Gita Rahasya -Tilak 54

Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak

CHAPTER III THE SCIENCE OF RGHT ACTION (KARMA-YOGA-SASTRA) In as much as the Vedas themselves have enjoined the performance of the yajnas, any Action done for the purpose of the yajna cannot of itself be a source of bondage to man ; it is a means for the yajna and not an independent object; and therefore, the effect of that Action is included in the result to be achieved by the yajna ; it has no independent effect. But although these Actions, which are performed for the purpose of the yajna, may not have an independent effect, yet the yajna itself leads to heaven (which, according to the Mimamsa school, is a kind of happiness), and the performer of the yajna performs it willingly, only in order to attain heaven. Therefore, the performance (karma) of the yajna itself falls into the category of ' purusartha ' (something which a man desires). Any parti- cular thing which a man likes and which he desires to attain, is called ' purusartha' ' Kratu' is a synonym for ' yajna ' and therefore, the word ' kratvartha ' is also used in place of the word ' yajnartha ' and therefore, all Actions fall into the two divisions of 'yajnartha' ('kratvartha' ) that is, Actions which do not give any independent fruit or benefit and are, therefore, non-binding, and 'purusartha' that is, Actions performed for the benefit of the doer and, therefore, binding. The Sarmhitas and the Brahmanas contain nothing else but a description of sacrificial ritual. It is true that in the Rg-Veda-samhita there are verses (sukta) in praise of Indra and the other gods ; but as these are to be used only at the time of the yajna, the Mimamsa writers say that all Sruti treatises preach only the yajna and other sacrificial ritual. These orthodox ritual-masters, and pure karma-vadins say that heaven can be attained only by performing the sacrificial ritual prescribed by the Vedas and not otherwise ; and that, that is so, whether you perform the yajnas ignorantly or after Realising the Brahman. Although this sacrificial ritual is accepted by the Upanisads, yet their worth is declared to be lower than that of the Knowledge of the Brahman, and the Upanisads say that though heaven may be attained by the yajnas, Realisation of the Brahman (brahma-jnana) is necessary for attaining the true Release. The desire-prompted Actions in the shape of sacrificial ritual, described in the second chapter of the Bhagavadgita by the words " vedavadaratah Partha nanyadastiti vadinah " are the above-mentioned sacrificial ritual, performed without having realised the Brahman. In the same way, the sentence yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karmabandhanah"