116 - Sarva-Karma Phala Tyagam – Philosophy of Desireless Actions | Swami Tattwamayananda

Title: Sarva-Karma-Phala-Tyagam – Philosophy of Desireless Actions<br /><br />12th chapter: verse 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14<br /><br />In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna gives four options for devotion, in descending order of evolution.<br /><br />8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. There upon, you will always live in Me.” This is the highest state of a devotee where he keeps his mind and intellect fixed on God. He then lives in God and God lives in him.<br /><br />For seekers who have not reached this highest state, Lord Krishna provides alternative options in the 9th-11th verses.<br /><br />9th verse: “If you cannot fix your mind and intellect on Me, then you can reach the higher goal through Abhyasa-Yoga (uniting with God through repeated practice of rituals with sincerity).” Rituals are like a fence that protects a plant when it is growing. You don’t need it when the plant becomes a tree. Similarly, the devotee needs rituals at early stages. As he evolves, he transcends rituals.<br /><br />10th verse: “If you are incapable of doing Abhyasa-Yoga, then do all your work as My work.” Every such work connects the mind with God and helps the devotee evolve.<br /><br />11th verse: “If you are unable to do your work as My work, then offer the fruits of all your actions to Me (sarva-karma-phala-tyāgam)”.<br /><br />12th verse: “Knowledge is better than mechanical practice of rituals without proper understanding. If you can practice meditation with knowledge that is even better. Renunciation of fruits of your actions (karma-phala-tyāgaḥ) is far better than meditation.”<br /><br />Why is it so? A beginner’s mind may not cooperate with his intellect. When he sits for meditation – it throws undesirable thought currents. This is due to karmic blocks or accumulated samskaras. The advantage of karma-phala-tyāgaḥ is that it purifies the mind and makes it ready for meditation. It also helps connect the mind to God when we perform the action. One important sign of spiritual progress i