Spiritual aspirants aspire to practice karm yog but often struggle with its practical application in daily life. Why is karm yog difficult to practice? How can we perform actions so they become spiritual? How can we truly unite our minds with God through our actions?

Let us seek answers to these profound questions from valid sources – Vedic scriptures and Swami Mukundananda, the Founder of JKYog.

Karm Vs. Karm Yog: The Path of Action to Selfless Action

The term “karm” in its essence, refers to the worldly duties or bodily dharmas prescribed by the Vedas. These encompass a wide range of responsibilities including taking care of one's family, fulfilling professional obligations, following social and ethical codes of conduct, and performing actions for personal health and well-being. Shree Krishna explains to Arjun that all material souls are bound by the nature of the three gunas (i.e., modes), and therefore, cannot remain without action, even for a moment.

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |
कार्यते ह्यवश: कर्म सर्व: प्रकृतिजैर्गुणै: || 5||

na hi kashchit kshanam api jatu tishthatyakarma-krit
karyate hyavashah karma sarvah prakriti-jair gunaih [BG 3.5].

In his commentary on Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, Swamiji elucidates that all living beings are an integral part of God’s creation and have roles and responsibilities to fulfill. He says that the Vedas prescribe cyclical action, for example, performing yajna or sacrifice to please the celestial gods, who in return bestow material gains in the form of rain, which then enhances the production of food grains, which ultimately sustains life on earth.

In contrast, the term “karm yog” refers to the practice of converting daily mundane activities through conscious practice. When we perform our prescribed duties as a loving service to God, these very actions (or karm) become a means of union with the Divine (i.e., Yog). In this state, our actions take on the form of yajna.

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A Family goes about its Daily Activities While Dedicating the Actions to God

The True Karm Yogi: Embodying Divine Consciousness

A genuine practitioner of Karm Yog fulfills their duties with the spirit of seva or service, solely for the pleasure of God. This elevated state of consciousness transforms every action into a divine offering. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita (Verse 3.7), real sacrifice occurs when one offers oneself to God through seva.

Shree Krishna, in His divine wisdom, declared that a householder practicing true Karm Yog is far superior to a renunciant who may have externally abandoned material pleasures but internally remains attached to sensory gratification. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj beautifully contrasts these two situations in the Bhakti Shatak (Verse 84):

"When one works in the world with the body, but keeps the mind attached to God, know it to be karm yog. When one engages in spirituality with the body, but keeps the mind attached to the world, know it to be hypocrisy."

Hypocrisy is also about Saying Nice Things on the Face but Intending Something Worse

Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar: A Shining Example of Karm Yog

To truly grasp the essence of Karm Yog, let us look at the inspiring life of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar. Born in 1725, she became the queen of the Malwa kingdom in India and ruled from 1767 until she died in 1795. During the peak of the Maratha Empire, she ruled the vast Malwa Province, inheriting her position amidst political turmoil and personal tragedy. She was indeed an extraordinary ruler.

Maharani Ahilyabai embraced her duties and despite the challenges, she ruled not for personal gain, but as a divine obligation. Her 30-year reign brought unprecedented peace and prosperity to Malwa. She promoted art, culture, and trade, strengthening both the economy and military might of her province.

What set her apart as a true karm yogini was her detachment from personal glory. While her contemporaries built grand palaces, Maharani Ahilyabai lived in the modest Ahilya Wada. She channeled a significant portion of the kingdom's wealth into public welfare, embodying the spirit of selfless service that defines Karm Yog.

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The Humble Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar Holding Court as a Service to God and Her People

Known for her wisdom, piety, and sense of justice, she devoted her life to serving her people. Her subjects deeply admired her for her generosity, devotion to justice, and ability to rule with both strength and compassion. Even today, Ahilyabai is celebrated as a model of good governance and compassion.

Swami Mukundananda beautifully explains, "Such a karm yogi, who performs worldly duties while keeping the mind attached to God, is not bound by karm even while performing all kinds of works. This is because what binds one to the law of karm is not actions, but the attachment to the fruits of those actions. And a karm yogi has no attachment to the fruits of action."

The Art of Detachment from the Outcomes of Actions

One of the most challenging aspects of karm yog is detaching ourselves from the fruits of our actions. This practice is rooted in two fundamental truths:

  1. As souls, we are tiny fragments of the all-powerful God. Our constitutional position is to serve Him for His pleasure, much like a hand serves the body and receives nourishment in return.
  2. God is the ultimate source of our ability to act. Our body, powered by the soul's energy, is merely an instrument, not the primary doer of actions.

The difficulty in freeing oneself from attachment to karm and its outcomes stems from the type of consciousness we possess. Material consciousness generates thoughts like, “I own everything I have. It is all for my enjoyment. I have the right to increase my possessions and maximize my pleasure.” In contrast, spiritual consciousness is guided by thoughts such as, “God is the creator and enjoyer of the entire universe. My purpose is to serve Him selflessly. I should use everything I have in His loving service.”

Understanding these truths helps us realize that claiming ownership of our actions or their results is a self-serving attitude that fails to acknowledge God's supreme role. The Bhagavad Gita offers practical wisdom in this regard. Shree Krishna, in one of the most renowned verses of the Bhagavad Gita, offers profound guidance on this matter:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन | मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 47 ||

karmany-evadhikaras te ma phaleshu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango ’stvakarmani

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction [BG 2.47].

A painting of a person kneeling in front of a person kneeling in front of a person kneeling Description automatically generated
Shree Krishna Teaches Arjun the Essence of Karm Yog: Detachment from the Worldly Actions

This verse highlights a practical reason for detachment – the outcome of our actions depends on numerous factors beyond our control. Our efforts, past karm, the actions of others, circumstances, and divine will, all play a role. Attachment to specific outcomes can lead to anxiety and disappointment when things do not go as planned.

Cultivating Detachment: A Path to Inner Peace

How do we cultivate detachment from worldly matters and things? It begins with the right knowledge – understanding that we are neither the ultimate doer nor the enjoyer, and everything related to karm belongs to God. This wisdom empowers our intellect to guide our minds and senses away from attachment to outcomes.

The story of King Akbar and Tansen exemplifies the difference between karm and karm yog. When Akbar heard the bhajan sung by Swami Haridas ji, Tansen's Guru, he was moved by the divine quality of his voice. He asked Tansen why he could not sing like his Guru. Tansen explained that while he sang for worldly fame and favor from the king, Swami Haridas sang selflessly and solely for the pleasure of God, expecting nothing in return.

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Akbar and Tansen are Mesmerized as they Listen to the Devotional Bhajan of Swami Haridas

Embracing Karm Yog in Daily Life

It is crucial to understand that karm yog does not mean that we should abandon our duties and engage in incessant chanting of the names of God. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that karm yog is about performing our work with the internal attitude that all actions are for God's pleasure alone.

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते |
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् || 50||

buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrita-dushkrite
tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kaushalam

One who prudently practices the science of work without attachment can get rid of both good and bad reactions in this life itself. Therefore, strive for Yog, which is the art of working skillfully (in proper consciousness) [BG 2.50].

Swamiji explains that when we work with detachment from both actions and their outcomes, not only does the quality of work improve, but we also free ourselves from karmic reactions.

Here are some practical steps to incorporate karm yog into our daily lives:

  1. Start the day with a prayer, dedicating all your actions to God.
  2. Throughout the day, we must cultivate awareness and remind ourselves that we are instruments of the Divine.
  3. Perform our duties to the best of our abilities, focusing on the action rather than the results of those actions.
  4. When faced with success or failure, we must maintain equanimity by remembering that only the effort is in our hands, whereas the outcome is in God's hands.
  5. End the day with gratitude, offering the fruits of our actions back to the Divine.

Conclusion: The Transformative Power of Karm Yog

Karm yog offers a practical approach to elevated living – one that transforms our mundane activities into a spiritual practice. By detaching from the fruits of our actions and dedicating our work to God, we free ourselves from anxiety and find inner peace. We begin to see our work not as a burden, but as a form of worship. As we progress on the spiritual path, we discover the divine presence in every aspect of our existence. Then we know that we are in Yog with God.

Resources

FAQs

What is the essence of Karm Yog?

  • Karm yog is the practice of converting daily mundane activities or karm (e.g., cooking, cleaning, writing emails, etc.) into loving service to God through conscious practice. The karm becomes a means to unite the mind with the Divine (i.e., Yog) and become detached from actions and their outcomes. In this state, our actions take on the form of yajna or sacrifice.

What is the key to success in Karm Yog?

  • Success in karm yog is possible when the mind is attached to God while the body performs the necessary actions. If this principle is reversed, then a spiritual aspirant will not succeed.

What is the outcome of karm yog?

  • The mind’s internal connection with the Divine (i.e., Yog).

Is the correct term “Yoga” or “Yog” and why?

  • According to Hindu scriptures and saints, the term “Yoga” refers to the physical motions of the practice of performing various asanas or poses. When we speak about a union of the mind with God, “Yog” is the correct term.