बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते |
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् || 50||
buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛita-duṣhkṛite
tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśhalam || Bhagavad Gita 2:50||
With evenness of mind one goes beyond deeds
good and evil in this very life.
Hence fight for the sake of yoga,
Because, being skilled in your chosen activity is yoga.
Even though in Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna talks about various types of yoga, the central message is Karma yoga. Bhagavad Gita can have a universal appeal in the sense that both the renunciate and the householder can follow the principles set by Lord Krishna.
The ancient Indian Rishis were all family men. They did not cut themselves away from the society. They had their educational institutes mostly in jungles away from the society. But the society and the Rishis had frequent interactions. Our Puranas like Ramayana or Mahabharata talk about spirituality and values to be adopted by people living in society.
Then there came a time when becoming a lifelong renunciate became the norm for those who wanted to seriously pursue a spiritual path. Vedas, Upanishads and puranas got interpreted by the renunciates. Many new books were written by the renunciates. Somewhere these books emphasised certain practices which are not practicable for a householder. In contrast, the emphasis on Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita makes it more relevant for the householder.
Ironically the renunciates have also tried to interpret Bhagavad Gita as if it is meant for them only. Karma has been interpreted by them to mean only those activities associated with doing bhakti to a particular deity. But I think such an interpretation distorts the central message of the Gita.
Arjuna wanted to run away from the battle field and become a monk. Sri Krishna held him back. Spirituality is not about running away from the responsibilities.
Lord Krishna wanted to shatter the notion that yoga is possible only when one runs away to the high Himalayas and stays away from the society. It is possible wherever you are. It is possible right in the middle of a battle field.
But even Karma yoga has certain conditions. Just doing your duty is not karma yoga. Karma Yoga is doing one’s duty skilfully and with a sense of detachment from the fruits of the action. It is about doing the work because it is one’s ordained duty. It is about doing work because one is competent in it, one is highly skilled in it.
Usually, it is seen that people who are incompetent to do a job, run away or find excuses to shy away. But, that was not the case with Arjuna. He was a very highly skilled warrior. When highly skilled people take premature retirement, it is a great loss to the society.
You may also recall that when you are creatively engaged in work that you are skilled to do or you are competent at, you may find that you are more connected with yourself. And while being focussed in such kind of work, at that point of time your mind was not bothered whether it would bear the right fruit. Yogic mindset is not different from such an attitude.
This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026
This year my theme is – Yoga A2Z
PEBBLES AND WAVES 