Karma in Bhagwad Gita : The Path of Action

  

The Bhagavad Gita, one of Hindu philosophy's most profound spiritual texts offers timeless wisdom on the nature of life, duty, and the universe. One of its central themes is the concept of Karma, which translates to "action", or the executed ”deed” or “work” in Sanskrit. It is also the "object", or the "intent". Understanding karma through the lens of the Gita can lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

Karma also contrasts with another Sanskrit word, kriya. The word kriya is the activity along with the steps and effort in action, while karma is the executed action as a consequence of that activity. Bhagwad Gita mentions action as ‘ good or bad’.

What is Karma?

In the simplest terms, karma refers to any action or deed. However, in the context of the Bhagavad Gita, it extends far beyond mere physical actions. Karma encompasses thoughts, intentions, and words. The Gita teaches that karma is the law of cause and effect, where every action we take has consequences. It is a principle that binds the soul (atman) to the cycle of birth and death (samsara).

But karma is not just about accumulating good or bad deeds; it's about understanding our dharma (duty) and acting in alignment with it.

Thus good karma produces a good effect on the doer, while bad karma produces an adverse effect, both resulting in one's happiness and unhappiness. The effect of karma need not be immediate; the effect of karma can be later in one's current life, and according to some it extends to future lives.

Morally good acts will have positive consequences, whereas bad or immoral acts will produce negative results. We consider good karma as dharma and leads to 'Punya' (merit), while bad karma is considered adharma and leads to 'Paap' (demerit, sin). An individual's present situation is thereby explained by reference to actions in his present or in previous lifetimes.                

Karma is a religious and philosophical concept that says you get what you give or you face the sins or blessings for the sins or good deeds you have performed. We can say this in another way; life turns full circle and gives us what we have given to others. This thought is very well explained in the following law of karma :        

“What goes around comes around.” Is it really true that we have to suffer the causes we have created in this birth or previous ones? If we relate this to science, even Newton’s third law states the same.

The law of karma states “as you sow that shall you reap” (Bhagavad Gita). For all the karma that we have done, not in one life but in endless past lifetimes, God keeps an account.

‘Every time God sends us into the world to continue our journey, he takes one portion from our accumulated karmas and gives this portion to us, that we have to bear in this life. That portion of the accumulated which is tied to us in this life becomes our Prarabhdha (the destiny).’

 There is an element of destiny in everybody’s life. We cannot deny that. We did not choose our parents; God chose them and sent us down. Though destiny is determined, God gives us free will with which we can make choices. Understand in this way, when you know that the act you are going to indulge in is not fair, you still have a choice whether or not to do it, God allows us to have all this free will and we can choose to do or not do that karma.

Our destiny is fixed, but we can slowly change the course of our life. We should look inside ourselves for improvement and change rather than blaming God, circumstances, or anybody else for the bad things happening to us.

Lord Krishna says, “I am only your helper and can guide you into taking fair decisions and doing good karma, but you are the ultimate authority and it is only you who has to take the final decision of your action, whether good or bad.  I have no role in your decision making.”

 

Please also read : Bhagwad Gita - The Destroyer Of All Accumulated Sins

 What we should do :

The very first thing that can be done is to stop creating bad karmas. However, we cannot get rid of all the karmas as knowingly or unknowingly you’ll be creating karma all the time which might affect your fate further.

Furthermore, akarmas (actions performed with no desire for personal benefit and only for the service of others) should be done in abundance so we can destroy the effect of the previous karmas. 

Karma is not retribution. As Einstein explained, no action can go without a reaction. And so, all of our actions — whether they’re physical, verbal, or mental — should be mindfully chosen  and according to dharma.

So friends, whether we believe in the spiritual aspect of Karma or the scientific point of Newton’s law, the key takeaway is to make sure as much as possible that our actions don’t hurt anyone. The very first thing that can be done is to stop creating bad karmas. In our modern world, where we are often driven by ambition, success, and the constant pursuit of results, the Gita offers a refreshing perspective. It teaches us that true success lies in performing our duties.