Taittriya Upanishad (2-5-1) states that Vijnamaya Athma: “yajnam tanute, karmani tanute’pi cha (performs sacrifices and performs physical actions too)” which makes out the Vijnanamaya Athma as the Kartha human being. For ‘yajnam’, the sacrifices, stands for all sacred actions and ‘karmani’, the physical actions stand for all secular actions; and ‘yajnam’ and ‘karmani’ together represent all of one’s actions. The Upanishad (2-4-2) earlier describes Vijnanamaya Athma thus; “tasya shraddaaiva sirah, rtam dakshinah pakshah, sathyam uttarah pakshahh, yoga athma, mahah puchcham prathishtha (Shraddha is its head, Rtam is its right side, Sathyam is the left side, Yoga is the trunk, Mahah is the tail and the support)”. Taking these two Mantras together in the order stated above, we can say that one can excel as Kartha if one cultivates or takes care of the principles described as the five limbs of Vijnanamaya Athma, i.e. Shraddha, Rtam, Sathyam, Yoga and Mahah. We shall now see them one by one, starting from Shraddha.
Shraddha, in this context, means reverential love for the action that a Kartha does. Some actions one undertakes and some one is forced to do as in nursing a sick, helpless parent. Whatever be the type, never do any action reluctantly, half-heartedly. Any action one does, let it be done with love. Even if there is no positive love, let there be no dislike, no blaming, and no complaining about one’s Prarabdha etc. and make an effort to learn to love the action by developing an attitudinal change. If one learns to like the Karma one does, that Karma itself will give Ananda. One need not wait for Karma phalam to attain Ananda. The great advantage of Karma Ananda is, It is instantaneous. As even one does, one gets pleasure while doing that. And this Ananda that one derives by loving the action while doing it is free from all obstacles also. Even Prarabdha cannot obstruct this Ananda. So the first principle of excellence in Karma is; Love what you do and even if you don’t love, at-least don’t dislike what you do and what you have to do.
Rtam, the second principle, in this context, means proper knowledge regarding the actions that one has to do i.e. what to do, when to do, how to do, how much to do, where to do and also the consequences. If one is not well-informed, not only the Karma will be poor in quality and as a Karta, one also will be diffident, with diffidence leading to tension and worry. For one, every role one plays in life including the role as spouse and parent is also Karma only. If one does not play the role of a husband properly, one becomes miserable, making the partner also miserable. If one does not play the parenting role properly, one will be bringing up brats only which affects the family and society also. Similarly, in other roles also. And proper knowledge is all the more necessary in religious activities for the activities to bear fruit. There is no limit to one’s knowing because if one has to do a job repeatedly, the learning process continues as one can learn from one’s mistakes as well. When one chooses to learn from Karma, and has an open learning mind, one avoids the boredom that arises from repetition. The best method to avoid boredom is to use every performance for one’s research & development for the next.
Sathyam is the third principle. Sathyam, in this context, is implementation of whatever one has learnt. The knower and doer should not be split. So Sathyam means that knower-doer split is not there. When there is no such split first of all, one avoids all the negative consequences. And secondly, there is a total satisfaction also because one has done a thing well. One derives the satisfaction based Ananda.
Yoga is the
fourth principle. Yoga, in this context,
means converting every action into meditation i.e. being totally focussed in
the performance. If one performs an action with undivided attention that act
itself becomes meditation. By applying
oneself totally to the action on hand, one converts each one of his actions
into meditation. And also saves the time,
energy and strain involved in large measure in a mechanical action. Performing every action fully focussed as in
Dhyanam, will also help one later, if and when one chooses to study Vedanta.
Mahah is the fifth principle. Mahah, in this context means Hiranyagarba,
the total Kartha. Later the Upanishad says the individual Karta should learn to
identify with the total Karta i.e. one has to learn to expand. It means that when one performs a Karma, one has a total vision. One does not see it
from the angle of benefit to oneself only, but wherever possible to others
involved also. Performing Karma with an expansive outlook and not with a
selfish outlook only is also called Paropakara.
So the five
principles that together lead one to excel as Kartha are:
1) Love for the Karma one does
2) Total knowledge of the Karma
3) Putting in action the knowledge
4) Single-pointed attention to the Karma in hand
5) Having a total outlook in Karma, one is engaged in
(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)
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