The Gita's eighteen chapters are each given their own distinctive names. The third chapter is called 'Karma Yoga' and the twelfth 'Bhakti Yoga.' Yet certain learned readers have suggested another division: the first six chapters concern action, the middle six devotion, and the final six knowledge. Experience shows that Gita readers find support for all three—action, devotion, and knowledge—in nearly every chapter. Thus the complete logic of such divisions does not sit entirely clear in the mind of the ordinary reader.
Is there a special distinction in the conduct of the karma yogi and the devotee? Why did the Lord express such keen interest in action? What is karma yoga? How does one who practices karma yoga behave?
The term yoga also means skill or artfulness. In defining yoga, Krishna the Lord of Yoga himself has said: "Yogah karmasu kaushalam"—that is, skill in action is yoga. But what kind of skill or artfulness is this?
In the second chapter of the Gita, Sri Krishna says: Yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya. Siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga uchyate.
In verse form, the passage becomes: Be steadied in yoga, perform your task—unattached. Unattached action is the soul's true contract. Arjuna! Cast off clinging, yet labor on. Let success and failure alike be foregone. This equipoise is yoga's perfection's name— In its attainment all wishes find their aim.
That is to say: O Arjuna! Renounce the desire for the fruits of action, and steadied in devotional yoga, perform the duties ordained by your nature. That equanimity of mind regarding success and failure in action—this is what is called yoga.
Lord Sri Krishna is instructing Arjuna to engage in action joined to yoga. The question now arises: what does yoga mean? Yoga means the mastery of the senses that agitate the mind, their restraint, and the fixing of the consciousness upon the Supreme Lord in meditation. Who is the Supreme Lord? He who is the cause of all causes is the Supreme Lord—Sri Krishna himself. Since he here commands Arjuna to fight, Arjuna ought not to be attached to the outcome of that war, for victory or defeat depends upon Sri Krishna's will alone. Arjuna's sole duty is to fight according to Krishna's command. When the Lord himself assumes the burden of the fruits of the devotee's work upon his own shoulders, then the devotee has but one duty: to give his all to the work without brooding over its results.
To obey the Lord's command is true yoga, and this yoga is practiced through Krishna-conscious devotion to the Lord. Only through devotion to the Lord does it become possible to be free from ego. By accepting service to the Lord or service to the Lord's servant—the genuine guru, whose service means following the guidance of Vaishnava dharma—a flowering of devotion to the Lord takes root within, and then one becomes master of the senses and able to practice yoga.
Arjuna was a warrior by birth, and therefore he conducted himself according to the varna-ashrama dharma as prescribed by the scriptures. The Vishnu Purana tells us that the sole purpose of varna-ashrama dharma is this: to please Lord Vishnu. The principle governing the material world is that we should satisfy not ourselves, but Lord Vishnu. Thus, if one does not gratify Lord Vishnu—that is, Lord Krishna—one cannot properly observe the rites and duties of varna-ashrama dharma. In this way, the Lord Himself repeatedly reminds Arjuna that to act according to His command is his sole duty.
Equanimity itself is yoga—so the Lord has declared. But what then is the essence of this equanimity? And likewise, what is the significance of devotion? Is the path of devotion distinct from the yoga of action? What is the manner of a devotee's conduct? In the Gita, Lord Krishna has also spoken of the marks of divine qualities; He has described the characteristics of the steadfast in wisdom. He has set forth the signs of one who transcends the three gunas. What distinction lies among these? Various learned commentators on the Gita have given extraordinarily clear and comprehensible answers to all these questions. These analyses are so lucid and they render the seeker's path so accessible that their study and contemplation are absolutely essential for the practice of sadhana.
The Gita is a distinguished portion of the Mahabharata itself. Vyasa has said that the Gita is the quintessence of all the Upanishads—"The Upanishads are cows, the milker is the cowherd Krishna"—from the cows that are the Upanishads, the very Lord Krishna has drawn forth the milk of immortal nectar and given it to Arjuna to drink. It is a matter of great fortune that this ambrosia drawn for Arjuna, the Lord has placed—as if in a golden vessel—before all seekers of liberation, regardless of caste, creed, color, or lineage, with this great invitation: that should they wish, they may drink freely of this milk without any hindrance and quench their thirst for knowledge.
The Gita is not without repetition. Yet Vyasa has placed these repetitions there knowingly and deliberately. It is impossible to drink an entire vessel of milk in one gulp; only by sipping it again and again, little by little, can one savour the complete taste of the nectar. From this very metaphor, the mystery of repetition stands revealed. The magnificence of this wondrous scripture, the Gita, is known throughout the world. In every land, in every tongue, this astounding treasury of philosophy has been revered.
Nivritti and pravritti—these two paths have been in practice since ancient times. The acharyas have identified this path of nivritti with Sankhya Yoga, while the path of pravritti has been called Bhagavata dharma, which comprises the synthesis of both karma yoga and bhakti yoga. This Bhagavata dharma is not a new path either, yet with the passage of time, its glory had once become diminished. It is Lord Krishna Himself who has restored it to its former splendor.
In the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata, and especially in the Bhagavad Gita, the path of Bhagavata dharma has been expounded in detail. It was to reclaim this lost and dormant way, to guide the bewildered people of that age back to their true duty, that Sri Krishna made this effort. And through this path of natural inclination, the founders of Bhagavata dharma achieved great success in directing society toward karma yoga—the way of selfless, active work. Selfless action means this: in performing one's duty, one should expend only as much effort and labor as mind and body, working in concert, can manage; no more. The fruits of action thus naturally fall into the hands of the Divine, or Fate—concern for results cannot diminish one's dedication to work, and the doer may give the very best of his capacity. When one fully engages body and mind in the pursuit of duty, what further gain comes from desiring fruit? The very nature of work is Bhagavata dharma, and this is the central theme of the Gita.
The great war of the Mahabharata was about to commence. Every preparation for battle had been completed. Kurukshetra resounded with the clang of weapons and arms from all sides. All the mighty warriors, through the blast of their own conches, called out for combat, making the very air ready for war. At that moment, Arjuna said to the Lord: "O Krishna! Place my chariot between these two armies so that I might see those who have come here to fight."
After Arjuna spoke, Sri Krishna brought the great chariot to the space between the two armies and positioned it there. Pointing to the commanders like Bhishma and Drona, he said, "Arjuna! Behold this assembled multitude of warriors."
Arjuna cast his gaze in all directions and saw them all—friends and companions, kinsmen and relations, teachers and grandfathers, sons and grandsons, and others of his household—standing as if voluntarily present for death. The sight of them shook him to the core. His whole body seemed to collapse. He began to speak: "Krishna! My mouth has gone dry. My body is broken. The bow slips from my hand. Even if I conquer in battle by slaying these beloved ones, what victory is that? If I commit this cruel act and feel no shame for it, what does it matter—why should I engage in such wickedness? It would be better if the sons of Dhritarashtra, finding me unarmed, were to slay me. Death is preferable to such sin." With these words, Arjuna cast his bow upon the chariot and sat in silence.
Seeing Arjuna's despair, compassion arose in the Lord's heart. With a gentle smile, he said to Arjuna, "Why has this ignoble weakness, which casts one into hell, taken root in you? Abandon this cowardice and rise." But Arjuna was so overwhelmed by sorrow, so deeply anguished, that he continued speaking in the same vein. Again he said to Sri Krishna, "O Krishna! My mind will not obey me. I will not fight." With this, he fell silent.
It is from this very point that Sri Krishna's nectar of wisdom began to flow. Against the backdrop of Sankhya Yoga—the path of renunciation—Sri Krishna made Arjuna understand that this Self is all-pervading, ageless, deathless: who then kills, and who is killed by whom?
With the aid of the words of the teacher from the Mundaka Upanishad, as much as could be said, he described that Self with manifold attributes in this manner—
Yat tadadrshyam agrahyam agotra avarnam Chakshuh shrotram tadapani padam. Nityam vibhum sarvagat susukhsmam Tad avyayam tad bhuta yonim paripashyanti dhirah.
That is: What cannot be seen, what lies beyond the reach of the senses, what is never born, what has no color, what has no ears...no eyes, what has no hands...no feet, what is eternal, from which the individual's origin and coming forth flow, what pervades all beings, what is infinitely subtle, what is immutable, what gives birth to all of nature—both matter and life—the wise, the steadfast in heart, perceive that Unmanifest in this way.
The same manner of language appears in other Upanishads as well, in descriptions of the Self—that is, the all-pervading Truth.
The Bhagavad Gita repeats this very teaching. Going further still, Krishna said: "Just as a man casts off worn-out garments and puts on new ones, know that the body undergoes the same change. Death is nothing more than—discarding a worn body and donning a fresh one. Why then mourn at death? All such sorrow springs from ignorance! It is unbecoming of you. This body was not in the beginning, nor shall it be in the end. It appears only in between; therefore it is unreal, mere illusion. The wise do not grieve over it. You speak as if you were learned, but in truth you are utterly foolish."
From a practical standpoint too, if you do not fight, people will say: Arjuna is a coward, he fled the battle out of fear, and so forth—endless reproach of this sort will fall upon you."
I have explained this to you through the lens of the Sankhya path. Now I speak to you from the perspective of Karma Yoga. From this, you will understand: when a person performs any sacred duty with equanimity of mind, he becomes liberated from all bondage."
In truth, the teaching of the Gita is the exposition of Karma Yoga, and it begins from verse thirty-nine of the second chapter. From there onward, in every subsequent chapter, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga—devotion—are analyzed, expounded, and supported again and again, and this reiteration is notable. Through the practice of these two—action and devotion—one attains at last the wisdom of insight, and liberation from this transient world is won. This is the essence of all the teachings.
Krishna repeatedly insists: "Never abandon action." Yet according to the prevailing understanding of that age, the various rituals performed for sacrifices and the attainment of heaven—animal slaughter in yajnas, the drinking of soma, and such prescribed observances—were all called "karma." To dispel this widespread and confounding notion about ritual action, while urging Arjuna toward his own dharma, the Lord had also to make clear that He did not endorse those deeds which the Vedas' seductive words had praised. Those who remain absorbed in the objects of the senses, who abandon the higher good to chase after the desired, and who undertake various labors with great exertion for its attainment—such performers of sacrifice and ritual achieve neither the resolute wisdom of the self (the unwavering determination to reach the Supreme Self, come what may), nor do they gain peace or liberation.
Therefore, what I am telling you is this: turn your mind away from the craving for transient pleasures and heavenly realms, and direct it instead toward sattva—that quality of righteousness, affirmation, truth, serenity, equilibrium, peacefulness, and nobility which leads toward dharma and knowledge. Never be shaken or deflected from your own dharmic duty. Perform your obligatory deeds, but relinquish the thirst for their fruits. Do all your actions with full knowledge of your own dharma. Action itself is the supreme dharma.
A being has the right only to perform action; the fruits rest in God's hands, subject to His will alone. When you have no power whatsoever over the results, what gain is there in scattering your mind into this turmoil of confusion, this state of perpetual upheaval, by craving for fruits? If you chase after those fruits in hunger, your mind becomes only disorganized and restless.
Krishna had to offer this clarification even as He urged interest in the performance of action, for as has been noted—Vedic ritual was known, according to the interpretations prevalent then, simply as "karma." In Krishna's yoga of action, there was no endorsement for such ritual worship undertaken in hope of heaven, nor for "desire-prompted action." This is why the Gita's teaching is eternal and timeless.
Bhagavat dharma had been overshadowed by the weakness of Vedic ritualism, and at the same time, the path of renunciation was turning people away from dharma, rendering them idle. To reshape both kinds of seekers—to make them active and selfless, devoted to "sarvabhutahite ratah," to the welfare of all beings and the five primordial elements from which all creatures and sensory objects arise—all of Krishna's effort was directed. This is Bhagavat dharma. Enriched by counsel beneficial to all, the Gita remains woven throughout our lives, from beginning to end, inseparable and integral.
Wherever the Gita expresses interest in karma yoga, its significance lies solely in the performance of one's sacred duty—in selfless action undertaken for the welfare of all—and in opposition to attachment to results. For this reason, when Krishna urges engagement in action, he must repeatedly clarify that by karma, my understanding is dharma and duty. This understanding must guide all study and practice of the Gita. Because attention has been redirected from rituals and sacrifices toward the emphasis on duty itself, the Gita has come to be revered as the supreme friend and guide for people of all faiths and paths.
The Gita begins with Arjuna's despair. "I will not fight," he declares, and falls silent. This is how the Gita opens. Thereafter, Arjuna poses countless questions of every kind to Krishna. The Lord answers each with infinite tenderness, resolving all of Arjuna's troubles, describing his divine manifestations step by step. He shows his friend the cosmic vision, explains the yoga of knowledge. Through the vast cavern of this scripture flows one continuous stream: karma yoga alone. The Gita closes after offering all manner of counsel concerning action. The Lord tells Arjuna, "I have now revealed all that needed to be revealed to you. Now do what you deem right." Hearing this, Arjuna replies, "My delusion is destroyed. My mind is now clear and composed. Now I shall do whatever you command."
To cause the devotee to perform what is most auspicious for him—therein lies the Lord's love and bestowal of grace upon the devotee. Yet to receive this supreme blessing, one must surrender everything at Krishna's feet as Arjuna did. In such surrender alone dwells all fulfillment and attainment.