05/10/2025
13. Work is worship
Krishna says that even the wise are confounded by the subtleties of karma (action, work), akarma (inaction) and vikarma (prohibited action). Some clues are provided in the Gita to overcome these intricacies.
Creativity and Karma
Krishna says whatever a superior being does, other persons imitate, and his actions set a standard for the people of the world (3.21). Krishna further explains “There is nothing in three worlds that should be done by Me, nor anything unattained that has to be attained (3.22); yet I engage in action. If at any time I do not continue to perform actions, without pause, men would wholly imitate My way (3.23). These worlds would perish if I did not perform action. I would be the cause for dire confusion and I would also be ruining these people” (3.24).
Clearly, Krishna is coming as creativity which includes creation, maintenance and destruction. In these verses, Krishna mentions the consequences if creativity stops performing action.
For example, when a farmer sows wheat, it is creativity that is responsible for sprouting. If creativity stops, the seed is wasted. After sprouting, if that crop doesn’t grow, that too is a cause of confusion. After growing, if it doesn’t produce seeds, then it would destroy generations. Similarly, when we eat, the digestive force ensures its digestion. If this digestion stops working, life will perish.
Our lives depend so much on visible and invisible automaticity built into this universe and this is purely possible because of the tireless actions which are continuously performed by creativity. Similarly, we should keep performing karmas bestowed by the all-powerful existence to the best of our ability as is done by the tireless creativity.
Prescribed actions
Another difficult aspect is understanding the “niyat karma’ -prescribed or obligatory actions or bounden duty. The books and preachings of various enlightened masters add to the confusion, as they outwardly appear contradictory. Even our own understanding keeps changing with our age and experiences. Any attempt to explain it can create more confusion than clarity, as it is purely experiential. To learn swimming, one must dive into the water. Similarly, one should experience the life with awareness to understand the bounden duty. Being joyful without the help of senses is the parameter to measure our progress like floating for swimming.
Eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty are natural niyat karma. But life is complex and presents many complicated situations. A seed coat is expected to protect the embryo and in the right circumstances, it is also expected to give way to sprout. Though it looks natural to us, it’s confusing from the seed coat’s point of view - once to protect and later not to. Like in the case of the seed coat, performing a karma bestowed on us by the all-powerful present moment, without the burden of the past and the expectations from the future, can be taken as one aspect of the bounden duty.
All Karmas are flawed
Krishna says, “One should not abandon sahaja karma (natural deeds) even though all undertakings are inherently marred by blemishes, as fire by smoke” (18.48). Sahaja karma is interpreted as our natural or inborn duty. Another possible interpretation is that they are natural actions arising from ‘existence’ itself. Regardless of interpretation, Krishna concludes that all the karmas are marred by one blemish or another. This implies that no karma is pure.
Krishna uses many words in the context of karma (action) such as akarma (inaction), vikarma (prohibited actions) and niyat karma (prescribed actions) on different occasions. But he never advises us to perform pure karma as all the karmas are marred by blemishes. For example, our immune system keeps us safe from diseases by killing the invading viruses and bacteria daily. If killing is seen as inherently impure, then even the act of living becomes tainted. Consequently, any karma performed by our impure selves is bound to be impure. The same is the case with breathing and consumption of food.
This understanding offers significant insight: Firstly, this helps us control our tendency to hate the karma we are doing especially when we feel that the karmas of others are more noble. This perspective gives us clarity and helps us to pay attention to what we do. Krishna already assured that devotion to swa-karma (own deeds) leads to siddhi (perfection or freedom) (18.45). Secondly, this understanding will help us to be free of cavil or fault finding (9.1).
Guilt and regrets about our past karmas drive us throughout our lives. Similarly, we keep carrying hatred towards others for their karmas which adversely affect our lives. This verse frees us from these regrets and guilt; and helps us overcome hatred by realising that karmas themselves carry blemishes and that there is no need to blame anyone else for these blemishes.
Freedom from Karma
After declaring that all karmas are flawed, Krishna says, “With devotion to swa-karma (one’s deed or duty) one attains siddhi as this devotion is nothing but worshipping Him from whom all beings rise and by whom all this is pervaded” (18.45-18.46). This is popularly referred to as ‘work is worship’.
Firstly, in today’s context, in almost all cultures and societies, some professions like sports, acting and singing receive more admiration than others. Similarly, in the olden days, the importance was determined by some other factors. These verses clarify that by fulfilling one’s swa-karma, born from one’s innate qualities, one can attain siddhi. Thus, doing our best in whatever we do is what truly matters - regardless of the specific nature of work.
Krishna concludes about karma and says, “Those whose intellect (buddhi) is not attached everywhere (sarvatra), have conquered the self, and are free from desires through renunciation attain the perfection of ‘freedom from karma’ (naishkarmya-siddhi)” (18.49).
The message is that all karmas are flawed and there is nothing called pure karma which we should adopt. Even if we adopt a karma, the prakriti which keeps changing (vikar) changes the contours of that karma, creating new dilemmas. Secondly, one attains siddhi with devotion to swa-karma (one’s deed or duty) and this devotion is nothing but worshipping Paramatma from whom all beings rise and by whom all this is pervaded. Finally, when our intellect (buddhi) is not attached everywhere, have conquered the self, and are free from desires through renunciation, we attain the perfection of ‘freedom from karma’ (naishkarmya-siddhi).
