Karma Yoga: Shlokas 13 to 19
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga before studying chapter 3 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of shlokas 7 to 12 can be found here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
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यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै: |
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् || 13||
yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ
bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt
यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: (Yajna-shishta-ashinah) – Those who eat the remnants of sacrifices; सन्तो (Santo) – The saints; मुच्यन्ते (Muchyante) – Are released; सर्वकिल्बिषै: (Sarva-kilbishaih) – From all sins; भुञ्जते (Bhunjate) – They enjoy; ते (Te) – Those; त्वघं (Tv agham) – But sins; पापा (Papa) – Sinners; ये (Ye) – Who; पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् (Pachantyatma-karanat) – Cook for their own sake.
The saints who eat the remnants of sacrifices are released from all sins, but the sinners who cook for their own sake, they indeed eat sin.
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव: |
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञ: कर्मसमुद्भव: || 14||
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
अन्नाद्भवन्ति (Annad bhavanti) – From food life springs forth; भूतानि (Bhutani) – The living beings; पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव: (Parjanyad anna-sambhavah) – From rain food is produced; यज्ञाद्भवति (Yajnad bhavati) – From sacrifice arises rain; पर्जन्यो (Parjanyo) – The rain; यज्ञ: (Yajnah) – Sacrifice; कर्मसमुद्भव: (Karma-samudbhavah) – Is born of action.
From food, life springs forth, and from rain, food is produced. Rain itself arises from sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of performing duties without attachments.
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् |
तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् || 15||
karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣhara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣhṭhitam
कर्म (Karma) – Action; ब्रह्मोद्भवं (Brahmodbhavam) – is originated from Brahman; विद्धि (Viddhi) – Know; ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् (Brahmakshara-samudbhavam) – Brahman is based on the imperishable; तस्मात्सर्वगतं (Tasmat sarvagatam) – Therefore, the all-pervasive; ब्रह्म (Brahma) – Brahman; नित्यं (Nityam) – Always; यज्ञे (Yajne) – In sacrifice; प्रतिष्ठितम् (Pratishthitam) – Is established.
Know that action originates from Brahman, which is based on the imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahman is always established in sacrifice.
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह य: |
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति || 16||
evaṁ pravartitaṁ chakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
एवं (Evam) – Thus; प्रवर्तितं (Pravartitam) – Set in motion; चक्रं (Chakram) – This cycle; नानुवर्तयतीह (Na anuvartayati iha) – Does not follow here; य: (Yah) – Who; अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो (Aghayur indriya-aramo) – Living a life full of sins, indulging in the senses; मोघं (Mogham) – Uselessly; पार्थ (Partha) – O son of Pritha (Arjuna); स (Sa) – He; जीवति (Jivati) – Lives.
O Partha (Arjuna), he who does not follow this cycle thus set in motion, and indulges in the senses, living a life full of sins, lives in vain.
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: |
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते || 17||
yas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव (Yastvatma-ratir eva) – But one who rejoices in the self; स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च (Syad atma-triptascha) – And is satisfied with the self; मानव: (Manavah) – Such a person; आत्मन्येव (Atmanyeva) – In the self alone; च (Cha) – And; सन्तुष्टस् (Santushtas) – Is content; तस्य (Tasya) – For him; कार्यं (Karyam) – Duty; न (Na) – Not; विद्यते (Vidyate) – Exists.
But one who rejoices in the self, is satisfied with the self, and is content in the self alone, for them, no duty exists.
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन |
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: || 18||
naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ
नैव (Naiva) – Neither; तस्य (Tasya) – His; कृतेन (Krtena) – By performing; अर्थो (Artho) – Purpose; न (Na) – Nor; अकृतेन (Akritena) – By not performing; इह (Iha) – In this world; कश्चन (Kaschana) – Any; न (Na) – Nor; च (Cha) – And; अस्य (Asya) – His; सर्वभूतेषु (Sarvabhuteshu) – Among all beings; कश्चित् (Kaschit) – Any; अर्थव्यपाश्रय: (Arthavyapasrayah) – Dependence on any purpose.
Such self-realized souls have nothing to gain or lose either in discharging or renouncing their duties. Nor do they need to depend on other living beings to fulfill their self-interest.
तस्मादसक्त: सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर |
असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुष: || 19||
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara
asakto hyācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ
तस्मादसक्त: (Tasmadasaktah) – Therefore, being unattached; सततं (Satatam) – Always; कार्यं (Karyam) – Duty; कर्म (Karma) – Action; समाचर (Samachara) – Perform; असक्तो (Asakto) – Unattached; ह्याचरन्कर्म (Hyacharan karma) – Performing action; परमाप्नोति (Param apnoti) – Attains the Supreme; पूरुष: (Purushah) – Man.
Therefore, always perform rightful actions as duties without attachments. That way, one attains the Supreme.
The importance of gratefulness
We discussed the importance of thankfulness and gratefulness for everything that we consume on this planet.
Vedas prescribe a vegetarian diet for humans and this is important for spiritual progress.
However, even plants, vegetables, grains, fruits, etc contain life, and if we eat it for our own enjoyment, we get bound in the karmic reactions of destroying life because violence is caused unknowingly to living entities in the process of cooking.
In 3.13, Krishna uses the word Yajña-śhiṣhṭa, meaning whatever remains after the sacrifice. The concept of Yajña-śhiṣhṭa is strongly interconnected with the philosophy of karma, Ahimsa (non-violence ), and Vairagya (detachment from material enjoyments). The idea is that by offering food (and other things we consume) first to Bhagavan, we are not only expressing gratitude but also acknowledging our role as caretakers of our bodies. This is a very important concept, that we are not our bodies but just caretakers of our bodies, which has been gifted to us by Prakriti, to be used for spiritual evolution leading to God-Realization.
Shree Krishna says that, if we eat food as remnants of yajña offered to God then our consciousness rises. We then acknowledge that this body also belongs to God and we are eating this food to nourish this body which we want to use for serving God. And we consume the consecrated food with thanks and gratefulness.
A point to be noted is that pure devotees and saints will never consume or accept anything which is not Yajna-shista. This applies not just to food but to everything that is consumed in some manner. For example, the clothes we wear, the house we live in, the car we drive, etc. should all be offered to God before we consume or enjoy them.
Prasadam is white money
Even in modern society, income for which we have not paid taxes is called ‘black money’ and income for which we have paid taxes is called ‘white money’. So the money is the same, however the act of paying or not paying taxes makes it either black of white. Similarly, anything we consume without offering to God becomes impure. Let us always remember this and cultivate the habit of saying a quick thanks to God and mentally offering the food to God before we start eating. Once we offer to God, the food becomes ‘prasadam’ which means ‘mercy of God’.
In many parts of India, in the Hindu families, as soon as the food is cooked, the lady of the house will offer a small part of it to the crows. In some families there is a tradition of feeding a small part of the food to the cows and in some families there is a tradition of giving a small part of the food to some beggar. All of these practices are in alignment with Krishna’s message from verse 3.13. These days many modern families have forgotten this teaching and it would be good for us to help keep this tradition alive.
The role of Yajna in the cycle of nature
And in 3.14, Krishna reiterates the importance of maintaining this tradition in order to sustain the cycle of nature. Rain is required for grains. Grains are required for humans. And when humans perform yajna (sacrifices), the Gods provide rain. And the cycle continues. If humans stop performing yajnas, it will disrupt the cycle and it will be very harmful for the sustenance of life on this planet.
“अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि” (Annad Bhavanti Bhutani): This part of the verse implies that all beings come into existence from food. Food here is representative of nourishment or sustenance. The idea is that all life forms depend on some form of sustenance for their existence and growth.
“पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव:” (Parjanyad Annasambhavah): This suggests that food is produced from rain. This highlights the role of nature, specifically the rain cycle, in producing the food that nourishes all beings.
“यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो” (Yajnad Bhavati Parjanyo): This part of the verse implies that rain is produced from yajña. Yajña here does not only refer to the literal fire sacrifices often associated with the term but also to the performance of one’s duties and responsibilities. This is a representation of the concept of cause and effect or karma.
“यज्ञ: कर्मसमुद्भव:” (Yajnah Karmasamudbhavah): This implies that yajña arises from karma or action. Here, karma refers to prescribed duties or dharma.
In the previous section, we discussed how everything in the Universe was interconnected and playing a role in its functioning. This verse reiterates this concept and shows the importance of performing one’s prescribed duties (karma) without attachment to results, which leads to balance and harmony in nature and society (symbolized by the yajña leading to rain and thus food).
I would like to clarify any seeming contradictions in the message contained in this verse: Some may say that Shri Krishna has advised us not to worship demigods and then He here says that we should pray to the Gods for rain, etc. What we must understand is that Krishna advises against the worship of demigods, not because they are unworthy of worship, but because the worship of the Supreme God (Krishna himself) offers a more complete and direct spiritual path. When we worship the Supreme Lord, the prayers automatically reach all the Demi Gods as well.
Also, this verse isn’t suggesting that one should worship demigods (such as the god of rain) to obtain rain and thus food. Rather, the mention of rain and food is symbolic of the natural and societal order, which is maintained when individuals perform their prescribed duties selflessly, in the spirit of yajña. Yajña here refers not only to literal sacrifices but also to actions performed for the welfare of others and in line with one’s dharma (duty).
If you think the Bhagavad Gita doesn’t make sense or sounds contradictory in some parts, remember that it’s all about the big picture. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle – every piece makes sense only when you see where it fits. Some people might get confused if they take everything word for word. But if you look deeper, you’ll see it all comes together and gives us some really important life lessons.
The teaching in these verses focuses on the relationship between selflessness and sustainability. By performing our duties without selfish motives, we contribute to the cycle of life, ensuring the welfare of all beings and the natural world.
Yajna is the link between the terrestrial and the celestial beings
Let us also remember that Krishna has mentioned that the best form of yajna is that of buddhi yoga, of performing our duties and sacrificing the results and also being grateful for whatever we consume and offering it to God before consuming. And the other yajna we should perform is the Japa Yajna, chanting of the holy name of Bhagavan.
Gratefulness aligns us with the teachings of God
Shri Krishna also says that the concept of karma has come from the vedas and the vedas have come directly from God. And the vedas are centered around yajna. So if we understand and follow the concept of gratefulness and yajna as explained by Krishna, we would be living life according to the teachings of vedas which is the teachings of God himself.
Shree Krishna explains that those who do not perform the yajña as prescribed, become slaves of their senses and lead a sinful existence. Thus, they live in vain. But those who follow this divine law become pure at heart and free from material contamination.
In 3.16 we heard Krishna say that a person who does not follow the vedic prescription of sacrifice and paying obeisance to God, a person who is consuming food only for his own sensory pleasures is only incurring sin and their whole life is wasted. Let us remember that the purpose of our lives is to serve God, purify ourselves and get on the path to liberation. If we are instead busy incurring sin and turn away from God then this whole life is wasted. As we saw in chapter 2, there are over 8.4 million species of life in existence and we have evolved above 8 million of them to get a human form! How can we waste this precious opportunity?!
Atma-ratir (self realized people)
Krishna has been reiterating so many times, for the benefit of humanity, the importance of doing our duties without attachment to results and the importance of yajna. Now he is going to switch gears and say something very interesting. In 3.17 Krishna says that there are some exceptional people who do not need to follow these rules! So who are these exceptional people and what makes them exceptional?
Krishna says that people who are ātma-ratir, people who are delighted in the Atman, who are satisfied in the Atman, people who have attained self realization. These are the people who are exceptions and they don’t have to worry about these rules because they have already been liberated and risen above these rules. That is the difference between a spiritualist and a materialist. A materialist seeks pleasures externally. A spiritualist seeks pleasures only internally.
People pass through many levels of consciousness before reaching self realization.
First is Annamaya kosha – those indulging purely in sensory pleasures like eating whatever they want, being lazy, etc.
Then comes pranamaya kosha – these are people who are always restless and have to keep doing something. They derive pleasure based on just keeping themselves busy regardless of what they are actually doing.
After that comes manomaya kosha – these are people who derive enjoyment from activities of the mind. These are usually the artists, singers, painters etc. They are reserved in nature and they cherish relationships. They also tend to be moody in nature.
Then comes jnanamaya kosha – these are people who take pleasure in utilizing their intellect. They are the philosophers and deep thinkers. They are so engrossed in their thoughts that they many times forget themselves, they are the type of people who can forget to have their food or comb their hair.
After all this comes anandamaya kosha. This is also termed by Krishna as atma-ratir. People who derive enjoyment only from the Atma.
People who are self realized find pleasure only in the Atman and for them, there is no joy that can come from material or external things. The goal of the Vedas is to help the soul unite with God. Once the soul becomes God-realized, the rules of the Vedas, which helped the soul to reach that destination, no longer apply.
Just like when we are in school we have to follow certain rules like wearing the right uniform, standing up when the teacher enters the class, etc. Once we finish our education and graduate, we don’t need to worry about those rules any more. Just like that, once we have attained self realization, we don’t have to worry about getting stuck in this bondage of life and death or worry about the various rules that apply to the earthly plane.
We should realize that Krishna is saying this to encourage humanity to reach towards this goal of self realization.
There is no excuse to not perform our duties
Krishna knows that many people will use this as an excuse and avoid their duties saying that they are self realized and atma-ratirs. So Krishna provides more context in 3.18 and 3.19.
Krishna says that these self realized people have neither attachment nor aversion to performing their duties and they are not dependent on anybody for anything. So, these people will never refuse to do any of their duties because they do not have any aversion to it. Here Krishna is making sure that Arjuna does not jump on to 3.17 and make an excuse for not performing his duty by fighting the war.
We need to understand Krishna’s simple prescription for liberation which is 3 Ds.
Duty. Detachment and Devotion.
And in 3.19, Krishna again repeats the importance of doing your duties without attachment to results. Krishna says that this is the path of Karma yoga that one needs to follow and one can think about karma sannyasa (giving up all duties/actions) only after reaching self realization. Until we reach self realization, we need to do our duties without attachment.
Krishna has already explained that we do not need to take sannyas and go to the forest to perform such karma yoga without attachment. We can do it as a house holder, leading regular lives. In the next few verses Krishna will again explain why we should practice such karma yoga instead of karma sannyasa.
The next set of shlokas, 3.20 to 3.28 can be found here:
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi