In plain words
If the nation's own servant becomes its leader, he can render selfless service; can one who hankers after office be pure of heart? Tell Me, sirs, and I will grant it.
Embodiments of the sacred Ātma!
Bhārata is the land that has truly grasped the secret of karma. That is why this holy land is also called Karmakṣetra. Karma done with attachment to the Ātma sustains life. To recognise the sanctity of this karma, we need purity of citta. Karma is like a river that flows without ceasing. Within this karma, all that is sentient and insentient in creation goes round and round. We must take the greatest care in understanding the principle of karma. The word ‘karma’ may look very small, yet the range of its meaning is immense and endless. This karma broadens the heart. It makes consciousness blossom. This sacred karma roots out Ahaṅkāra. It brings the Ānanda of the Ātma. No one can settle what karma is, as this or that. This karma has neither beginning nor end. So, just as the Real is without beginning, this karma too is without beginning. No one can tell who did what karma, or where. So the principle of karma can be grasped only as a deep secret. Ordinarily, in the way of the world, karma means doing some piece of work or other. But that is not its right meaning. Here is a small example. “What is he doing?” To that question we answer, “He is writing.” This writing is a karma, so we count it as ‘karma’. Another question. What is he doing? If you ask that: ‘He is not doing anything. He is watching,’ we answer. But he is doing the work called watching, so watching too is a karma. Sleeping is a karma. Even merely thinking is karma. As long as breath goes in and out of a man, there is no escaping the doing of karma. Karma cannot be given up. Even a man's breathing in and out is a karma. For our breathing in and out, the karma goes on without any effort. It needs no special labour. In the same way, the karmas we do in our daily life, from daybreak until we lie down at night, need no labour of any kind from us. That is why all these karmas are bound up with life. They do not belong to the spiritual. Among these karmas, we must take up niṣkāma karma. Serving individuals, serving the sick in hospitals, helping the poor and the forlorn, serving Nārāyaṇa: all these are ordinary karmas bound up with our life. None of these belongs to niṣkāma karma.