Karmayogi- Concept

Very often I used to wonder about Karmayogi. I read about this concept in my younger days in some of the Tamil Novels like Kalki’s Thyaga Boomi which became a movie in 1940 or Madisar Mami by Madhubala, but I was not sure whether I could follow it in real life as, very often, we are influenced by our own thoughts and personal prejudices. However, this concept was explained through simple story which I read in a book sometime back.

“A sage was offering his morning prayers on a river bank. During that time, he observed an insect struggling to get out of the river water, but it could not withstand the strong currents of river. The sage tried to help the insect by taking it out of the waters with his hands. But as soon as the sage put the insect on dry land, it would go back into the river. Every time the insect went into water, it started struggling again and the sage kept on helping it by taking it out. And every time sage tried to help, the insect would sting the sage’s hands. Despite the pain he felt, the sage kept trying to help the insect out of the water. One of the disciples of the sage, who was observing this, asked ”Every time you help the insect out, it stings you and goes back in the water and struggles. Yet, you persist on helping the insect. Why?” The sage replied ”Pricking my hand is the insect’s dharma and protecting the insect from trouble is my dharma”. “Never stop your duties to others just because other person pricks you or other person tries to ignore or humiliate you”, the sage advised. The sage is the Karmayogi in my view and to follow this concept one should be detached from the results of one’s own action.

The greatest example who followed this concept was Bhishma in Mahabharat. He did his duty towards his father, his mother, his family and his Kingdom. Despite Duryodhana constantly challenging his loyalty and constantly pricking him yet he remained loyal to the cause which he took. Very often people consider Karna as Karmayogi but in my view Bhishma was Karmayogi. Karna though fought for Duryodhana in war, he carried some prejudice against Arjun whereas Bhishma never had any prejudice against anybody. He did his duty notwithstanding the fact he did not approve any of Duryodhan’s action yet he chose to lead the battle for Duryodhan. Bhishma’s action was due to his loyalty to the Kingdom and not to an individual. In other words he was loyal to an institution and not to an individual.

This is a great concept as the benefit of our actions does not come to self and it goes to others notwithstanding the fact the people who are beneficiaries of our action may not accept us in same way as we treat them. Yet our action or attitude towards them should not be changed. It can be practiced only if we develop pure love/affection on others and the love/affection should be displayed without any expectations from others. If relation is weighed down by expectations it leads to disappointment and consequently the relation will not sustain in long run. If relations need to sustain on long term, one should do their duties to others with sincere love and regards without having any expectations.

Once we start doing it all of us are Karmayogis.