I highly recommend the commentary on The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Parmarthananda. This piece is an excellent overview and process of Karma Yoga that I’ve plucked out and presented below.
‘Karma Yoga is samatvam, evenness of mind.’
Krishna asks everyone to do karma-yōga, by looking at karma-yōga from different angles. There are 4 angles in Chapter 3; outlined in a beautiful way and from whatever angle you look at karma-yōga it is wonderful.
First-angle: take the Karma Yoga way of life as a commandment of the Lord. If you cannot understand the glory or the importance of God, at least out of fear, you follow, it does not matter. This is called the attitude of Īśvara’s commandment. And just like the rules of the Government; many of them we follow not because we appreciate those laws, but because of punishment otherwise. We obey traffic signals not because of our maturity; if it is out of maturity we follow at all times; but we follow after seeing whether the speed camera is there; if it is, we obey. Even now, after so much education, we follow only out of fear; whenever there is a gross mind; we have to instill fear; for those people whose minds are gross, the Lord says follow karma-yōga, if not out of appreciation, at least out of fear; because if you do not follow, you will get pāpam, unwanted results.
Suppose we are more mature; Kṛṣṇa says: it need not be out of fear; but it can be out of a sense of gratitude; Follow this way of life; as an offering to the Lord, as a yajña; as Swami Chinmayānanda beautifully says: What God has given you is His gift to you; what you do with what God has given, is your Gift to the Lord. So with the life, what I accomplish, what I contribute, that becomes my expression of gratitude to the Lord; therefore convert karma-yōga into yajñaḥ; this is the second-angle of karma-yōga.
Then the third-angle that Kṛṣṇa presents is karma-yōga as a purifier, śōdakam. Whether you take it as a worship of the Lord, whether you take it as Īśvara’s commandment, it does not matter; karma-yōga is the best method of cleansing your mind of rāga (attachment), dvēsaḥ (aversion), kāma (desire), krōdhaḥ (anger), lōbhaḥ (greed), mōhaḥ (delusion) , etc. Therefore śōdakam, it is a great purifier.
Then the fourth-angle of karma-yōga that Kṛṣṇa presents is karma-yōga as Dharma. Karma-yōga is the only way of life, by which cosmic harmony can be maintained; ecology can be maintained; environment can be maintained; social harmony can be maintained.
Singing in a choir means I’m part of a group. If I want to sing; what is the first and most important condition I should know? Which song they are singing. If everybody is singing a particular phrase, and you chant at a different speed and note; it creates a disharmony. Even if 20 people chant together, it becomes like one voice; but even if one chants differently the harmony is lost, it is disturbed. So therefore, I should be attuned to the melody that is there; or I should keep quiet without singing.
A karma-yōgi ‘s mind is so expanded that she/he appreciates the cosmic-orchestra; cosmic- harmony. If violated, the harmony is lost and this is called adharma; Thus follow karma- yōga as a commandment; follow karma-yōga as an expression of gratitude; follow karma-yōga as a purifier; or follow karma-yōga as dharma; whichever aspect appeals to you, take to that aspect; but follow karma-yōga.
Then Kṛṣṇa talks about the duties of a jñāni. Duties of a jñāni? Even though it may not be relevant to many people, because it is duties of jñāni; “it is not necessary for you, we are not jñānis, and also I am not going to become one in the near future”, is the thinking of some people!
But still Kṛṣṇa wants to give, from which we get valuable corollary. Corollary is more important. And what is that duty; Kṛṣṇa says a Jñāni does not require any sādhana; because he/she has already accomplished the sādhyam, the goal. A means is required only to accomplish the end; after accomplishing the end, the means become irrelevant; therefore, jñāni does not require karma-yōga; jñāni does not require jñāna-yōga; he/she does not require pūja, he/she does not require japa, he/she does not require tapas.
There are no do’s and do not’s. Kṛṣṇa says even though the jñāni does not require any discipline, all the other people in the society, being ajñānis/ unwise, they all require discipline; and therefore, as long as the jñāni is in the society, she should follow the disciplines to serve as a model to other people; because of the jñāni being great, the whole society will be looking up to her. That is what it is; when a person wants to become a great Folk Artist; then they will watch Bob Dylan right from the hairstyle onwards. Because he becomes a role model; “what is your secret of success?” In every interview it is asked; therefore a jñāni being a successful- human-being, the society wants to emulate him, imitate him, follow him and if the jñāni drops all the disciplines, and the society is already lazy and they are already waiting, for some excuse they may follow; and therefore, Kṛṣṇa says from verses 17-23
~ using Ramji’s translations ~
Nothing need be done by those who delight in the Self, are satisfied with the Self alone and whose lives are centered on the Self. They have no reason to do or not to do…nor do they depend on objects for their happiness. Do what is to be done well without attachment and you will attain the highest good. Not only will you attain liberation by acting in this spirit you will inspire others to act in this way. Because whatever a role model does is done by others.
I need not act. As far as I am concerned everything in the three worlds is perfect so there is nothing for me to do. Yet I act because if I become lazy and refuse to act people would follow my example. They would become confused. The social bonds that keep a society healthy would unravel and it would deteriorate.
Society wants models. Children always have the photos of different people on the wall; pin ups. Sport stars, musicians, actors and actresses. Constantly watching; that becomes the impression. If the elders are not ready to serve as good models, bad models will replace the good ones; and therefore it is the elders’ responsibility, especially a jñāni. “Therefore Arjuna, even if you are a jñāni, better do your duty; not for your sake; but for society’s sake; do not confuse them.”
So this is primarily the advice to a jñāni; but the corollary is also very important.
Indirectly through the jñāni, Kṛṣṇa is advising all the elderly-people in the society. It is not an advice to jñāni alone; but this is an advice to all the important-people who count in the life of younger-generation therefore Kṛṣṇa is giving a warning to all the parents, watch your life; because even though you do not say directly anything directly to the child; the child is watching and the audio-visual effect is more powerful than any number of advices. In fact, you need not advise at all; Lead a proper-life, that is better teaching than a hundred hours of lecturing. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa advises the parents; Kṛṣṇa advises the teachers also, which is very relevant to all the elders. This is the topic from verse No.24 verse No.29
Just as the unwise who are attached to the results of their actions act only for themselves, the wise should perform action without attachment for the good of others. They should not lecture the unwise concerning action and its results. Instead they should encourage them to act in the right spirit by example.
It is a delusion to think “I am the doer” because actions are caused by the gunas influencing the body, mind, and senses. The wise, however, remain free because they understand that body mind-sense-complex engages its objects automatically. Those unaware of how the gunas affect action get caught up in the actions of the body-mind-sense-complex. One who knows the Self should not disturb the understanding of the undiscriminating ones who don’t.
Then from verse No.30 to 35, Kṛṣṇa summarizes the whole teaching and talks about the significance of karma-yōga; the 30th verse is the most important verse of this chapter, in which Kṛṣṇa condenses karma-yōga;
With a discriminating mind free of anger, expectation and a sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ offer your actions to me and fight!
If you faithfully follow this teaching without finding fault you will be freed from the results of your actions. But if you are doubtful and do not follow it you will not progress. It is wise to act in harmony with your own nature. Because all beings follow their own natures automatically what use is control?
He gives a five-point-programme to become a karma-yōgi; what are the five-factors to be taken care of to become a karma-yōgi. What are they?
1. Have your spiritual-goal as the primary priority of your life. That is the first indication of karma-yōga. Spiritual-goal is the primary-goal. We do not say that other goals are not required; but we should remember that the other goals are subservient to this primary goal. Because if all other goals do not lead to your spiritual-goal; all the other goals are utterly useless; because they are subject to arrival and departure. I earned so much money, so what? It is going to go. So therefore let the material-goal be there; but let the spiritual-goal be given top priority; therefore prioritization is No.1.
2. No.2 is Īśvarārpaṇa-buddhya sarva karma anuṣṭāna. Dedicate all your actions, as an offering to the Lord; convert work into worship; this is factor no.2. That your spiritual goal is the primary goal – No.1. and convert your work into worship is the second factor.
3. No.3 is Nirāśi; means be prepared for all types of future situations because the future is not totally under your control; you are only one of the factors determining your future; you do not say you are helpless; that is called fatalistic approach; you do not say ‘everything is predetermined’; we do not say, ‘certainly you determine your future’; but we do not say ‘you alone determine your future’; that is called arrogance. If I say you do not determine at all; everything is predetermined; that is fatalism. It’s fair to say ‘you are one of the important factors who determine your future’.
In addition to you, there are many other factors which can influence your future; and the number of factors that can influence is infinite; your husband, your wife, your children, the government, the budget, ‘my’ God, many things are there; and a war in Iraq. So therefore, the future is unpredictable, and therefore an intelligent person is one who is prepared for facing any type of future; and that preparation is the third factor of karma-yōga; and that preparation is prasāda-buddhi. Lord whatever is the genuine result; let it come to me; and if it is going to be unfavourable, I cannot ask you to change the law for my sake, if it is unfavourable, give me the required mindset, so that I can accept that and work to improve the future. So this is called prasāda-buddhi; or preparedness to accept the future. Then there is no anxiety at all. Anxiety is unpreparedness to face the future.
4. Then the fourth-condition or factor is Nirmamaḥ; when success comes, do not claim the total credit; even though you are responsible for your success; you are not the only one responsible for your success. There are infinite factors other than you; which all put together we call daivam; you may call it luck; you may call it daivam, you may call it grace; you may call it purva puṇyam; some X factor, all external factors together is called daivam. Therefore in success, remember the Lord’s grace. That is called humility. Nirmamaḥ means be humble; take wherever credit is due to you. ‘I did not do anything, I did not do anything’, you need not say. If you had not done anything, you would not have got anything; let us also not be falsely humble; therefore, I have certainly done, I have certainly worked hard; day and night; worked; wonderful; let me remember, that is not the only factor; other factors were favourable; Thank God! This is called humility in success. Acceptance in failure; humility in success; these are the hall marks of a karma-yōgi; this is the fourth-factor.
5. Fifth and final factor is vigata-jvaraḥ; maintain mental-poise, mental-equanimity, mental-balance, which is extremely difficult; but if the first four factors are followed, the fifth factor is almost a natural consequence; so vigata-jvaraḥ, avoid mental feverishness; otherwise called samatvam.
