NISHKAM KARMYOG (निष्काम कर्मयोग): DO EVERYTHING FOR LORD’S SAKE #Blog0049

Nishkam Karmyog (निष्काम कर्मयोग): Do everything for Lord’s sake

Do everything for His sake, dedicating to Him – not with selfish interest.        

Like, even if you are eating, you dedicate this to Him so that you can live to do His bidding.        

You are reading, you dedicate this to Him so that you can spread the learning to others – not merely for purpose of helping but turning them to Krishna consciousness – etc. etc.        

Philanthropy, per se, is a mere pious act which can give you सुख proportionately but you have to take birth again in this material world, i.e., you cannot get liberated (,i.e., skip the worldly birth death cycle, old age & disease).  

मुक्ति (Liberation) ,i.e., stopping the birth, death cycle among 84 lakh species of life is possible only after getting Krishna consciousness.  

If someone does not want मुक्ति, he is free to do anything he likes, without following bhakti marg, BUT then he should be ready to transit through any of the 84 lakh species for an unlimited period of time.

But this (Nishkam Karmyog) is easy only after you have yourself surrendered to Lord ,i.e., you are already on bhakti marg.

If you have not surrendered to Him (which is the ultimate aim as advised by Lord Himself) , i.e., for neophytes – to trigger them on to bhakti marg, this is the first step advised (Nishkam Karmyog) and this is titled निष्काम कर्म योग (निष्काम= you are entitled only to do your duty (काम), awarding the result should be left in His hands (,i.e., you should not expect the result proportional to your effort (निष) – rather HAVE TOTAL FAITH ON LORD TO GIVE RESULT,      कर्म =action,      योग= union with Lord).

After following this Nishkam Karmyog for a period of time, one automatically comes on to bhakti platform through His grace as जीव pleases Lord merely by making an effort in His direction (योग)

फिर उसके बाद “हौं चले हूं पग बीस”, उसके बाद प्रभु कहते हैं सब कार्य मैं करता हूं, आप एक पद बड़ा तो दीजिए

   IMAGINE THE GRACE OFFERED BY LORD THAT WITH YOUR LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT & SOME DEVOTION TO LORD ONCE YOUR MIND STARTS ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF LORD , BE IT HIS NAME, BE IT HIS FACE, BE IT HIS ACTIONS OR BE IT HIS ABODE, THEN :

LORD SAYS “I (हौं) WALK THE NEXT 20 (बीस) STEPS (पग)” (ONCE YOU TAKE A STEP TOWARDS HIM) & LORD DOES NOT EVEN NEED TO WALK – BY HIS MERE WILL (संकल्प), HE CAN TAKE ONE TO HIS OWN ABODE WHERE THERE IS ETERNAL BLISS.    

Bhagvatam IF ONE WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, HE MUST PREACH THE GLORIES OF THE LORD, 27th June

Srimad Bhagvatam :
IF ONE WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, HE MUST PREACH THE GLORIES OF THE LORD

TRANSLATION

O King Yudhishthira, the Supersoul in every body gives intelligence to the individual soul according to his capacity for understanding. Therefore the Supersoul is the chief within the body. The Supersoul is manifested to the individual soul according to the individual's comparative development of knowledge, austerity, penance and so on.

PURPORT

IN BHAGAVAD-GITA (15.15) IT IS SAID, mattam smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IN HIS LOCALIZED ASPECT GIVES INTELLIGENCE TO THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL AS FAR AS HE IS ABLE TO GRASP IT. THEREFORE WE FIND THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL IN DIFFERENT HIGH AND LOW POSITIONS. A LIVING ENTITY WITH THE BODY OF A BIRD OR BEAST CANNOT TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SUPREME SOUL AS ADEQUATELY AS AN ADVANCED HUMAN BEING. 

THUS THERE ARE GRADATIONS OF BODILY FORMS. IN HUMAN SOCIETY, THE PERFECT BRAHMANA IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MOST ADVANCED IN SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS, AND FURTHER ADVANCED THAN THE BRAHMANA IS THE VAISHNAVA. THEREFORE THE BEST PERSONS ARE THE VAISHNAVAS AND VISHNU. 

When charity is to be given, one should take instruction from Bhagavad-gita (17.20):

"That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness." One should give charity to the brahmanas and Vaishnavas, for thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead will be worshiped. 

In this connection, Srila Madhvacharya comments:

Beginning from Brahma down to the ant, everyone is conducted by the Supersoul (isvaram sarva-bhütanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tishthati). BUT BECAUSE OF A PARTICULAR PERSON'S ADVANCEMENT IN SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS, HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE IMPORTANT. Therefore, the brahmana Vaishnava is important, and, above all, the Supersoul, the Personality of Godhead, is the most important personality.

TRANSLATION

Sometimes a neophyte devotee offers all the paraphernalia for worshiping the Lord, and he factually worships the Lord as the Deity, but because he is envious of the authorized devotees of Lord Vishnu, the Lord is never satisfied with his devotional service.

PURPORT

DEITY WORSHIP IS ESPECIALLY MEANT FOR PURIFYING THE NEOPHYTE DEVOTEES. 

ACTUALLY, HOWEVER, PREACHING IS MORE IMPORTANT. IN BHAGAVAD-GITA (18.69) IT IS SAID, na ca tasman manushyeshu kascin me priya-krttamam: IF ONE WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, HE MUST PREACH THE GLORIES OF THE LORD. 

ONE WHO WORSHIPS THE DEITY MUST THEREFORE BE EXTREMELY RESPECTFUL TO PREACHERS; OTHERWISE SIMPLY WORSHIPING THE DEITY WILL KEEP ONE IN THE LOWER STAGE OF DEVOTION.

Gita shloka 3.21: ONE SHOULD FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GREAT DEVOTEES AND THAT IS THE WAY OF PROGRESS ON THE PATH OF SPIRITUAL REALIZATION , 26th June

Gita shloka 3.21

one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization

TRANSLATION

Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

PURPORT

People in general always require a leader who can teach the public by practical behavior.

A leader cannot teach the public to stop smoking if he himself smokes.

Lord Chaitanya said that a teacher should behave properly even before he begins teaching.

One who teaches in that way is called āchārya, or the ideal teacher.

Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of śhāśtra (scripture) to reach the common man.

The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures.

The revealed scriptures, like Manu-saṁhitā and similar others, are considered the standard books to be followed by human society.

Thus the leader’s teaching should be based on the principles of the standard rules as they are practiced by the great teachers.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization.

The king or the executive head of a state, the father and the school teacher are all considered to be natural leaders of the innocent people in general.

All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their dependants; therefore they must be conversant with standard books of moral and spiritual codes.

 

BHAGVAT: BY WORSHIPING THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, KRSHNA, ONE CAN SATISFY EVERYONE, JUST AS ONE CAN WATER THE BRANCHES, LEAVES AND FLOWERS OF A TREE SIMPLY BY WATERING ITS ROOT, 26th June

SRIMAD BHAGVATAM:

BY WORSHIPING THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, KRSHNA, ONE CAN SATISFY EVERYONE, JUST AS ONE CAN WATER THE BRANCHES, LEAVES AND FLOWERS OF A TREE SIMPLY BY WATERING ITS ROOT

TRANSLATION

O King of the earth, it has been decided by expert, learned scholars that only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krshna, in whom all that is moving or nonmoving within this universe is resting and from whom everything is coming, is the best person to whom everything must be given.

PURPORT

Whenever we perform some religious act in terms of dharma, artha, kama and moksha, we must perform it according to the time, place and person (kala, desa, patra). Narada Muni has already described the desa (place) and kala (time). The kala has been described in verses twenty through twenty-four, beginning with the words ayane vishuve kuryad vyatipate dina-kshaye. And the places for giving charity or performing ritualistic ceremonies have been described in verses thirty through thirty-three, beginning with saramsi pushkaradini kshetrany arhasritany uta. 

Now, to whom everything must be given is decided in this verse. Harir evaika urvisa yan-mayam vai caracaram. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krshna, is the root of everything, and therefore He is the best patra, or person, to whom everything must be given. In Bhagavad-gita (5.29) it is said:

If one wants to enjoy real peace and prosperity, he should give everything to Krshna, who is the real enjoyer, real friend and real proprietor. 

It is therefore said:

BY WORSHIPING OR SATISFYING ACHYUTA, THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, KRSHNA, ONE CAN SATISFY EVERYONE, JUST AS ONE CAN WATER THE BRANCHES, LEAVES AND FLOWERS OF A TREE SIMPLY BY WATERING ITS ROOT OR AS ONE SATISFIES ALL THE SENSES OF THE BODY BY GIVING FOOD TO THE STOMACH. 

THEREFORE, A DEVOTEE SIMPLY OFFERS EVERYTHING TO THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD TO RECEIVE THE BEST RESULTS OF CHARITY, RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCES, SENSE GRATIFICATION AND EVEN LIBERATION (DHARMA, ARTHA, KAMA, MOKSHA).

TRANSLATION

The entire universe, which is full of living entities, is like a tree whose root is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Achyuta [Krshna]. Therefore simply by worshiping Lord Krshna one can worship all living entities.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (10.8) the Lord says:

"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts." 

People are very much anxious to give service to other living entities, especially to the poor, but although they have manufactured many ways to give such help, actually they are expert in killing the poor living entities. This sort of service or mercy is not recommended in the Vedic wisdom. 

As stated in a previous verse, it has been decided (niruktam) by expert saintly persons that Krshna is the root of everything and that worshiping Krshna is worshiping everyone, just as supplying water to the root of a tree means satisfying all of its branches and twigs.

Another point is that this universe is full of living entities from top to bottom, on every planet (jiva-rasibhir akirnam). Modern scientists and so-called scholars think that there are no living entities on planets other than this one. Recently they have said that they have gone to the moon but did not find any living entities there. But Srimad-Bhagavatam and the other Vedic literatures do not agree with this foolish conception. 

There are living entities everywhere, not only one or two but jiva-rasibhim—many millions of living entities. Even on the sun there are living entities, although it is a fiery planet. 

The chief living entity on the sun is called Vivasvan (imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam). All the different planets are filled with different types of living entities according to different living conditions. 

To suggest that only this planet is filled with living entities and that others are vacant is foolish. This betrays a lack of real knowledge.

UNLESS YOU MAKE SELF EFFORT TO KNOW YOURSELF - WHO YOU ARE, WHY YOU CAME HERE, GOD's GRACE CANNOT HELP #Blog0048

Unless you make self effort to know yourself - who you are & why you came here, God's grace cannot help

भगवान की कृपा तो सब पर है – भगवान अपने श्री मुख से कहते हैं : 

“सब मम प्रिय, सब मम उपजाए, सब पर मोहि बराबर दाया”

मगर जब तक कोई “अपनी कृपा स्वयं पर” नहीं करे तो भगवान भी मदद नहीं कर पाते.          

This is what distinguishes a devotee (अपनी कृपा स्वयं पर करते हैं) from a non-devotee (अपनी कृपा स्वयं पर नहीं करते हैं)         

If a utensil is kept in inverted position, open face downwards – तो प्रलयकारी मेघ भी बरस जाएं तो उसे नहीं भर सकते – then even calamitous clouds burst cannot fill that utensil

जिसने अपना सोया विवेक जगाना ही नहीं है, उसे ब्रह्मा स्वयं भी नहीं समझ सकते       

One who is bent upon letting its “Discrimination power” (विवेक) sleep only & wants to do whatever one’s mind chooses to, i.e., one is led by one’s mind ( जो मन करता है खा लिया, पी लिया, जहां मन करता है चले गए,....) rather than mastering the mind & be a mastermind, even Lord Brahma cannot make him understand about importance of Lord.     

“मूर्ख को समझाना सरल है, पंडित को समझाना और भी सरल है, लेकिन जो है तो मूर्ख, पर अपने आप को समझता है पंडित, उसे श्री ब्रह्मा जी भी नहीं समझा सकते” 

“कहत सुनत दशा हृदय नहीं आवे” 

you cannot appreciate the feeling of bliss of devotion only by casual reading or casual listening – you have to have sincerity of purpose for your invaluable human life  & seriously dive deep into the core of bhakti - to utilise the precious moments of our lives)

Unless a radio equipment "tunes" itself to a radio station or a TV "tunes" itself to its satellite signal or a mobile handset "tunes" itself to its "parent" station, how can the device work ? Not at all ,i.e., no device can work independently on one’s own. 

Similarly unless one "tunes" itself in accordance with signal of Lord, and tries to do everything on his own, is doomed.  

This tuning is to make self effort in knowing about oneself - 1. who is he/she  2. why he/she came to the world ,i.e., what is the purpose of his/her being sent to this world & 3. who sent him here.

Soul is constitutionally the supreme authority of body as designed by Lord but we let our mind, a lower authority, do its own bidding & control us. 

Mind is clueless & direction less, it ought to be controlled by soul through intellect’s discriminating power  (विवेक) but we do not awaken our discriminating power  (विवेक) – this is how we are led by illusion (माया) & waste our lives by going here & there & not in the proper prescribed direction of Lord.

इसलिए अपने आप का खुद पर “आत्म कल्याण करें”