Myths shroud the notion that a yogi is one who has given up his bounden duty. And we have been taught from our toddler's days that a yogi is one who lives away from his families; that he is not supposed to do any rites once he starts donning the 'sanyasin's robes.
Bhagavan Krsna, through verse 1 in Chapter 6, viz., 'Dhyana Yoga' explodes these myths. He holds the one who does his bounden duty without seeking the fruit of his action as a sanyasin and a yogi and not the one who eschews the duty to do yagna and rites.
The transliteration reads as follows:
Bhagavan Krsna, through verse 1 in Chapter 6, viz., 'Dhyana Yoga' explodes these myths. He holds the one who does his bounden duty without seeking the fruit of his action as a sanyasin and a yogi and not the one who eschews the duty to do yagna and rites.
The transliteration reads as follows:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
na niragnir na cakriyah.
anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
na niragnir na cakriyah.
I had trouble getting to my grey cells the last four words in the sloga.
Called up two of my friends who have a fair prior exposure to Gita. They elucidated and the meaning passed on to my grey cells.
When read carefully, one would not mistake that Bhagavan refrained from saying, 'sacrifice your fruit of action'. He just says while doing your bounden duty, you would be a yogi if you do your bounden duty without seeking its fruit. If the focus is only on fruit, there would not be any beauty in doing.
A question arose in me. Bhagavan went on to say who is not a yogi - in the sense that the one,who is not doing 'yagnas' and rites, isn't a yogi.
I was wondering whether Bhagavan meant saying sages and saints like, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ et al are not yogis. A new dimension, 'ngana', wisdom just dawned on me. That Bhagavan in fact did not say so. For, even these enlightened spiritual masters were doing their duty even after becoming 'sanyasins' - in the sense that they led and carried us from ignorance to enlightenment.
Well any knowledge would stagnate and it should be like a flowing river. I called my young niece, Vaishali, who is into her fourth standard. She loves to learn slogans. Her eyes glowed and the face reflected the tejas to hear me recite the sloga. I didn't explain the sloga word by word. But conveyed the meaning by means of entering into a conversation as runs below:
Me : what are you?
Vaish : 'm a girl.
Me : 'm not asking about your gender, i.e., whether you are a boy or a girl?
Vaish : Then.!?
Me : what do you do?
Vaish : playing ... (as she is enjoying her summer holidays)
Me : I didn't mean that.
Vaish : Then !?
Me : Forget your summer holidays. Once your school reopens what do you do?
Vaish : studying.
Me : Now tell me what you are.
Vaish : a student.
Me : good. What do you do as a student?
Vaish : studying.
Me : why?
Vaish : to pass on to 5th std. (remember now she is into class IV).
Me : what is your aim, i.e., fruit of action.
Vaish : to pass on to 5th std.
Me : so would you only keep thinking about your fruit of action, i.e., passing over to class V all the while you are in class IV.
Vaish : No. I'd be studying.
Me : well this is what Bhagavan Krsna says. Keep doing your duty. and let your focus be on doing your bounden duty as a student without all the while thinking about passing over to class V when you are supposed to be doing your studies well.
And the little girl like camphor got it fast.
