர், தெரிந்துசெயல்படுதல் என விளக்குகிறார்.

This song essentially communicates the temporary nature of our existence and the need to have the proper attitude for doing any karma.