Geetai - Adhyay 5

Chapter - V : The Two Aspects of Akarma - Yoga And Sanyasa.

Vinoba spent several years to absorb this chapter which he considers key to the whole book. Summary of his deep study is the final goal of yoga and Sanyasa 'Action without activity'. These two traditions of spiritual seekers in India - large majority of house-holders engaged in social and economic activity and making themselves fitter for experience by constantly adding inward effort of purity to their external work and a minority group who do not get married and consequently cut themselves off from social and economic activity, get absorbed mainly in inward effort doing minimum external work to keep life going. Both these groups ultimately come to the same result. 'Action without fatigue without stress with very high value adding power, power which move mountains,
revolutionize societies - Power of Buddha, Jesus or Gandhi.'

Although both traditions lead to same result, the path of action is preferred because it is safe. To my mind, the reason why it is safe is that it can be practised successfully from the humblest to the mightiest. Indian History has many actual examples of men who got the results of self-realisation in this way. Potters, weavers, merchants and kings who reached the goal in this way are illustrated in the book. Explaining the beauty and spiritual purpose of action Vinoba explains that external actions reveal the real quality of our minds. He says a man becomes angry because anger was within and external action created circumstances by which it came out. If we do not act, we cannot test our mind that it has anger, jealousy, hatred etc. Our action talks. Our action is a mirror which shows us our true form.

When we act and discover our own defects, we are impelled to employ 'Vikarma' or inward action to remove them. When actions do not distort the mind, when it becomes natural and normal (Sahaja), it becomes 'Akarma' - action with intense results.

Example of Sun is taken to illustrate this final result - 'Akarma' - the goal of all spiritual practices. It shines, gives life to the whole world. As sun rises, people get ready for work, birds start coming out of nest, but Sun is just shining, it is normal and natural for Sun to shine. All activity is inspired by his presence but still he is the witness. Doing nothing though doing all things, to do all things by doing nothing, both alike are 'Yoga'. However to reach the goal of doing nothing by doing all things - the path of Karma-Yoga - Yoga of Action is to be preferred, because it is both the way and the goal - where the path ends, goal is there.

There is room in Karma yoga for effort and practice. Through this path of action, one can learn to control the senses little by little. Ease in practice distinguishes 'karma yoga' or the path of action from 'sanyasa' path of renunciation but in the state of perfection, both are the same. This is 'Akarma' action without activity.

गीताई - अध्याय ५

अर्जुन म्हणाला

कृष्णा संन्यास कर्माचा तसा योग हि सांगसी ।
दोहोत जे बरे एक सांग ते मज निश्चित ॥ १ ॥

श्री भगवान् म्हणाले

योग संन्यास हे दोन्ही मोक्ष-साधक सारखे ।
विशेष चि परी योग संन्यासाहूनि मानिला ॥ २ ॥

तो जाण नित्य-संन्यासी राग-द्वेष नसे जया ।
जो द्वंद्वावेगळा झाला सुखे बंधांतुनी सुटे ॥ ३ ॥

म्हणती सांख्य-योगाते भिन्न मूढ न जाणते ।
बाणो एक हि ती निष्ठा दोहींचे फळ देतसे ॥ ४ ॥

सांख्यास जे मिळे स्थान ते योग्यास हि लाभते ।
एक-रूप चि हे दोन्ही जो पाहे तो चि पाहतो ॥ ५ ।

योगावांचूनि संन्यास कधी साधे चि ना सुखे ।
संयमी योग जओडूनि ब्रम्ह शीघ्र चि गाठतो ॥ ६ ॥

अंतरी धुतला योगी जिंकूनि मन इंद्रिये ।
झाला जीव चि भूतांचा करूनि हि अलिप्त तो ॥ ७ ॥

न काही मी करी ऐसे योगी तत्त्व-ज्ञ जाणुनी ।
देखे ऐके शिवे हुंगे खाय जाय निजे श्वसे ॥ ८ ॥

बोले सोडी धरी किंवा पापणी हालवी जरी ।
इंद्रिये आपुल्या अर्थी वागती हे चि पाहतो ॥ ९ ॥

ब्रम्ही ठेऊनिया कर्मे संग सोडूनि जो करी ।
पापे न लिप्त तो होय पद्म-पत्र जसे जळे ॥ १० ॥

देहा-मनाने बुद्धीने इंद्रियांनी हि केवळ ।
आत्म-शुद्ध्यर्थ नि:संग योगी कर्म अनुष्ठिती ॥ ११ ॥

युक्त तो फळ सोडूनि शांति निश्चळ पावतो ।
अयुक्त स्वैर-वृत्तीने फळी आसक्त बांधिला ॥ १२ ॥

[१७]

मनाने सगळी कर्मे सोडुनी संयमी सुखे ।
नव-द्वार-पुरी राहे करी ना करवी हि ना ॥ १३ ॥

न कर्तेपण लोकांचे न कर्मे निर्मितो प्रभु ।
न कर्मी फल-संयोग स्वभावे सर्व होतसे ॥ १४ ॥

न घे पाप हि कोणाचे न वा पुण्य हि तो विभु ।
अज्ञाने झाकिले ज्ञान त्यामुळे जीव मोहित ॥ १५ ॥

गेले अज्ञान ते ज्यांचे आत्म-ज्ञाने तयां मग ।
पर-ब्रम्ह दिसे स्वच्छ जणू सूर्ये प्रकाशिले ॥ १६ ॥

रंगले त्यात ओतूनि बुद्धि निश्चय जीवन ।
पुन्हा येती न माघारे ज्ञाने पाप धुऊनिया ॥ १७ ॥

विद्या-विनय-संपन्न द्विज गाय तसा गज ।
श्वान चांडाळ हे सारे तत्त्व-ज्ञ सम पाहती ॥ १८ ॥

इथे चि जिंकिला जन्म समत्वी मन रोवुनी ।
निर्दोष सम जे ब्रम्ह झाले तेथे चि ते स्थिर ॥ १९ ॥

प्रिय-लाभे नको हर्ष नको उद्वेग अप्रिये ।
बुद्धि निश्चळ निर्मोह ब्रम्ही ज्ञानी स्थिरावला ॥ २० ॥

विटला विषयी जाणे अंतरी सुख काय ते ।
ब्रम्ही मिसळला तेंव्हा भोगी ते सुख अक्षय ॥ २१ ॥

विषयातील जे भोग ते दु:खास चि कारण ।
येती जसे तसे जाती विवेकी न रमे तिथे ॥ २२ ॥

प्रयत्ने मरणापूर्वी ह्या देही जिरवू शके ।
काम-क्रोधातले वेग तो योगी तो खरा सुखी ॥ २३ ॥

प्रकाश स्थिरता सौख्य अंतरी लाभली जया ।
ब्रम्ह होऊनि तो योगी ब्रम्ह-निर्वाण मेळवी ॥ २४ ॥

फिटले दोष शंका हि मुठीत धरिले मन ।
पावले ब्रम्ह-निर्वाण ज्ञानी विश्व-हिती रत ॥ २५ ॥

काम-क्रोधास जिंकूनि यत्ने चित्तास बांधिती ।
देखती ब्रम्ह-निर्वाण आत्म-ज्ञानी चहूंकडे ॥ २६ ॥

विषयांचा बहिष्कार डोळा भ्रू-संगमी स्थिर ।
करूनि नासिका-स्थानी प्राणापान हि सारखे ॥ २७ ॥

आवरी मुनि मोक्षार्थी इंद्रिये मन बुद्धि जो ।
सोडी इच्छा भय-क्रोध सर्वदा सुटला चि तो ॥ २८ ॥

भोक्ता यज्ञ-तपांचा मी सोयरा विश्व-चालक ।
जाणूनि ह्यापरी माते शांतीस वरिला चि तो ॥ २९ ॥

अध्याय पाचवा संपूर्ण