2 The Correct Way to Perform Actions

(Benedictory discourse delivered, in Tamil, at Chennai on 25.12.1986)

(Om. Salutations to the infinite Supreme Atma who is of the nature of unbroken consciousness and bliss and who, having pervaded all beings, remains enveloping them.)

In the battlefield, while advising Arjuna, Lord Krishna said:

No one can abstain from activity and sit totally actionless for even a second. Why?

On account of Prakriti (primordial nature), comprising ‘Sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’, he will necessarily be engaged in some action or the other. When he is asleep, he is engaged in what is tantamount to performing Tamasic activity. When, desirous of something or the other, he thinks about worldly dealings then Rajas holds sway. “Who am I? Why am I like this? What is my true nature? Can I attain it?” - if, with a desire to know all this, he were to hear the truth from the Guru, his activity would be Sattvic.

Regardless of whether what we perform is Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic, how exactly should we act? In response to this, the Lord has said, “You may engage in various activities but should treat them as offerings to the Almighty.”

(O, Son of Kunti! Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in a sacrifice, whatever you give and whatever austerity you perform, do it as an offering to Me.)

Thus, it is said that whatever we do, we must offer to the Lord. Then, to whom does the result of the act accrue? He who truly loves God would be unconcerned with this question.

Suppose that a person sincerely serves his king. If asked, “What do you want for your labour?”, it would be sufficient for him to say, “The king’s grace is what I want.” By being in the monarch’s good graces, he will have what he desires, for all his requirements will be provided by the pleased king. On the other hand, if he were to express his desire for a house, he would be given only that. Subsequently, if he were to seek anything else, the king would say, “I have already rewarded you once.” There would, however, be no limit to the benefits that would accrue to him, had he just sought the king’s grace. Likewise, the best course is to offer everything to God and place oneself at His mercy.

What is the nature of the fruit that God will bestow?

The fruit will be given in accordance with one’s activities. If we perform our duty but are unattached to the results of our actions, our minds will become pure. On the other hand, if we are desirous of the fruits of our actions, our activity will bind us in as much as the fruits of good and bad actions must be experienced and so we will be forced to take a future birth; when one has a body, sorrow is inevitable. The Lord says:

(Yoga is dexterity in actions.)

When an act is performed in a spirit of dedication to God and one is not attached to the fruit of the act, the very act that normally binds serves to liberate, by producing mental purity, which is needed for liberation-conferring knowledge to dawn. Therefore, let us not long for the results of our actions. The Lord has given us the ability to be detached. “Our duty is to perform action but not to be attached to the fruit thereof” - if we engage in activity with this attitude, what we do will constitute Dharma (righteousness). Some examples can now be considered.

People support their families. Manu says that it is one’s duty to help one’s father, mother and other dependents. Therefore, even supporting a family, if done in the proper spirit, is Dharma. We eat food. If we do this in the correct manner, even our act of eating is Dharma. Sri Krishna says:

(Brahman is the offering; Brahman the oblation; by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman.)

Virtue will accrue if one eats, at the appropriate time, food that has been offered to God and does so with the feeling, “This food is for the sustenance of the body. It has been given to God. I now take it as His Prasada, the sacred remnant of what He has accepted. It is not for pandering to the organ of taste that I eat this.”

We speak of many things; nevertheless all our speech just comprises words. Amongst the words:

(“Namah Shivaya” or “Salutation to Shiva” is a Mantra.)

It is enough if we chant, “Namah Shivaya”; this is a great Mantra and confers bountiful benefits on us. Thus, even speech, when properly used, is Dharmic. Instead, if a man were to simply chit-chat, demerit would accrue to him on account of his speech, regardless of whether he did or did not physically perform a sinful act.

Hence, whatever act we do, we should do it in a spirit of dedication to God; an act so done will purify our mind rather than add to our bondage. Further, when we offer our actions to the Lord, we will never even contemplate doing a misdeed. If a Swamigal were to come to one’s home, would anyone offer him a faded garland? No. Why? People would say, “As Swamigal is coming to your place, offer him a fresh garland.” In like manner, when we act for the sake of God, if we even vaguely realise that our act is wrong, we shall abstain from it. On the other hand, if one were to act for one’s own sake, one might think, “I can get a better job by offering a bribe. So let me do so.”

In any case, what need is there to crave for worldly objects and status? After all, this world is ephemeral.

Sri Krishna says:

(Having reached this transient, joyless world, do worship Me.)

How long will anything or anybody last in this world? We see that even,

(Mandhata, the king who was an ornament of the Krita Yuga, the age of righteousness, is no more.)

So many are the kings who have dwelt in this world. There have been great incarnations of God, such as Rama. Yet, none of them is seen now. That is why it is said:

(The world which is transient and joyless.)

This universe is not eternal.

It is not as though there is no joy in the world at all; the joy we aspire for is, however, not attained by us. This is the meaning. What sort of joy do we long for? We want to be happy at all times, without any impediment. What is the happiness we actually experience? One that hardly lasts for five minutes before being followed by sorrow.

That is why it has been said:

(The world which is transient and joyless.)

We have obtained our present birth in the transient, joyless world but we desire permanent happiness. So what must we do? We must worship God, for we will then, by His grace, obtain everlasting joy. How are we to worship Him?

(Worshipping Him by means of the performance of one’s ordained duty.)

A Brahmachari must perform Sandhya Vandanam. A householder must not only perform Sandhya Vandanam but also take care of his family and duly attend to guests. If we do our duties for the sake of God, and thereby worship God, we shall earn His grace, our minds will become peaceful and our lives will become meaningful.