Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak
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CHAPTER XI
RENUNCITATION AND KARMA-YOGA
It need not be said that this skill of the Gita of harmonising the Jnana-kanda with the Karma-kanda (that is, Samnyasa and Karma) is better than what the writers of the Smrtis have done ; because, by the path prescribed in the Gita, the benefit of the collective Atman, which pervades- the creation is achieved without at the same time in any way prejudicing the benefit of the individual Atman. The Mimamsa. school says that as Karma is eternal, and is enjoined by the Vedas, one must perform it although one may not have acquired Knowledge; many (but not all) writers of the Upanisads treat Karma as inferior, and say that it must be given up by cultivating indifference towards the world; or, at any rate, one may safely say, that they are inclined to do so; and the writers of the Smrtis harmonise these two opinions by differentiating between youth and old age, and relying on the arrangement of the four states, and by saying that Actions should be performed in the three previous states of life, and. that after the Mind has been purified by the performance of Actions, one should in old age give up Action and renounce the world. But the path prescribed by the Gita is different from all these three paths. Though there is an opposition between Jnana and Desire-prompted Action, there is no opposition between Jnana and Desireless Action; therefore, the Glta asks you to perform all Actions desirelessly, and never to give them up. If these four doctrines are compared with each other, it will be seen that all accept the position that Karma is necessary before Knowledge is acquired. But, the Upanisads and the Gita say that Actions performed in that state and merely with religious faith do not yield any fruit except heaven. As to whether Karma should or should not be performed after this, that is, after the acquisition of Knowledge, there is a difference of opinion even among the writers of the Upanisads. Some of the Upanisads say, that the man who has become fit for Release after all desire has been destroyed in his heart as a, result of Knowledge, need not perform Desire-prompted Actions, which lead only to heaven; and, other Upanisads, such as, Isavasya etc., insist that all these Actions must nevertheless be kept going on in order that the activities of the world should go on. It is quite clear that the Gita accepts the second one out of these two paths prescribed by the Upanisads [1]. But, though it may be said that the Jnanin, who has become fit for Release, should go on desirelessly performing all Actions for universal welfare, a doubt naturally arises here as to why he should perform such Karma like sacrificial ritual, which leads only to heaven. Therefore, this doubt has been raised in the beginning of the eighteenth chapter, and the Blessed Lord has given His clear decision, that in as much as, "sacrificial ritual, charity, austerity" etc, always have the effect of purifying the Mind, and of making the Mind more and more desireless, "these actions also" (etany api) should be performed by the Jnanin desire- lessly, continually, and without Attachment, for social welfare [2].
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