Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Kriyamāna Karm by Jnāna Yog

By Vishal Agarwal

One of the fears of performing of karm in the minds of jñāna-yogī and others is that new karm will produce new fruit of karm, and therefore if we keep performing karm, we will never be able to get out of the vicious cycle of karm–karmaphala (fruit of karm)–karm. But the Upaniṣads and the Gītā assure that when we do our karm under the influence of jñāna and do not aspire for the fruit of our karm, then these karmas produce no results.

Karm performed with desire for their fruit, and not under the influence of jñāna are called ‘sabīja karmāḥ’ (‘with seeds’). This is because, like seeds, these karmas eventually generate and produce fruit. On the other hand, jñāna and karma-yog render our karmas as nirbīja (‘without seeds’) because they being incapable of germination will not produce any fruit.

For such is the glory of the knower of Brahman that he is neither elevated nor lowered by good or bad karm. The knower of Brahman does not get tainted by evil karm. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 3.12.9.8

Just as deer and birds do not resort to a mountain that is aflame, evils do not seek abode in one who knows Brahman. Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad 6.18

One transcends both the good and the bad results of actions. Yajurveda, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22

As water does not stick to a lotus leaf, in the same way, evil does not contaminate a man who possesses spiritual knowledge. Sāmaveda, Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.14.3

The knower of Ātmā becomes free of all sorrow. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.1.3

When a person who is endowed with spiritual knowledge is firmly established in the Paramātman, he destroys the effects of his bad and good karmas. But as long as he does not experience the Paramātman, he has to experience sometimes the fruit of his good karm, sometimes the fruit of his bad karm. Mahābhārata 5.42.24

Just as seeds roasted in fire do not germinate, likewise when its ignorance is burnt up in the fire of knowledge, the ātman is not reborn in this world. Mahābhārata 12.211.17

With a mind that is full of grace (or gratitude), the ascetic forsakes both good and evil karm. His whole being is blissful, and abiding always in the Ātman, he experiences infinite joy. Mahābhārata 12.246.10

The āgāmī karm is also destroyed by knowledge and the wise man is not affected by it, as a lotus leaf is not affected by the water on it. Further, to those who praise, serve and worship the wise man, go the results of the good actions done by the wise man. To those who criticize, hate or cause pain to the wise man go the results of all unpraiseworthy and sinful actions done by the wise. Friends take the meritorious results and enemies the demeritorious results. Tattvabodha of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

He has no interest in mundane pleasures and has no desires for them because his sole source of pleasure is his own ātmā–

“Indeed, it is the ātmā above, ātmā below, ātmā in the front, ātmā at the back, ātmā on the right, ātmā on the left. Indeed, ātmā is all this. He who seeing this, believing this, experiencing this, revels in the ātmā, sports with the ātmā, enjoys the company of the ātmā, seeks all his joy in the ātmā – he is free. He has complete freedom of action in all the worlds.” Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.25.2

Kṛṣṇa said:

But the person whose delight is only in the ātman, whose satisfaction is in the ātman, whose contentment is only in the ātman – for him there exists no duty that needs to be done. Gītā 3.17 Indeed, he has no interest whatever to gain by actions that he has done, nor in action that he has not done in this world because he has no purpose to be accomplished whatsoever through any creature. Gītā 3.18

Therefore, remaining detached at all times, perform well the work which is your duty because by performing action without attachment, man attains the Supreme. Gītā 3.19

So why does he continue to perform action? A perfected jñāna-yogī is a conduit of Divine Wisdom and whatever he does is merely a manifestation of that Wisdom–

Beyond the reach of both merit and demerit, such a man of knowledge and realization will like a child desist from prohibited actions but not through a sense of evil, and will perform enjoined actions but not through an idea that it will lead to merit. Uddhava Gītā 2.11

The knower has nothing to gain either by performing or by abstaining from action. Therefore, he performs action as it arises. Yogavāsiṣṭha 6.199

To me, it is just the same whether something is done or not. Why should I insist on not performing action? I perform whatever action comes to me. Yogavāsiṣṭha 6.216

An example given is that of the rājarṣi-s (Royal Sages) in the Upaniṣads and other literature who continued to perform their royal duties despite being spiritually awakened and enlightened. Mahābhārata 12.320.4 mentions Dharmadhvaja Janaka, the King of Mithilā, who obtained the result of saṃnyāsa even while being a householder and king.

Mahābhārata 12.320.24 refers to Pañcaśikhā as a bhikṣu of the Parāśara gotra. Verse 27 refers to Dharmadhvaja Janaka revealing that Pañcaśikhā taught the entire wisdom of Sāṅkhya to the king but did not permit him to renounce the world and become an ascetic.

Chapter 18 of the Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata records the discussion between King Janaka, who wanted to become an ascetic, and his queen who reasoned with him against his desire. She convinced him that being a king, he could serve the devatā-s, gurus and the society at large much better than being an ascetic. She emphasizes the greatness of being a householder who generates wealth and supports all the other sections of the society. Furthermore, asceticism is a mental state. One who is formally an ascetic but is attached to selfish motives and objects of the world is a hypocrite. Whereas one who is not formally an ascetic but is self-controlled and serves other ascetics and his gurus with gifts and reverence is also an ascetic. King Janaka sees the sound logic in his wife’s words and decides to give up thoughts of becoming an ascetic.

To conclude, the learned continue to perform their karmas for the welfare of this creation and to set a good example while being completely free of desires and attachments, and for this reason, their kriyamāṇa karm does not produce any fruit –

Kṛṣṇa said:

Bhārata, just as the unlearned do their karm due to attachment, so must the learned also act, but without desire and wishing the welfare of this world. Gītā 3.25

Let the learned not create confusion in the intellect of the ignorant who are attached to karm. The learned should engage them in performing all karm, while himself performing karm as a yogī. Gītā 3.26