Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5

In this chapter, there is the conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjun where Krishna compares the path of karma sanyās you or denial of one’s duties from the Karm yog or the path of work in devotion. Krishna says that the denial of action or work is challenging, and it is only possible for a few souls whose minds are completely pure.

For most people, karm yogis more preferred an easier way to walk on the path of devotion.

Krishna then talks about the karm yogis; he says that such yogis are detached from any attachment or fruit of their effort. The yogis perform their duties and sacrifice their doings to God rather than considering themselves the doer. They perform their duties because it is their karma, and they don’t think about the result.

They look at everyone equally; a true yogi looks a brahmin in the same way as a cow, a dog, a dog-eater, or anyone for that matter. They do not get pleasure from any worldly activity. However, regular people work and expect the fruit of their effort. They enjoy their senses; however, they do not realize that their senses are the very source of their misery. Such people don’t understand the difference between their bodies and soul.

Krishna then explains the karm sanyās you and says that in such yog, a person becomes able to control his mind, senses and get detached from worldly desires. He doesn’t fear anything; he doesn’t have any desire, anger, and such complexities. He sacrifices his every work to God and lives for God to attain the Supreme one day. However, for such yog, a person performs severe austerities.

Arjun starts by saying, O Shree Krishna, you told about the karm sanyās, and you told about the karm you. How can we differ in these two? Which one is more beneficial? Please enlighten me!

The Supreme Lord says, O Arjun, the purpose of both karm sanyās and karm yogis to lead you towards the path of devotion to attain God.

The karm sanyās path is for the yogis who do not desire any worldly thing; they are neither happy nor sad, they do not love anything nor hate, and they see everyone for their soul rather than their bodies. These yogis are free from all the dualities of the world, and they are detached from anything.

Only those who are ignorant or who have less understanding say that these two paths are different. Those who are truly learned consider both paths equal as both lead you toward devotion and God.

Getting into the perfect karm sanyās is difficult if one is unaware of karm you. However, one who excels in karm you quickly attains the Supreme.

Those who understand karma also understand that they are not the doers. Even when they sleep, breathe, exercise, move, smell, touch, or taste, they know that they are not the doers. This is because they have divine knowledge, so they understand that these are all material senses.

Thus those who think like this have the true ability to attain God. They remain untouched by any sin, just as a lotus leaf remains untouched from water.

To give up their attachment to worldly things, these yogis perform actions with their body, mind, and senses, only for the purification to get rid of all these senses and understand the ultimate truth.

By offering all their activities to God, these yogis receive great peace; they receive the pleasure within themselves that is not possible with any of the senses.

These are the entities who remain self-controlled and detached from the external world. They remain calm and happy in their inner world, and they feel their inner world like the city of nine gates.

God is not present with the sinful or most of the living entities because of their ignorance. These entities don’t have divine knowledge, and they don’t put effort into gaining inner knowledge.

But those who have destroyed their ignorance with divine knowledge know about the Supreme, and they find pleasure in remembering God and dedicating all their actions to him. These are illuminated beings who shine because of divine knowledge, just like the sun illuminates the whole world.

Those who are fixed in God and absorbed in him, such people quickly reach the state from where one can’t return. This happens with the light of knowledge that he wants to remain there forever and experience God if one person receives.

These kinds of eyes see everyone equally. For them, everyone is equal, from a Brahmin to a dog-eater. This is because they see everyone on a soul level rather than the body they are born with.

Such minds who have engaged in equality and can see everyone as the same conquer the cycle of life and death in this life, and they don’t get another lifetime of miseries.

The people who have a proper understanding of God don’t get hampered by any delusion. They experience everything equally, from the unpleasant to the pleasant.

Those who are not attached to the external world and senses find inner pleasure and bliss from knowing the divine. They get united with God, and this state is called Yog.

To worldly people, pleasure comes from the senses. When their senses touch the objects of the job, the people feel pleasure. However, these senses also become the reason for miseries from the living beings. O son of Kunti, every pleasure has an end as it has a beginning, and the wise one doesn’t believe in receive pleasure from the senses but from the divine knowledge where the pleasure never ends.

The people who are able to live in such a way are the yogis. Even these yogis can leave their bodies at their own will, and till then, they remain immersed in divine knowledge and experience God.

These people are happy within themselves, and the soul who is happy without any external source enjoys the delight of God all the time. Such yogis get liberated from this materialistic world and never come here again.

Holy people are those who have no doubts and no sins, whose minds are disciplined and they are devoted to the welfare of all the beings. Only these souls attain God and liberation.

Those Sanyasis who have passed through the test of lust and who are out of anger due to their constant efforts only receive liberation. These Sanyasis have controlled their minds, and they have known self-realization.

Shutting all the thoughts, enjoyment from the external world is possible when you fix your gaze in the space between two eyes. When you control the incoming and outgoing of your breaths, it helps control your senses, mind and makes you like a sage who is free from every attachment, fear, lust, greed, and anger. You become the one who always lives in freedom and with inner happiness.

When you realize me as the Supreme and the creator of everything, only then do you attain an endless peace.