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Philosophy of Divine Love
Karma
Regarding the path of Karma the Veda states-
andhantama~ pravisanti ye'vidyamupasate
tato bhiiya iva te tamo ya u vidyayaril'rata~
{Veda}
"The one who resorts to Karma attains ignorance." The
reason for this is-
i~~apiirtaril manyamana varistharil
nanyacchreyo vedayante pra~~dhah
nakasya pr~~he te sukrte'nubhiit~em~ri1
lokaril hinatararil· va visanti
{Veda}
The reward for due performance of rituals is Svarga
(heaven) which is a transitory abode. Therefore to follow karma
is the greatest foolishness. Practice of karma can never lead
to the realization of God or liberation from Maya. The Veda
again states-
parj"k~ya lokan karmacitan brahmano
nirvedamayan nastyakrta~ krtena·
(Mu'!c:1aka Upani$ad)
Spiritual aspirants have performed karma and experienced
that there can be no liberation through it. The ultimate
attainment of performance of rituals, is heaven. Some people,
refernng to the Gita, claim that the Supreme Lord clearly
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advised Arjuna to perform karma, "0 Arjuna! if you engage
in the war, you are bound to attain heaven, or earthly benefit.
If you die bravely in the battlefield, you will attain heaven,
and if you are victorious, you will attain a kingdom on earth.
Thus you will benefit in both ways by the performance of
karma. But both these fruits of karma are poisonous, because
both earth and heaven are material, and therefore perishable
abodes." When Arjuna heard this, he immediately said, "0
Lord, that is exactly why I do not want to engage in karma."
The Lord warned him, "If you do not engage in karma it
will be considered as adharma or irreligion, the result of which
is hell." The conclusion is that Arjuna's performance of karma
would result in either the attainment of the perishable joys
of heaven or the perishable joys of earth, both of which
are desired only by fools. And the result of non-participation
in karma, in this case meaning the war, would lead to suffering
in hell, which is desired only by the greatest fools. Arjuna
desired none of them. He wished to know the means of
transcending all three. The Lord replied, "Fight in the war,
and at the same time, do not fight."
Thus, Arjuna did not engage in karma, because that would
have been binding. Had he engaged in karma, liberation from
material bondage would have been impossible. Only one way
has been stressed in the entire Gita for the attainment of
liberation from Maya, and that is-
mameva ye prapadyante mayametaril taranti te
(Gitii)
"One who surrenders to Me alone is able to attain freedom
from Maya." In this verse the word 'eva' is important and
requires thought. It obviously implies that there is absolutely
no other way at all, except surrender to God. It is very clearly
stated in the Gita-
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yiimimiim pu~pitiim viicam pravadantyavipascita/:t
vedaviidaratii/:t piirtha niinyadastlti viidina/:t
(Gita)
"The result of karma, that is performance of ritualistic
works strictly according to scriptural injunctions, is attainment
of the abode of heaven, where there is great happiness."
Such words of flattery deceive foolish people, but the wise
are not deceived, because the same Gita declares-
te tam bhuktvii svarga/okam visii/am
k~i'.'e pu'.'ye martya/okam visanti
(Gita)
"The heavenly abode is attained only for a limited period
of time. Thereafter, one has to return to earth owing to
the bondage of karma." Karma is being condemned!
Now, let us reflect upon the significant words of Veda
Vyasa. In the Bhagavatam, the great jii.ani Uddhava questions
Lord Kr~t:la, "0 Lord! there are a number of paths being
propagated by various people, which of them are true, and
which of them false? Why did so many paths come into
being? When one hears and reads about thousands of different
paths, he is confused and cannot decide the right means
to follow. I beg you to solve this confusion." Lord Kr~t:la
replied -
kii/ena na~1ii pro/aye va'.'.yam vedasamjnitii
mayii"dau brahma'.'e proktii dhanno yasyiim madiitm~
kimdevii/:t kinnara naga rak~a/:t kimpuru~adaya/:t
bahvyas t~m prakrtayo raja/:Jsattvatamo bhuva/:t
(Bhagauatam)
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"I revealed all the means to attain Me through the words
of the Vedas.", but-
yiibhir bhutani bhidyante bhutiinam matayas tatha
yathiiprakrti sarve~am citrii viica/:t sravanti hi
evam prakrtivaicitryad bhidyante matayo nr'.'am
piiramparye'.'a ke~iimcit pakha'.'c!amatayo' pare
(Bhagauatam)
Those who read and contemplated upon these Divine
words were of different natures. They had different sarhskaras
and their mental temperaments also varied. The eventual result
was that those who were dominated by sattva gUt:la interpreted
the Veda with a sattvika meaning, those dominated by rajas
interpreted it as rajasika, and those dominated by' tamas
interpreted it as tamasika. Thus various paths came into being.
Some doctrines had their origin in tradition. For example,
suppose someone's forefather began performing his own
invented ritual; thereafter, that same practice was adopted by
his son, grandson, great grandson and so on, without any
questioning. This is how some baseless beliefs sprang into
existence.
Some theories are created by hypocrites, who discarding
the true essence of the scriptures, retain the mere external
act of rituals, such as pilgrimage, verbal reading of the
scriptures, japa, worship etc., devoid of devotion to God.
These hypocrites deceive people by telling them to verbally
repeat a name of God for a certain period of time, or observe
some regular fasting. They falsely claim that the result of
this will be the attainment of the' Divine abode. They even
go into the business of initiating non-deservers with mantras,
and confidently assure them, "You have nothing to worry
abo~t. After your death, I will personally meet you at the
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gates of· BaikuDtha (abode of Lord Vi~DU) and escort you in."
After death, the impostor and his followers do go
together, but they end up in hell instead of the abode of
God. Thus due to various reasons, the Divine words of the
Lord revealed through the Vedas were misinterpreted and
misutilized, and the result was an innumerable variety of paths.
Discussing the path of karma, Lord Krsna referred to the
various prevalent beliefs-
dharmameke yasascanye kamaril satyaril damaril samam
anye vadanti svartharil va aisvaryaril tyagabhojanam
kecid yajnatapodanaril vratani niyaman yaman
adyantavanta evai!,aril lokaJ:! karmavinirmitaJ:!
duJ:!khodarkas tamoni!,~haJ:! k!,udranandaJ:! sucarpitaJ:!
(Bhiigauatam)
Some people insist that dharma, or the path of
righteousness should be followed in order to attain the great
joys of heaven. Others refute this, stating that it is foolish
to kill our desires and suffer in order to follow righteousness,
which ultimately results in the mere attainment of heaven.
The best action is to attain fame by hook or by crook,
because that is the only thing that survives one after death.
There are some who regard attainment of fame as a waste
of time, because fame is of no use to a person after he
leaves the world. They claim that the best thing to do is
to fufill one's desires· while living, to attain worldly pleasures.
yavajjlvet sukharil jlvet....
(Ciiruiika)
In other words, eat, drink and be merry, for who knows
what happens after death.
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Some people severely criticize this view, stating that it
is foolish to waste this precious human life in physical
pleasures. The supreme way is to follow the path of truth.
We should speak only the truth. By doing so, everyone from
the individual to the whole world will attain peace and
happiness.
Again, there are those who claim that the secret of
peace and happiness lies in renunciation. Possession is a source
of sorrow, therefore, all possessions should be renounced.
The sorrow we experience is due to greed for acquiring
material objects from which we experience delusive happiness.
And when we are separated from these possessions, we are
unhappy. However, this view is totally rejected by others who
state that God has created this world for human beings to
enjoy, and not to renounce.
Then again, we have some who support the performance
of yajiias or sacrifices strictly according to the Vedic injunctions.
They claim that everything on earth centres around food. The
performance of sacrifices results in formation of clouds, which
bring about rain. When there is good rain, there will be good
grain, and all problems will be solved.
Yet others support charity as the best means. There are
innumerable souls who are suffering because of the lack of
certain things. If people were to make giving in charity their
goal, everyone would be contented.
Some support the observance of fasts. Fasting for a
considerable period results in attainment of heavenly joys, and
at the same time, food on the earth will be saved.
Referring to all these prevalent theories and views, Lord
Kr~Da advised Uddhava that they were all wrong. All these
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actions merely result in the attainment of either joys on earth
or in heaven, both of which are limited. They begin one
day and come (0 an end one day. The eventual result is
rebirth in the ever-rotating cycle of 8.4 million species of
living beings. Even the heavenly abodes are' filled with misery.
The happiness there is of an imperfect nature because these
abodes are also governed by Mayii The Supreme happiness
and peace which everyone· desires, can never be realized in
these abodes which are attained as a result of due performance
of karma.
dharmal;a satyadayopeto vidya va tapasanvita
madbhaktyapetamatmanam na samyak prapunati hi
katham bina romahar!,am dravata va cetasa bin a
bina"nandasrukalaya suddhyed bhaktya bina"sayal;a
(Bhiigauatam)
"Dharma, accompanied by truth and compassion has been
accepted as perfect and supreme, but it does not completely
cleanse the mind. Learning accompanied by austerity is
supreme, but purification of the mind is impossible even
through that." How then can mere performance of karma
lead to liberation from material bondage and attainment of
Supreme bliss? Observe what Tulasidasa delcares in the
RamayaT)a -
moha sakala byadhina kara mula
(RiimiiyaT)a)
All men suffer from mental diseases, the root of which
is delusion. All other diseases originate from it. Desire takes
birth from ignorance, and fulfillment of this desire leads to
greed, and non-fulfillment to anger. In this way, desire, greed,
and anger are the main sources of all diseases. They have
been referred to in the Gita as the origin of all mental diseases.
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trividham narakasyedam dvaram .nasanamatmanal;a
kamal;a krodhastatha lobhastasmadetattrayam tyajet
(Gltii)
Besides these, there are other innumerable diSeases such
as jealousy, enmity, pride, lust etc., that constantly disturb
th~ individual soul. Tulasidasa was asked for the cure to these
diseases. He replied that the question of a cure was an
extremely profound one, because austerity, righteousness,
penance, sacrifice, japa, charity and millions of other medicines
could not cure these mental diseases.
nema dharma acara tapa joga JaJna japa dana
bhe!,aja puni ko~in~ kariya ruja na jahim hari jana
(RiimiiyaT)a)
Tulasidasa stated that these diseases are incurable-
. ye asadhya bahu vyadhi
(RiimiiyarlQ)
Incurable does not m~an that there is absolutely no cure.
The implication is that these diseases cannot be cured through
karma , because the result of karma is attainment of heaven.
About heaven it is clearly stated-
svargahu svalpa anta dul;akhadai
(RiimiiyaT)a)
"Heaven is a transitory abode, and the ultimate result
of it is suffering."
Thus, it is a unanimously accepted truth that our Supreme
goal of God-realization cannot be attained through the
performance of karma as specified by the scriptures. Not
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only has this fact been referred to in the scriptures, but we
even fmd this truth revealed during the descension of Lord
Rama, who has specially been referred to as the establisher
of righteous conduct and morality. What took place within
the palace of Ayodhya, is contrary to the ideals which Lord
Rama descended to establish.
Lord Rama left for His fourteen-year exile to the forest
obeying His step-mother's instruction. But we find His o~
brother, Bharata, retiring to an ascetic life, even though he
was not instructed to do so by his parents. Not only that,
. father is old, and at the same time very much grieved by
he used such abusive language for his own mother, that even
an enemy would hesitate to use such words-
hanyamahamimam papam kaikeyim dustacarinim
yadi me dharmiko ramo nasiiyen mat~ghatakam
(Valmiki Riimiiya~a) . so ':Irpa avasi naraka adhikari
"I would have murdered this wicked sinner Kaikeyi, had
someone gIven me the assurance that my beloved Rama would
not renounce me for such an act."
na te'hamabhibha~yo'smi durvritte patighatini
(Viilmiki Riimiiyana)
"You, Kaikeyi, are the murderess of your own husband.
do not even wish to speak to you. "
jo hasi so hasi mumha masi lai
arikha o!a u!hi bai!hahu jai
(Riimiiyana)
"Smear charcoal on your face for your shameful act and
get out of my sight." Observe, Bharata is openly breaking
the rules of righteous conduct, and yet, Lord Rama says that
Bharata is especially dear to Him.
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lakhana tumhara sapa!ha pitu ana
sud subandhu nahim bharata samana
(Riimiiya~a)
"There is no brother like Bharata." Let us observe the
conduct of Lord Rama's brother LaksmaQa. On His departure
for His fourteen-year exile,. Lord Rama said to him, "I am
your elder brother, so you should obey My instructions. At
present the circumstances in the kingdom are such that you
must stay at home, as Bharata and Satrughna are away. Our
My going. So it is best for you to stay back to look after
him, and the kingdom.
jasu raja priya praJa dukhari
(Riimiiya~a)
The king in whose reign the subjects suffer, deserves
hell. According to dharma or the rules of conduct, your
accompanying Me to the forest is not right in any way."
Now listen to Lak~maQa's reply-
namvam dhim dhamma dhum dhari
nigama niti ke te adhikari
dhamma niti upadeSia tahi
kimti bhiiti sugati priya ,iahi
(Riimiiya~a)
"I am only an ordinary person who is not fit to follow
the dharma of the Vedas and the scriptures. I know not any
mother, father, or preceptor. I will definitely go with You
to the forest."
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guru pitu matu na janauriJ
kau kahahuriJ svabhava natha patiyau
(Riimiiyar)a)
Eventually Lak~maDa went to the extent of telling Lord
Rama to deliver His discourse on morality to those who desired
a place in heaven, or wished for material splendours.
Observe, the third brother Satrughna. His name means
'the destroyer of the enemy'. He revealed his bravery .in a
very strange way-
lage ghasitana dhari dhari jho~ti
humaki lata taki kubari mara
(Riimiiyar)a)
He kicked the hunchback Manthara on her back. She
fell on her face, and her mouth began to bleed. Yet 'Satrughna
did not leave her. Taking hold of her braids, he angrily dragged
her around. Is this the code of righteous conduct? How could
a prince, in fact a Saint, behave in such an uncouth manner?
Even Sita, the mother of the Universe, did not follow
the code of righteous conduct. Lord Rama advised her to
stay back at the palace to look after His parents, as that
was the highest duty of a household woman. Moreover, He,
her husband desired her to do so. A faithful wife is expected
to obey her husband. But Sita totally refused. Even though
Lord Rama went to the extent of warning Her about the
dire consequences of Her stubbornness, She ignored Him.
jo hatha karau prema vasa vama
to tum dukha pauba pari~ama
(Riimiiyar)a)
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She too warned Him, that if He did not allow Her to
accompany Him, He would not find Her alive when He
returned.
All these examples. of open neglect of the. codes of conduct
took place within the palace of Lord Rama Himself!
We have evidence in history that the great devotee
Prahlada disobeyed his father, even though the scriptures clearly
state, 'pitrdevo bhava matrdevo bhava'. "Let your father
be a god unto you, and your mother, a godess." It is well-l
known that the gopis disobeyed their husbands. Vibhi~aDa
disobeyed his elder brother Rava/1a. Tulasidasa has specially
referred to these examples-
-\1
tajyo pita prahlii;da vibhi~ana
bandhu bharata mahatari ~,,-~/......S(
bali guru tajyo kanta brajavanitani r.c.cJ-&OA.. ~
bhe saba mangalakari JI..;e., "-
(T u lasidiisa)
If performance of ritualistic action specified by the Vedas
were to result in attainment of the ultimate goal, then the
above authentic evidence, and the conduct of Saints would
not have been opposed to it. If strict celibacy without devotion
were to lead to liberation, the impotent would have been
the first to be freed from material bondage. If begetting
progeny were to liberate a soul, then the dogs, pigs and
cats etc., would be the first to be liberated. If the mere
pretence of being a recluse or an ascetic were to liberate
a soul, then the greatest renunciates, Le. the lion, tiger, bear
etc., living in the forests would be the first to be liberated.
Well, if performance of karma according to scriptural
injunctions is of no use to attain our goal, why should we
bother to follow it? Why do the scriptures contain such
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elaborate rules and regulations? Such questions are bound to
confuse us,
Let us go into the depth of karma in order to understand
the secret behind this apparent controversy, A clear conception
can be acquired through understanding the four categories of
kanma -
(1) Karma (2) Vikarma (3) Akarma or Kanmayoga
(4) Kanma-sarimyasa,
Karma implies strict observance of all ritualistic action
specified by the Vedas and the scriptures, but without devotion
to God, The main condition in kanma is that there should
not be the slightest deviation from the method mentioned
in the Vedas-
du~ta~ sabda~ svarato vamato va
mithyaprayukto na tamarthamaha
sa vagvajram yajamanam hinasti
yathendrasatru~ svarato'paradhat
(Veda)
If there is the slightest error in the pronunciation of
even one syllable of a Vedic hymn, the perfonmer of the
sacrifice will be hanmed, instead of being benefitted. Once
a demon forced some ,i~is to perform a sacrifice, The hymn
to be recited during the ceremony was, 'indrasatrur
vivardhasva', The meaning of this hymn is that the enemy
of Indra, viz, the demons should prosper. Retaining the .original
words of the hymn, the ,isis cleverly changed one accent.
The demon was unaware of the importance of accents in
the Vedic hymns, so he did not know that he was being
deceived. The sacrifice was completed, and the reward given
according to the hymn, When the demons attacked Indra
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and the other gods, the demons were all killed, This perplexed
the demon who had conducted the sacrifice, and he blamed
God for being unjust. It was then that the secret behind
the boo~ was revealed to the demon. When the risis had
changed one accent in the recitation of the hymn, the whole
meaning of the hymn had changed, It now meant, "Let
the strength of Indra increase.", The result was that Indra
was victorious, This is the outcome of ritualistic actions
performed without compliance with the s}3ecified injunctions,
If the injunctions are strictly adhered to, the ultimate result
is heaven, which has repeatedly been referred to as a
temporary abode, This is the reason why we find mere
ritualistic karma performed according to the scriptures being
condemned.
Vikanma refers to non-observance of karma specified in
the scriptures, as well as absence of devotion to God, This
category includes those atheists, who are totally materialistic
and have a great contempt for God, the Saints, and the
scriptures, The result of the bad deeds of these materialists
is suffering in hell, They neither attain heaven, nor realization
of God, Being extremely attached to sensual objects, they are
undisciplined, and their actions, self-willed, After death, they
are thrown into the demoniac regions.
asurim yonimapanna mugha janmani janmani
mamaprapyaiva kaunteya tato yantyadhamam gatim
(Gita)
Thu~, vikarma is far more condemnable than karma, The
general term for vikarma is sinful actions, and that for kanma
is virtuous actions.
In truth both virtuous actions and sins result in bondage.
The Vedas declare that the reward for virtuous actions is
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heaven, and that of sins is hell. A mixture of both results
in life on earth. The simplest way to understand the difference
is that heaven is a prison-house of golden bars, after which
the individual is sent back to the prison-house of 8.4 million
species of embodied beings on earth, or to the prison-house
of iron bars, hell. Heaven is merely an abode for enjoying
the reward of. our virtuous actions. No one has the right
to perform fruit-yielding actions (kriyamana karma) in either
heaven or hell. Hence, both heaven and hell should be
rejected.
Akarma refers to devotion to God with the mind, and
physical performance of the ritualistic codes specified in the
scriptures. This was the advice given in the Gita by Lord
Kr~,!a to Arjuna. Akarma is also referred to as karmayoga.
The Lord said to Arjuna, "If you engage in war, you will
either be rewarded with heavenly pleasures or earthly kingdom,
but if you do not take part in the war, it will be considered
as vikarma, the result of which is hell. To transcend the
bondage of these three, what you should do is fight and
at the same time, do not fight. If you fight· it will be karma,
and if you do not fight it will be vikarma. What you have
to engage in is akarma or karmayoga."
tasmat sarve{iu kale{iu mamanusmara yudhya ca
(Gita)
"Keep your mind constantly attached to Me and engage
in karma (action)." Thus, the mind's attachment to God, with
the body engaged in karma, is referred to as karmayoga.
The result of devotion to God is liberation from material
bondage and attainment of Supreme Divine bliss, and there
will be no reward for the karma, as it is performed with
detachment.
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Only that action which involves the attachment of the
mind, receives reward. When the mind is fully absorbed in
devotion to God, it cannot be involved in karma. In such
a case there is no question of bondage at all. Thus karmayoga
is highly recommendable.
Karmasarimyasa implies devotion to God with the mind,
as in karmayoga, but there is no physical involvement in
ritualistic action. The reward for karmasarimyasa is the same
as that of karmayoga, that is, liberation from material bondage
and attainment of Supreme bliss. As there is no performance
of physical karma, the question of bondage in this direction
just does not arise. Thus, like karmayoga, karmasarimyasa
is highly commendable.
The important question that arises here is, when the
reward for both karmayoga and karmasarimyasa is the same,
that is, God-realization, is not the performance of karma by
the karmayogi futile? When the karma he performs does not
yield any reward, why make the effort and be burdened by
it? This was the question that perplexed Arjuna. The Lord
gave the follOwing answer to his doubt-
sarimyasa~ karmayogasca ni~sreyasakaravubhau
tayostu karmasarimyasat karmayogo visisyate
(Gita)
"0 Arjuna! both the karmayogi and karmasarhnyasi are
blessed, but the path of karmayoga is superior to
karmasarhnyasa." Listen to the reason for this-
yadyadacarati sre{i~has tattadevetaro jana~
sa yat pramar;aariJ kurute lokas tadanuvartate
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na me piirthiisti kartavyariJ tri$U loke$u kUicana
niinaviiptamaviiptavyariJ varta eva ca karmar;ai
yadi hyaham na varteyariJ jiitu karmar;ayatandritaJ.t
mama vartmiinuvartante manu$yiiJ.t partha sarvasaJ.t
utsrdeyurime lokii na kuryiiriJ karma cedaham
sariJkarasya ca kartii syiimupahanyiimimiiJ.t prajiiJ.t
(Glta)
"Arjuna, it is the rule of the world that the actions of
great personalities are imitated by others. The great
personalities broaden the path for others. You know that I
have no selfish motive for any action. I am self-contented,
yet I engage in action, for if I were to not perform karma,
people would imitate Me, and would fall into danger. Thus
I engage in karma for the well-being of the people, so that
they benefit by following My example. Accordingly, I consider
the karmayogi to be superior to the karmasarimyasi. Therefore,
I advise you Arjuna to become a karmayogi and perform
karma."
Now there could still be a doubt concerning this subject.
Just as one who follows the karmayogi realizes God, why
not the one who follows the karmasarhnyasi? What is the
harm or danger in imitating a karmasarimyasl? The simple answer
is that, one who follows another usually imitates only the
external behaviour, and not the internal. Thus, when a person
imitates a karmayogi he becomes a karmi because he imitates
his external actions, and not the devotion to God, as it is
something internal. On the other hand, if a person were
to imitate a karmasarhnyasi, he would neither engage in karma
nor in devotion to God, and would become a vikarmi.
Some people might still object saying that there is no
difference between a karmi and vikarmi. The one who imitates
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karmayogi becomes a karmi and the one who imitates a
karmasarhnyasi becomes a vikarmi. But ne~ther the karmi nor
the vikarmi, attain liberation or Divine bliss. The karmi attains
heaven, which is transitory; the eventual result is suffering.
This fact certainly appears to be true, yet the karmi is far
better than the vikarmi, because he will not be negligent.
Whenever he meets a man of wisdom who makes him
understand the importance of devotion to God with the mind,
along with physical performance of karma offered to God,
this person will become a karmayogi. On the other hand,
if the vikarmi happens to meet a man of wisdom, he will
not accept any advice, because he has no faith or belief in
the scriptures. Perhaps, even if he does accept, it will not
be for long, owing to his long-term practice of being totally
undisciplined. Thus it is most unlikely that he will be
devotionally inclined towards God. Besides this advantage of
a karmi over a vikarmi, there is always the question of the
codes of social morality. The karmi through perfomance of
karma, manages this more rightfully than the vikarmi, who
is more likely to abuse social ethics. This is the difference
between imitation of a karmayogi and karmasarhnyasi.
From all this, it is obvious that action which involves
devotion to God alone, is praiseworthy. Apart from this, all
other actions are condemnable. However, karma is better than
vikarma. There is one important point that needs to be
reflected upon here. A karml who violates' the scriptural
injunctions is duly punished, but the karmayogl is forgiven
for any lapses he commits in the performance of karma. To
conclude, it should be borne in mind that, wherever the Vedas
and other authentic scriptures have criticized ritualistic actions,
they refer to those actions which are totally devoid of devotion
to God. When action includes devotion, it is
highly commendable. It not only benefits the doer, but also
the imitator.
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Philosophy of Divine Love
Let us refer to the scriptures for the clarification of this
subject.
IsiiviisyamidariJ' sarvariJ vat kiriJca jagatyiiriJ jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjlthii mii gi-dha1;J kasyasviddhanam
(jsa Uponi$od)
"Action should be offered to God before performance."
yasya deve parii bhaktir yathii deve tathii gurau
tasyaite kathitii hyarthii1;J prakiisyante mahiitmana1;J
(Svetasuotoro Uponi$od)
"One who has supreme devotion in God and the Saints
equally, attains that ultimate goal."
upiisate puru~ariJ ye hyakiimiiste
sukrametadativartanti dhlrii1;J
(Mundoko
.. Uponisod)
. tatkarma
"One who does not attach his mind to any object, except
to God in devotion, attains freedom from Maya." The
implication is that the Vedas have not condemned karmayoga,
but have condemned karma that is without devotion. In the
Gita, Lord Kr$~a says to Arjuna.
vihiiya kiimiinya1;J sarviin pumiiriJscarati ni1;Jsprha1;J
nirmamo niraharikiira1;J sa siintimadhigacchati
(Gita)
"One whose mind is not attached to any material object,
alone deserves to attain Supreme peace." Again He states
even more c1early-
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Philosophy of Divine Love
vat karo~i yadasniisi yajjuho~i dadiisi vat
yattapsyasi kaunteya tat kuru~va madarpaf)am
(Gita)
"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice
you perform, whatever you give in charity, do it for Me alone.
If your mind is attached to Me, then your actions will not
bind you."
svakarmaf)ii tamabhyarcya siddhiriJ vindati miinava1;J
(Gita)
"One who worships God through devotional action, attains
Supreme perfection." Thus, it is obvious even in the Gita,
that mere action without devotion to God, cannot destroy
the bondage of action or lead to the attainment of Supreme
bliss. Let us come to the Pura~as. Veda Vyasa gives a very
short definition of karma-
harito~ariJ vat
(Bhagovotom)
"That alone is true action which results in pleasing God."
Again at another place he declares, that if any karma does
not give rise to Love for the Lotus Feet of Lord Krsna,
then that karma or action is fruitless toil.
In other words, that action is condemnable-
dharmah svanusthitah pUriJsiiriJ visvaksenakathiisu ya1;J
notp~dayedy~di r~tiriJ srama' eva hi kevalam
(Bhagouotom)
There are a number of verses emphasizing this very fact -
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Philosophy of Divine Love
grhe~vavasthito raJan kriya1;J kurvan grhocita1;J
vasudevarpafJariJ sak~adupaslta mahamunlm
(Bhiigavatam)
The Lord declares, "A householder, who performs his
daily duties with his mind engrossed in Me, though living in
a household is separate from it, and he attains Divine bliss."
The greatest ideal in this regard had been established by the
goP!s.
ya dohane'vahanane mathanopalepa
prenkhenkha narbharuditok~afJamarjanadau
gayanti cainamanuraktadhiyo'srukafJ~hyo
dhanya brajastriya urukramacittayanah
(Bhiigauatam)
The gopis performed every household chore, singing the
glories of their beloved Krsna with their eyes full of tears.
Their supreme selfless devotion, made Krsna Himself their
eternal servitor. ...
Finally we also find this clarification in the Ramayal)a-
so saba dharma karma jari jai4
jahariJ na rama pada pankaja bhau
(Riimiiyal')a)
"Let that karma or action be destroyed, which is without
devotion to God." It is only action which is devotional, that
results in liberation from material bondage.
treta vividha yajiia nara karahlm
prabhuhiriJ samarpi karma bhava tarahlriJ
(Riimiiyal')a)
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maybe i will have Philosophy of Divine Love
to add the duties
you have in the
world into the The Ramayal)a again states-
Karma map -
japa tapa niyama yoga nija dharma
cause this directly
sruti sariJbhava nana subhakarma
relates to
jiiana daya dama t1ratha majjana
karmayog requiring
jahariJ lagi dharma kahe sruti sajjana
constant
agama nigama purana aneka
remembrance of
pa~he sune kara phala prabhu eka
God.
tava pada pankaja priti nirantara
saba sadhana kara yaha phala sundara
(Riimiiyal')a)
Repetition of the name, performance of all duties
pertaining to the four orders and stages of life, all penance,
austerity, knowledge, compassion, control of senses and
pilgrimage should lead to only one result, and that is devotion
to the Lotus Feet of the Lord. The Ramayal)a goes to the
extent of saying that even Brahma, the creator should be
ignored if he is devoid of devotion-
bhaktihlna viraiici kina hOI....
(Riimiiyal')a)
All this evidence from the scriptures reveals the secret
behind the apparent criticism of karma or ritualistic action.
Now let us understand the more subtle facts about action
and devotion-
r'Jani trifJyapakrtva mano mokse nivesayet
(Manusmrti)
Every individual soul is burdened with three debts:
indebtedness to the gods, the ri~is, and the ancestors (manes).
Without repaying these debts, no soul can attain liberation.
Now if karma is renounced, as the karmasarhnyas! does, how
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 Philosophy of Divine Loue
can he attain liberation without performance of the prescribed
karmas for repayment of these debts? The answer to this
perplexing question is given by Veda Vyasa-
devar~ibhiitiiptanrtJiim pitfl:liim
na kinkaro niiyamrtJi ca riijan
sarviitmanii ya~ saraJ;lam saraJ;lyam
gato mukundam parihrfya kartam
(Bhiigavatam)
One who is not devoted to God, and performs the required
karma for repayment of the three debts specified by Manu
will .suffer downfall. However, one who is devoted to God
is not governed by the above regulation. Hence his renunciation
of karma is forgiven. Now listen to the secret truth behind
this.
Dharma (righteous action) is of two kinds; one is higher
dharma and the other, lower dharma.
sa vai pumsiim para dharmo yato bhaktir adhok~aje
ahaitukyapratihatii yayii"tmii samprasidati
(Bhiigavatam)
Devotion to God is higher religion or para dharma',
the result of which is attainment of Supreme bliss. Lower
religion, or 'apara dharma' is mere performance of duties
pertaining to one's social order (var!!a) and stage in life
(asrama), without devotion to God. The result of performance
of this lower dharma is attainment of the heavenly abodes.
'Apara dharma', also referred to as varnasrama dharma, is
constantly changing, whilst 'para dharma' is always the same
for each caste, that is Brahmins, K~triyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
'Apara dharma' also varies according to one's stage in life.
A brahmacari, or celibate is instructed to stay away from
women till he is twenty-five years old but thereafter he is
instructed to enter the grhastha asrama, I.e. marry and beget
children in order to be free of debt to the forefathers. Again,
at the age of fifty he is instructed to leave his household
and children, and retire to the forest with his Wife, I.e.
vanaprastha asrama. At the age of seventy-five he is ordered
to leave his wife also, and lead the life of a total recluse
or sarhnyasi until death. Thus, he is alone again, as he was
in the first stage of brahmacarya. Observe, there is constant
change in 'apara dharma', but 'para dharma' is always the
same for everyone.
The next important point is that the scriptures have
specially instructed people of every social order and every
stage of life, to follow 'para dharma' along with their respective
'apara dharma' or physical duties. The brahmacari (celibate)
is advised to be devoted to God, so is the grhasthi
(householder), the vanaprasthi (one who retires to the forest)
and the sarhnyasi (renunciate). The sarhnyasi is expected to
exclusively follow 'para dharma' or devotion to God. In the
same way, every caste is instructed to practise devotion to
God besides their respective duties. This is what is referred
to as karmayoga. When 'apara dharma' is linked with devotion
to God, it is only the devotion that is rewarded. Liberation
from material bondage, and Divine bliss can never be attained
through 'apara dharma' alone!
Now the next question is that devotion to God has been
declared to be absolutely necessary along with performance
of 'apara dharma' or var!!asrama dharma, but the
karmasarhnyasi totally renounces varnasrama dharma. Is this
not improper? The Lord Himself instructs everyone to follow
the Vedic injunctions.
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Philosophy of Divine Love Philosophy of Divine Love

srutismrtl mamalVajne yasta ullanghya vartate have to perform karma." This is the very reason why devotion
iijnocched, mama dve~, madbhakto' pi na me priya/:! has been declared to be independent.
(Vadul Smrti)
bhakti svatantra sakala sukha khiin,
"One who does not follow the Vedic injunctions of (Ramayal)a)
varr:Jasrama dharma is My enemy. How can he be dear to
Me 7" But we have the answer to this question in the anyiibhilii~itiisunyaril jniinakarmiidyaniiv~am
Bhagavatam, where the Lord Himself refers' to special (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)
exceptions -
"Bhakti or devotion can never be shadowed by either
ajnayaivaril gu~iin do~iin mayii"di~~iinapi svakiin karma or jnana."
dharmiin santyajya ya/:! sarviin
miim bhajet sa ca sattama/:! There are several doubts that are likely to arise concerning
(Bhagavatam) karma and its renunciation. In the Bhagavatam, it is stated
that until a person is detached, he must follow varr:Jasrama
"Although I Myself have laid down these Vedic injunctions dharma or duties pertaining to one's social order and stage
and instructed people to follow them, stating that those who of life.
violate them shall be punished, yet one who abandons these
actions and devotes himself to Me alone, is extremely dear tiivat karmii~i kurv,ta, na nirvidyeta yiivatii
to Me." This obviously implies that the Vedic injunctions do matkathiisravaniidau vii sraddhii yiivanna jiiyate
not apply to the individual who is exclusively devoted to God. (Bhagavatam)
The Vedas declare-
The answer to this is given by Veda Vyasa himself.
sarve vedii yatpadamiimananti Everyone possesses the detachment required for the path of
tapiirilsi sarvii~i ca yadvadanti devotion.
(Veda)
na nirvi~~o niitisakto bhaktiyogo' sya siddhida/:!
"All the Vedic hymns inspire a person only towards God." (Veda Vyasa)
Sar:J(:Jilya too declared-
''The condition for deserving to follow the path of devotion
na kriyii k~yanapek~a~iiliniinavat is that one must be neither too attached nor too detached."
(Sal)c!ilya Siitras) Now almost everyone fulfills this condition, because no one
experiences true happiness in the world. All worldly happiness
"Just as one who follows the path of knowledge is not is transitory. Therefore everyone is neither too attached nor
obliged to perform karma, the devotee too does not necessarily totally detached.
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
The next question is: If everyone is neither too attached
nor detached and deserves to follow the path of devotion,
then for whom have the elaborate injunctions of the Vedas
been laid down?
matkathasravar:I/Jdau va sraddha yavanna jayate
(Bhagauatam)
Veda Vyasa replies that, as long as a person does not
have faith in the Divine narratives of God, he can perform
karma to build up this faith. Also, if a person desires to
attain only heaven, he can engage in karma. Lastly, those
who are extremely attached to the material world, should follow
the path of karma.
Another doubt is likely to arise upon reading the Gita.
I! states that what a person ought to do, or not do, is decided
by the scriptures.
tasmacchastraril pramar:lQriI te karyakaryavyavasthitau
(Glta)
"Each and everyone must follow the instructions of the
scriptures. " One who does not follow them will not attain
happiness, either on earth or in the higher abodes. He cannot
even attain the highest goal. Lord ~t:la gives us the answer
in the very next line-
ya~ sastravidhimutsrjya vartate kamakaratah
na sa siddhimavapnoti na sukharil na poraril g~tim
(Glta)
"One who is 'kamakarata!:l', that is neglectful of the
scriptural injunctions because of his attachment to sensual
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
objects, such a person is to be condemned. But this rule
does not apply to one who is devoted to the ultimate goal
of attaining God as specified by the scriptures." Veda Vyasa
declares -
ta manmanaska matprar;aa madarthe tyaktadaihika~
mameva dayitaril presthamatmanaril manasa gata~
ye tyaktalokadharmarilsca madarthe tan bibharmyaham
(Bhagauatam)
The gopis had abandoned both worldly and Vedic duties.
They even disobeyed their husbands, but they were
tremendously loved by Lord Kr~t:la because they were selflessly
devoted to Him in their every action. The basic definition
of virtue and sin given by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavatam
is as follows-
mannimittaril krtaril paparil maddharmaya ca kalpate
mamanadrtya dharmo'pi paparil syan matprabhavata~
(Bhagauatam)
"The sin that is performed for My sake is not sin, it
is dharma. But the dharma that is performed without
remembrance of Me, is sin." What can be more clear than
this definition. The sage Narada declared that worldly and
Vedic duties are hindrances in devotion.
nirodhastu lokavedavyaparatyaga~
tasmai ananyata tadvirodhi;oudasinata ca
(Narada Bhakti Sutra)
"Devotion should be devoid of the disease of worldly
and Vedic karma. Secondly there should be single-minded
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Philosophy of Divine Love
attachment to God. Thirdly, one should be indifferent to aU
things, except God." Indifference means neither love nor hate.
Another question is with regard to a quote from the
Vedas.
dharmel)a piipamapanudati
(Veda)
"Performance of dharma destroys sins." When dharma
is capable of destroying sins, why does it not bring about
liberation from material bondage? Veda Vyasa gives a wonderful
explanation -
this is the reason
dharmal;! satyadayopeto vidyii vii tapasiinvitii
why we have to do bhakti
madbhaktyapetamiitmiinariJ na samyak prapuniiti hi
along side your worldy
(Bhiigavatam)
duties
"Neither dharma, combined with truth and compassion,
nor penance combined with knowledge, can purify the heart
without devotion." The same truth is stated at another place -
taistiinyaghiini piiyante tapodiinajapiidibhil;!
niidharmajariJ taddhrdayariJ tadapisiiriJghrisevayii
(Bhiigavatam)
"Vedic karma, such as charity, sacrifice, penance, fasts
etc., does destroy sin but it cannot purify the heart." Some
people argue that destruction of sins, automatically implies
purification of the heart. But it is not so. For example, suppose
a person commits the sin of killing a cow. If he performs
the various actions specified in the scriptures for atonement,
it destroys the sin, but does not destroy the mentality, or
inclination to sin again. A person can sin again, and continue
to do so indefinitely, even whilst performing the relevant
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Philosophy of Divine Love
karmas of atonement. The heart can never be purified in
this way.
Besides, it takes less time to sin and more time to· repent. .
Suppose we presume that all our present sins have been
destroyed through actions of atonement, yet all the
accumulated innumerable sins of countless past lives can never
be destroyed even by repentance performed for innumerable
lives. How then can liberation be attained? Adi Jagadguru
Sarilkaracarya wrote a very significant Sloka in this context -
suddhayati hi niintariitmii
kr~l)apadiimbhojabhaktimrte
(Sarilkariiciirya)
"The heart can never be cleansed without devotion to
Lord Kr~':la." And without this cleansing of the heart, there
is no guarantee that external repentance for sins will prevent
the person from repeating his mistakes in the future.
The conclusion is that, mere performance of karma
without devotion is not only incapable of bringing liberation
to a person, but it does not even result in purifying the
heart.
This is the reason why people who perform karma
(scriptural injunctions) without devotion, are deprived of Divine
reward. A fish may live in the holy waters of the Ganges,
but it cannot attain liberation without devotion. Yet ignorant
people hope that by merely dipping themselves once in the
holy waters, they will reach the Divine abode of Baikuntha.
Such people only deceive themselves.
Some people argue that it does not matter whether one
jumps into the fire willingly or one is pushed in by force,
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
the fire is bound to bum the person in both ways. In the
same way, a dip in the holy Ganges will yield the reward
proclaimed in the scriptures. But those who have such doubts,
should consider their own experience. Millions of people have
bathed in the holy waters of the Ganges and the Yamuna,
but have they become sinless? Have they conquered lust, greed,
anger, jealously etc.? The answer is definitely in the negative.
It is such ignorant people who defame the scriptures. A very
simple example can put an end to your doubts.
Take a bottle and fill it with urine. Then close the bottle
tightly and immerse it in the waters of the Ganges. After
twenty-four hours, take the bottle out of the river and drink
its contents. Will anyone drink it? No one will. Why not?
Millions of people drink the water of the holy river. Your
answer will be that the bottle still contains urine, and not
the water of the Ganges, because it was sealed. This is exactly
what happens when you bathe in the Ganges. In which part
of the body do the sins reside in? They are all in the mind,
aren't they? When you bathed in the Ganges, your mind
was elsewhere, and it was only your body that bathed. How
then could those sins that were in your mind be washed
away? The scriptures proclaim that if the mind unites with
a pure entity, it becomes purified. Had your mind been attached
to the holy Ganges, then it would definitely have been cleansed.
This obviously implies that it is absolutely impossible to attain
release from material bondage with karma that is devoid of
devotion.
viin mathe baru hoya ghrta siktii te baru tela
binu hari bhajanii na bhava tanya yaha siddhiinta apela
(RamayaIJ a)
"The impossible may become possible, but there can
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Philosophy of Divine Love
be no liberation without devotion to God." The Ramayarla
again states-
jimi thala binu jala rahi na sakiii
ko~i bhiinti kou karai upii"i
tathii mok~a sukha sunu khagarii"i
rahi na sakai hari bhagati vihii"i
(RamayaIJa)
Maya consists of three gUl}as or modes: sattva, rajas
and tamas. In accordance with these three gUDas, we have
three categories of karma. The fruit of sattavika karma is
sattvika; of rajasika karma, rajasika; and of tamasika karma,
tamasika. The region to which the soul is sent after death
depends on the fruits of his karma. For sattvika karma, it
is heaven; for rajasika, it is the earth; and for tamasika,
it is the lower regions of hell. But note, even the attainment
of heaven through sattvika karma is a material attainment,
because the sattva guna too exists within the realm of Maya.
Thus, it is obvious that any karma within the category
of the three gUl}as cannot result in release from the bondage
of action. It is God alone who is beyond the realm of the
three gUl}as. If karma, whether it be sattvika, rajasika or
tamasika is not linked with devotion to God, then the result
is nothi~g but suffering, because its origin is Maya. The
conclusion is that the scriptures recommend practice of
karmayoga, which means constant attachment of the mind
to God, and performance of karma with the physical body.
If the mind happens to be attached elsewhere apart from
God then it cannot be termed as karmayoga. Karmayoga
is ;ossible only when the mind is incessantly attached to
God , with not even a second's separation from Him.
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
not sure if i have
made this clear in
yo miiriJ smarati nityasa1:J . my summary of
evariJ satatayuktii ye . Karma
te~iiriJ nityiibhiyuktiiniiriJ .
(Gita)
Joana And Joanayoga
All these quotations from the Gita indisputably state that
the attachment of the mind to God must be constant.

The problem before us now is, if the mind is attached

The subject of joana or 'knowledge' is extremely deep
to God constantly, how can we perform actions in the material
and detailed. Nevertheless we must discuss this path only
world? The sense organs do not perform any action without
briefly.
the involvement of the mind. How karmayoga can be practically
implemented in daily life, will be explained in detail in a
subsequent chapter dealing with Sadhana. Generally, Jnana or knowledge is of two kinds. One is
theoretical knowledge and the other, practical knowledge.
Theoretical knowledge implies verbal or book knowledge of
any subject, but without practical experience such knowledge
is superficial. We have theoretical knowledge and practical
knowledge of both material subjects and subjects beyond the
material realm. Theoretical knowledge of material subjects is
mere book - knowledge. For example, if a person has learned
all about cooking from books and even gives lectures on the
subject, but has never practically cooked himself, this
is only theoretical knowledge. Practical knowledge is doing
the actual cooking.

Let us consider the knowledge of spiritual subjects.

Theoretical knowledge of spirituality consists of a vast reading
of the scriptures and giVing lectures, but haVing no practical
intuitive experience. Practical knowledge of spirituality, involves
following the path laid down by the scriptures and actually
knowing God through His grace. Let us penetrate a little
deeper into this subject of theoretical and practical knowledge
of God, because material knowledge can never enable us to
attain our goal of Supreme bliss. According to the Vedas-
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