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Desireless Action in the Bhagavadgītā

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Abstract

In the Bhagavadgītā, Kṛṣṇa’s injunction is to act without desire in many verses. Many modern scholars have criticized and tried to reinterpret Kṛṣṇa’s injunction in the Bhagavadgītā to perform action abandoning all kāma “desire.” These modern scholars have tried to re-understand Kṛṣṇa’s injunction for desireless action assuming the modern dogma that intentional action entails desire. The aim of the present essay is to examine the cogency of the advocacy of desireless action by understanding how the desireless action is performed.

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Notes

  1. The abbreviation BG stands for the Bhagavadgītā.

  2. karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadā cana/mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi // yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanaṃjaya/siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate //

  3. prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha manogatān/ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñas tadocyate // duḥkheṣv anudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ/vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīr munir ucyate //

  4. rāgadveṣaviyuktais tu viṣayān indriyaiś caran/ātmavaśyair vidheyātmā prasādam adhigacchati // prasāde sarvaduḥkhānāṃ hānir asyopajāyate/prasannacetaso hy āśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate //

  5. āpūryamāṇam acalapratiṣṭhaṃ; samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat/tadvat kāmā yaṃ praviśanti sarve; sa śāntim āpnoti na kāmakāmī // vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṃś carati niḥspṛhaḥ/nirmamo nirahaṃkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati //

  6. kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair indriyair api/yoginaṇ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye //

  7. I have in mind Prasad (1999): p.59; Radhakrishnan [Cf. Minor (1986): p. 149.], Chakrabarti (1988): pp. 330–331], Chatterjea (2002), Framarin (2007): pp. 147–170].

  8. Chakrabarti (1988): p. 329, Matilal (2002): p. 133, Prasad (1999): p. 60.

  9. Chatterjea (2002): p.134, argues that selfish desires are prohibited in the Bhagavad Gītā. Matilal (2002): p.130, says the karmayogin is “completely free from selfish desires, motives or preferences.”

  10. Chakrabarti (1988): pp.330–31.

  11. Framarin (2006), pp. 604–617.

  12. kuryād vidvāns tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur lokasamgraham.

  13. Bhagavadgītā’s conception of desireless action is not to be confused with western philosophers’ conception of disinterested action or uninterested action. It is beyond the scope of this essay to discuss this issue in detail. Bhagavadgītā’s conception of desireless action also should not be confused with Kant’s conception duty for the sake of duty. The exact point of difference between Kantian Ethics and Bhagavadgītā’s teaching has been explored by Arifa Ara Begum, a research scholar in North Eastern Hill University, Shillong under my supervision in her thesis entitled “The Ethics of Kant and the Teachings of the Bhagavadgītā – A Comparative Study” submitted for the award of degree of Ph. D.

  14. āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā kāmarūpeṇa … duṣpūreṇānalena ca.

  15. kāmais tais tair hṛtajñānāḥ.

  16. karmaṇaiva… saṃsiddhim… lokasaṃgraha… saṃpaśyan.

  17. ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto.

  18. Cf. Framarin (2007): p.147.

  19. evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānam ātmanā/jahi śatruṃ … kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam //

  20. dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ sangas teṣūpajāyate sangāt saṃjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho’bhijāyate,

  21. kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ.

  22. saṃkalpaprabhavān kāmāṃs tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ/ manasaivendriyagrāmaṃ viniyamya samantataḥ//

  23. indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate.

  24. etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam.

  25. evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānam ātmanā/jahi śatruṃ … kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam //

  26. vihāya kāmān …niḥspṛhaḥ.

  27. kāmātmānaḥ…vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ … na vidhīyate.

  28. vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha…bahuśākhā hy anantāhś ca buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām.

  29. kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ.

  30. śatruṃ… kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam.

  31. pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ anicchann api … balād iva niyojitaḥ.

  32. dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate/saṅgāt saṃjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate //(II.62) krodhād bhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohāt smṛtivibhramaḥ/smṛtibhraṃṣād buddhināṣo buddhināṣāt praṇaṣyati // (II-63).

  33. ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate.

  34. gatāgataṃ kāmakāmā labhante.

  35. Kāmakārataḥ na … siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim.

  36. Śāntim āpnoti na kāmakāmī.

  37. vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṃś carati niḥspṛhaḥ/nirmamo nirahaṃkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati //

  38. atha kena prayukto’yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ/anicchann api vārṣṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ //

  39. kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ/mahāṣano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam // (BG.III.37) dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca/yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam // (BG.III.38) āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā/kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca // (BG.III.39) indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate/etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam // (BG.III.40).

  40. Abbreviated as BGK.

  41. bhavatyeṣa kathaṃ Kṛṣṇa kathaṃ caiva vivardhate/kimātmakaḥ kimācārastanmamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ // eṣa sūkṣmaḥ paraḥ śtrurdehināmindriyaiḥ saha/sukhatantra ivāsīno mohayanpārtha tiṣṭhti // kāmakroddhamayo ghoraḥ stambhaharṣasamudbhavaḥ/ahaṃkāro’bhimānātmā dustaraḥ pāpakarmabhiḥ // harṣamasya nivartyaiṣa śokamasya dadāti ca/bhayaṃ cāsya karotyeṣa mohayaṃstu muhurmuhuḥ //sa eṣa kaluṣī kṣudraśchidraprekṣī dhañjaya/rajaḥpravṛtto mohātmā manuṣyāṇāmupadravaḥ // (BGK.III.38–42).

  42. prajahāti…kāmān sarvān … manogatān.

  43. āpūryamāṇam acalapratiṣṭhaṃ samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat tadvat kāmā yaṃ praviśanti sarve; sa śāntim āpnoti.

  44. śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prāk śarīravimokṣaṇāt kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ.

  45. yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasaṃkalpavarjitāḥ/jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṃ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṃ budhāḥ //

  46. trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanam ātmanaḥ kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṃ tyajet.

  47. yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṃkāreṇa vā punaḥ/kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tad rājasam udāhṛtam //XVIII.24// “But the action which is done by one longing for pleasures, or again done by the ego, with much effort/suffering/labour, that is declared to be Rājasic.” rāgī karmaphalaprepsur lubdho hiṃsātmako’śuciḥ/harṣaśokānvitaḥ kartā rājasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ //XVIII.27// “Passionate, desiring to attain the fruit of action, greedy, violent, impure, subject to joy and sorrow, such an agent is renouned to be Rājasic.”

  48. niyataṃ saṅgarahitam arāgadveṣataḥ kṛtam/aphalaprepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam ucyate //XVIII.23// “An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment, which is done without longing or hatred by one not desirous of the fruit, that action is declared to be Sāttvic.”

  49. dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo’smi.

  50. balaṃ balavatāṃ cāhaṃ kāmarāgavivarjitam dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo’smi.

  51. bhuñjate te tv aghaṃ pāpā ye pacanty ātmakāraṇāt.

  52. iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ.

  53. kāmais tais tair hṛtajñānāḥ prapadyante 'nyadevatāḥ/taṃ taṃ niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā// …sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas tasyā rādhanam īhate/labhate ca tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān//

  54. dhenūnām asmi kāmadhuk.

  55. sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ/anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo 'stv iṣṭakāmadhuk //

  56. asatyam apratiṣṭhaṃ te jagad āhur anīśvaram/aparasparasaṃbhūtaṃ kim anyat kīmahaitukam//

  57. kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṃ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ/mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān pravartante 'śucivratāḥ // cintām aparimeyāṃ ca pralayāntām upāśritāḥ/kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ // āśāpāśaśatair baddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ/īhante kāmabhogārtham anyāyenārthasaṃcayān.

  58. anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāṿtāḥ/prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake 'śucau //

  59. ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca saṃśritāḥ/mām ātmaparadeheṣ̣u pradviṣanto 'bhyasūyakāḥ //

  60. aśāstravihitaṃ ghoraṃ tapyante ye tapo janāḥ/dambhāhaṃkārasaṃ̣yuktāḥ kāmarāgabalānvitāḥ // karśayantaḥ śarīrasthaṃ bhūtagrāmam acetasaḥ/māṃ caivāntaḥśarīrasthaṃ tān viddhy āsuraniścayān //

  61. yathaidhāṃsi samiddho’gnir bhasmasāt kurute …jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasāt kurute tathā.

  62. na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo 'śnute /na ca saṃnyasanād eva siddhiṃ̣ samadhigacchati //

  63. Olivelle (1976): 1.2.

  64. Olivelle (1976): 20.1. The same assertion is made by Sarasvatī (1909): p. 18.

  65. Cf. Olivelle (1981): p. 269.

  66. XIV.12.

  67. III.7.

  68. IV. 19.

  69. XVIII.25.

  70. XVIII-48.

  71. XII.16; XIV.25.

  72. na hi kaś cit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣ̣haty akarmakṛt/kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijair guṇaiḥ //

  73. karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āste manasā smaran/indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate//

  74. niyataṃ kuru karma …karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ śarīrayātrāpi ca … na prasidhyed akarmaṇaḥ.

  75. mayi sarvāṇi karmāni saṃnyasyādhyātmacetasā/nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ //

  76. mayi sarvāṇi karmāni saṃnyasyāt.

  77. sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya.

  78. cetasā sarvakarmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya.

  79. yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat/yat tapasyasi … tat kuruṣva madarpaṇam //

  80. matkarmaparamaḥ bhava.

  81. yogasaṃnyastakarmāṇaṃ jñānasaṃchinnasaṃśayam/ātmavantaṃ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti … //

  82. yaṃ saṃnyāsam iti prāhur yogaṃ taṃ viddhi …/na hy asaṃnyastasaṃkalpo yogī bhavati kaś cana //

  83. nehābhikramanāśo 'sti pratyavāyo na vidyate.

  84. angiraso vai svaryanto yatra mekhalāḥ saṃnyāsyaṃs tataḥ śaro 'jāyata [3.6.7]. According to this myth sara grass, which is used to make girdles, first grew at the place where the Angirases had cast off their girdles when they were about to go to heaven. Cf. Olivelle (1981): pp. 266 and 270.

  85. The Baudhaāyana Śrautasūtra, describing the patnīsaṃyāja offerings, states that blades of darbha are placed between the wife's thighs and arranged in a straight row from the gārhapatya fire to the āhavanīya. What remains is “thrown down” on the bed of grass covering the altar: atha yāni atiśiṣayante tāni barhiṣ̣i saṃnyasyati [3.30]. The Hiraṇyakeśi Śrautasūtra uses the term with reference to the instruments used to construct the altar. After its construction, they are “thrown down in a pile”: sphyaḥ svastir ity utkare vedikaraṇāni saṃnyastāni yathārūpam [8.5.23]. In the Baudhāyana Śrauta, the term is used without connotating rejection merely to indicate the depositing of several items together in one place: dhṛtya samidha āgnīdhrīye saṃnyasyanti [5.16]. Cf. Olivelle (1981): p.266 and 270.

  86. etad rāyyaṃ mama bhrātā dattaṃ saṃnyāsavat svayam [2.107.14], bharataḥ śirasā kṛtvā saṃnyāsaṃ pāduke tatah … bhrātā tu maji saṃnyāso nikṣiptaḥ sauḥṛdādayam [*2326], sa nyāsavidhinā [variant saṃnyāsavidhinā] dattah puṇye tapasi tiṣṭhataḥ [3.8.15]. Cf. Olivelle (1981): p.267 n21 & p.270.

  87. yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ/tadarthaṃ karma …muktasaṇgaḥ samācara //

  88. Ṛg Veda 10, 130, 1–2.

  89. For detailed discussion on this point, see Agarwala (2017): pp. 41–64.

  90. ayam yajño bhuvanasya nābhiḥ. That this yajna refers to the text becomes clear as we read the whole mantra, iyam vediḥ paro antaḥ prthivyā ayam yajno bhuvanasya nābhih/ayam somo vrsno aśvasya reto brahmāyam vācah paramam vyoma //, “This Altar is the farthest limit of Vāk. This yajna is the navel of the universe. Soma is the semen of the stallion bursting with seed. Brahmā priest is the highest heaven of Vāk. The alignment of vāk with yajna makes it a text if we keep in mind that yajna itself is woven by the poets by seven threads.

  91. Why yajña is the earliest conception of institution is explained in Agarwala (2016).

  92. sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ/anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo’stv iṣṭakāmadhuk //

  93. iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ.

  94. yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ/bhuñjate te tv aghaṃ pāpā ye pacanty ātmakāraṇāt //

  95. śleṣma vā etad yajñasya yad dakṣiṇā, navā aśleṣmā ratho vahaty, atha yathā śleṣmavatā yaṃ kāmaṃ kāmayate tam abhyaśnute, evam etena dakṣiṇāvatā yaṃ kāmaṃ kāmayate tam abhyaśnute.

  96. annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād annasaṃbhavaḥ/yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ // karma brahmodbhavaṃ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam/tasmāt sarvagataṃ brahma nityaṃ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam //

  97. avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktaṃiva ca sthitam.

  98. puruṣḥ prakṛtiṣṭhaḥ.

  99. ekatvam akṣararaṃ, nanātvaṃ kṣaram.

  100. evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ/aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṃ … sa jīvati //

  101. yas tv ātmaratir eva syād ātmatṛptaś ca mānavaḥ/ātmany eva ca saṃtuṣṭas tasya kāryaṃ na vidyate //

  102. Coomaraswamy (1977): pp. 150–151.

  103. naiva tasya kṛ̣tenārtho nākṛteneha kaś cana/na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaś cid arthavyapāśrayaḥ //

  104. na prayojantvāt, lokavat tu līlākaivalyam: Coomaraswamy (1977): p. 150.

  105. tasmād asaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara/asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ //

  106. karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ/lokasaṃgraha evāpi sạpaśyan kartum arhasi //

  107. yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ/sa yat pramāṇaṃ kurute lokas tad anuvartate //

  108. dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate/saṅgāt saṃjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate //(II.62) krodhād bhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohāt smṛtivibhramaḥ/smṛtibhraṃṣād buddhināṣo buddhināṣāt praṇaṣyati // (II-63).

  109. na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiṃ cana /

    nānavāptam avāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi // III.22 //

    yadi hy ahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ /

    mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ //III.23//

    utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṃ karma ced aham /

    saṃkarasya ca kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ //III.24//

  110. na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiṃ cana/nānavāptam avāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi //

  111. saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata/kuryād vidvāṃs tathāsaktaś cikīrṣur lokasaṃgraha //

  112. na buddhibhedaṃ janayed ajñānāṃ karmasanginām/joṣayet sarvakarmāṇi vidvān yuktaṃ samācaran //

  113. The distinction is based on the distinction of three senses of telos of action in Balaban (1986): pp.165–7.

  114. The example of play may not be accepted in modern times as example of purposeless activity, as there can be no action without a purpose for modern thought, but there is a well settled history of distinction between play and work from Plato to Gadamer, to which the present author is taking recourse to for selecting this example. Cf. Huizinga (1970), Gadamer (2004), pp.102–110, Gadamer (1980): pp. 22–31, Caillois (1961), Yale French Studies (1968).

  115. Based on three senses of end of action in Balaban (1986), p.171.

  116. yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati …/abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmy aham // paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām/dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya saṃbhavāmi yuge yuge //

  117. droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca; karṇaṃ tathānyān api yodhavīrān/mayā hatāṃs…

  118. tvaṃ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā; yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān //

  119. This kind of temporal performance structure of action, one finds in Pañcarātra literature also. Consider Sāttvata Saṃhitā 5.81: abhedenādimūrtervai saṃsthitaṃ vatabījavat/sarvakriyāvinirmuktamuttamaṃ paramārthataḥ //; 5.83: bijaṃ sarvakriyāṇāṃ yad vikalpānāṃ yadāspadam/cāturātmyam tu tad viddhi dvitiyamamalekṣaṇa //; Lakṣmī Tantra 87/ 10.21: bijaṃ sarvakriyāṇāṃ yad vikalpānāṃ yadāspadam/sauṣuptaṃ cāturātmyaṃ tat prathamaṃ viddhi vāsava // The entire action is present vatabījavat (symbol of invisible or unmanifest vatavṛkṣa) in time, but there is pratibandha of time on its germination and growth. When the favorable conditions come, which involves the right gathering of the pañca kāraṇa including the participation of kartā (agent), then time gives abhyanujñā “permission” for manifestation of action like the germination of vatabījaṃ and the growth of vatavṛkṣa.

  120. These examples of activities are from Aristotle’s Metaphysics 1048b 18-35.

References

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  1. Department of Philosophy, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, 793022, India

    Binod Kumar Agarwala

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Agarwala, B.K. Desireless Action in the Bhagavadgītā. J. Indian Counc. Philos. Res. 38, 53–82 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-021-00230-0

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