Karma — Action, Karma-Yoga, and Nishkama Karma
Action, Yoga of Action, and Desireless Action
What is Karma? What is Karma-Yoga? What is Nishkama Karma? Who Can Practice It?
What is Karma? — Defining the Term
What is karma? What is Karma-Yoga? What is Nishkama-Karma (desireless action)? Who can practice Nishkama-Karma?
‘Kriyate iti karma’ — that which is done is karma. The word ‘karma’ comes from the root ‘kri,’ meaning ‘to do.’ Similarly, ‘kuru’ also means ‘to do.’ Without the Prana (life-force) within us, can we perform karma? We cannot. It is the Prana that moves and causes karma to happen. Therefore, Prana is both the instrument of karma (the tool that enables action) and, in a sense, karma itself.
Our revered supreme Guru, Sri Sri Sri Swami Shivananda Paramahamsa, has declared that the Jiva-Shakti (life-force) that dwells within us — the Prana Vayu — is itself karma. In the triad of Karta (doer), Karma (action-instrument), and Kriya (the activity itself), the grammar of our existence is: ‘I’ (the Karta, the doer) uses the Jiva-Shakti (Prana Vayu) as the instrument (Karma) to perform various activities (Kriya). Therefore, in the deepest sense, karma is the Prana Vayu. However, in Vedantic terminology, what is being called ‘Kriya’ is itself referred to as ‘karma.’
Diagram 1: The Trinity of Action — Karta, Karma, and Kriya
| THE GRAMMAR OF ALL ACTION — KARTA, KARMA, KRIYA |
| KARTA (The Doer): ‘I’ — the individual consciousness, the Jiva |
| The witness-self that initiates action |
| In truth: the Atman / Paramatma, appearing as a limited self |
| KARMA (The Instrument): Prana Vayu — the Life-Force Energy |
| The living power that makes action possible |
| Without Prana, no action can occur — body becomes inert |
| Guru Sri Swami Shivananda: ‘Jiva-Shakti, the Prana Vayu, IS Karma’ |
| KRIYA (The Activity): The actual visible action performed |
| What we ordinarily call ‘karma’ in daily life |
| In Vedantic usage: KRIYA = KARMA (the two terms are used interchangeably) |
| Yoga Vasishtha: ‘Chit-spandam bhavati karma’ — The vibration of Mind is Karma |
| Yoga Vasishtha: ‘Yat praane pavana spande, chitta spandas sa eva hi’ — By Prana’s movement, the Mind’s vibration arises |
The Yoga Vasishtha states: ‘Chit-spandam bhavati karma’ — the vibration of the mind itself is karma. And why does the mind vibrate? Because of the movement of Prana Vayu! It is the movement of Prana that creates the three-fold karma — Mano, Vak, and Kaya (mental, verbal, and physical actions). Everything done by mind, speech, or body constitutes karma.
Yat praane pavana spande, chitta spandas sa eva hi
— Yoga Vasishtha
Anyone who lives and breathes is inevitably performing one or another of these three types of karma. The Bhagavad Gita confirms:
Na hi kashchit kshanam api jaatu tishthaty-akarma-krit
Kaaryate hy-avashaha karma, sarva prakritijair gunaih
— Bhagavad Gita 3-5
Not even for a single moment can any being remain without performing karma. All are helplessly driven to act by the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) arising from Prakriti (Nature). The universe is a field of constant action — no one stands still.
Diagram 2: The Three-Fold Karma — Mano, Vak, Kaya
| THE THREE TYPES OF KARMA — Mental, Verbal, Physical |
| MANO KARMA (Mental Action): |
| Every thought, intention, imagination, or desire |
| ‘Chit-spandam bhavati karma’ — Mind-vibration = Karma |
| Most subtle and most powerful — root of all other karma |
| VAK KARMA (Verbal Action): |
| Every word spoken — prayer, speech, gossip, teaching, argument |
| Sound is a form of Prana-energy in motion |
| KAYA KARMA (Physical Action): |
| Every bodily deed — walking, building, fighting, serving, farming |
| The most gross and visible level of karma |
| Bhagavad Gita 3-5: ‘All beings are helplessly driven to act by the three Gunas’ |
| NO ONE CAN STOP KARMA — the only question is: with what quality is it performed? |
Karma Binds — The Crucial Problem
Karmana badhyate jantuh, vidyayaa cha vimuchyate
— Sanyasopanishad 2-21
The Jiva (individual soul) is bound through karma, and it is through Jnana (wisdom) that liberation is attained. Since karma is declared to be the cause of bondage, one might conclude from this Upanishadic teaching that all karma should be abandoned. Yet the Bhagavad Gita presents a counterbalance:
Yajna daana tapah karma na tyajyam kaaryam eva tat
Yajacho daana tapashchaiva, paavanaani manishinaam
— Bhagavad Gita 18-5
The Gita says: yajna (sacrifice), daana (charity), and tapas (austerity) are not to be abandoned — they must be practiced. These purify the wise. This seems to contradict the Upanishad’s teaching that karma binds. Let us understand the resolution.
The apparent contradiction dissolves when we understand WHICH karma and HOW it is performed. The Gita does not encourage just any karma — it advocates Yoga-karma: action performed in a specific, liberated way that does not create binding impressions.
The Teaching Through Arjuna’s Battle — Not War but Yoga
Hatva prapyasi svargam, jitvaa vaa bhokshyase maheem
Tasmaad uttishtha kaunteya, yuddhaaya krita nishchayah
— Bhagavad Gita 2-37
‘O Arjuna, rise up with firm resolve to fight! If you die in battle, you will attain heaven; if you win, you will enjoy this earth.’ Here Sri Krishna, the Paramatma, is encouraging the karma of battle. Does this mean Krishna simply wants Arjuna to fight?
No — Sri Krishna already knows two things about Arjuna: (1) Arjuna’s Kshatriya nature compels him to fight — it is his dharmic duty; (2) Arjuna is currently paralyzed by moha (delusion) and refusing to fight. In this context, Krishna speaks to prevent Arjuna from falling into the danger of karma-phala (the consequences of battle) by offering a special method — not mere encouragement to fight, but the Yoga of how to fight. The specific solution Krishna offers is:
Sukha-duhkhe same kritvaa, laabha-laabhau jayaa-jayau
Tato yuddhaaya yujyasva, naivam paapam avaapsyasi
— Bhagavad Gita 2-38
‘Treat pleasure and pain equally; treat gain and loss equally; treat victory and defeat equally — and then fight. In this way, you will not incur sin.’ The meaning: karma is naturally self-motivated and bound up with desire for personal benefit. This attachment to karma-phala causes one to take birth again to experience those fruits. The danger of this endless birth-cycle compels Krishna to speak — and his unique solution is:
Diagram 3: Arjuna’s Battle — Two Levels of Understanding
| SURFACE READING | DEEPER TEACHING |
| Krishna encourages Arjuna to fight | Krishna teaches Arjuna the YOGA of fighting |
| Battle for heaven or for earth | Equal vision: treat win/loss/pain/pleasure the same |
| Warrior’s duty — Kshatriya dharma | Karma performed without ego-attachment |
| Die and get Svarga; win and get the kingdom | No sin incurred when karma is done with Samatvam |
| Action motivated by outcome | Action free from karma-phala binding |
The Bhagavad Gita is not teaching Arjuna to go to war. It is teaching YOGA — the inner quality of equanimity (Samatvam) with which any karma, including battle, can be performed without binding the doer. This is a universal teaching for every human being engaged in any action.
Yoga as Samatvam — The Definition of Yoga Itself
Yoga-sthas kuru karmaani, sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
Siddhya siddhyoh samo bhuutvaa, samatvam yoga uchyate
— Bhagavad Gita 2-48
‘Perform actions while established in Yoga, O Dhananjaya, abandoning attachment. Be equal in success and failure — this evenness of mind is called Yoga.’ When karma is performed with this inner equanimity — Samatvam — the mind is not attached to its outcome. Without attachment, no karma-phala is generated, and no new birth is required to experience it.
The Gita’s Acharya is not asking anyone to stop karma. He is asking every person to perform karma the Yoga way — with Samatvam.
Diagram 4: Samatvam — The Quality That Changes Everything
| SAMATVAM — EQUANIMITY AS THE DEFINITION OF YOGA (BG 2-48) |
| WITHOUT SAMATVAM (ordinary karma): |
| Mind attached to outcome → karma-phala accumulates |
| Success creates elation → craving for more |
| Failure creates depression → resentment, revenge |
| Actions motivated by personal gain (Svalabha-apeksha) |
| Result: More births required to experience accumulated karma-phala |
| WITH SAMATVAM (Yoga-karma): |
| Mind equalized → not attached to outcome |
| Success = Failure = same inner state |
| Gain = Loss = Pleasure = Pain = equal in mind |
| Action flows from Dharma, not from personal desire |
| Result: No karma-phala binding → no future births required |
| SAMATVAM = YOGA — the very definition of Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita |
Yadyadhi kurute karma, tat-tatkamasya cheshitam
— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
‘Every karma is impelled by desire.’ This is the natural condition of all karma — every action carries within it a seed of desire or expectation. This is precisely why karma binds:
Karmoda-ye karmaphala-anuraagaas-tadhaa-nuyanti na-taranti mrityum
— Bhagavata (Udyoga Parva)
‘Those who begin karma with attachment to its fruits cannot cross over death.’ Because karma is naturally coupled with desire for results, performing karma means being bound to experience those results — and to experience them requires being born again. This is the cycle that compels Krishna to offer the solution of Yoga.
Diagram 5: The Karma-Desire-Birth Cycle — Why Karma Binds
| THE BINDING CYCLE — HOW ORDINARY KARMA PERPETUATES BIRTH |
| STEP 1: Karma begins with DESIRE (Kama) |
| ‘Yadyadhi kurute karma, tat-tatkamasya cheshitam’ |
| Every action is naturally infused with desire for its outcome |
| STEP 2: Attachment to karma-phala ACCUMULATES |
| The attachment (Anuraga) to results creates Sanchita impressions |
| These impressions demand fulfillment in a future life |
| STEP 3: New BIRTH is required to experience accumulated phala |
| ‘Karmoda-ye karmaphala-anuraagaas…’ — cannot cross death |
| Birth → New karma → New attachment → New birth → Cycle repeats |
| SOLUTION (BG 2-38): Perform karma with SAMATVAM (equal vision) |
| Treat pleasure/pain, gain/loss, victory/defeat as equal |
| No attachment formed → no phala accumulated → no new birth needed |
Performing karma is the Jiva’s very nature. It need not be encouraged externally. What needs to be encouraged is YOGA — the inner approach to karma that prevents it from creating binding impressions. This is what the Bhagavad Gita Acharya promotes — not karma itself, but Yoga-karma.
Yuktaha karmaphalam tyaktvaa, shaantim-aapnoti naishthikeem
Ayuktaha kaamakarena, phale sakto nibadhyate
— Bhagavad Gita 5-12
The Yukta (the Yogi) performs karma and releases its fruit — attaining the peace of Naishthiki (permanent liberation). The Ayukta (the non-Yogi) has a mind that is turned outward (Bahirmukha) — fully absorbed in both the action and its fruits. Being full of desires, this person is bound and caught in the cycle of Samsara. Therefore, the Bhagavad Gita Acharya is encouraging not ‘the karma of battle’ but ‘Yoga-karma’ — the inner art of desireless action.
Diagram 6: The Yukta vs. The Ayukta — Two Ways of Doing the Same Action
| AYUKTA — The Non-Yogi | YUKTA — The Yogi |
| Mind turned OUTWARD (Bahirmukha) | Mind turned INWARD (Antarmukha) |
| Fully absorbed in the action itself | Performs action with equanimity |
| Craves the results (Phala-sakta) | Releases the fruits (Phala-tyaga) |
| Bound by desires — Samsara cycle | Attains Naishthiki-Shanti (permanent peace) |
| Even ‘good’ actions create bondage | Actions leave no binding impressions |
| Karma accumulates → new birth required | Freedom from the birth-death cycle |
What is Karma-Yoga? — The Precise Definition
In everyday usage, we call every action ‘Karma-Yoga.’ But the scriptures give a precise definition:
Bandhanam manaso nityam, karmayogas sa uchyate
— Trishikhi Brahmanopanishad — 18
‘That karma which permanently restrains the moving mind — that is called Karma-Yoga.’ The mind is moved by the movement of Prana Vayu. Therefore, the Pranayama that controls Prana’s movement is itself Karma-Yoga. However, ordinary karma cannot be Karma-Yoga.
Tadha vedanta-shravaNo bodha, karmayogadvina-shyati
— Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya states: the Jnana (knowledge) arising through Vedanta-Shravana (hearing the scriptural truth) is destroyed by what he calls ‘Karma-Yoga’ here — meaning ordinary external karma. He is pointing out that people commonly misuse the term ‘Karma-Yoga’ to mean ordinary worldly actions, which actually work against Vedantic Jnana rather than supporting it.
Diagram 7: True Karma-Yoga vs. Misused ‘Karma-Yoga’
| ORDINARY KARMA (Falsely Called ‘Karma-Yoga’) | TRUE KARMA-YOGA (Trishikhi Brahmanopanishad) |
| External worldly actions | INNER action — Pranayama practice |
| Office work, farming, charity, rituals | That which permanently restrains the mind |
| Mind remains outward (Bahirmukha) | Prana movement is controlled → Mind is stilled |
| Does not restrain the moving mind | Mind turns inward (Antarmukha) |
| May destroy Vedantic Jnana if done with attachment | Generates Jnana rather than accumulating phala |
| Called ‘karma’ — NOT ‘Karma-Yoga’ | This alone is the real Karma-Yoga |
Two Types of Karma — Pravritti and Nivritti
Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha, dwividham karma vaidikam
— Manu Smriti
The Manu Smriti declares that the Vedas describe two types of karma: Pravritti and Nivritti. Pravritti means the external worldly actions that perpetuate the cycle of birth and death (Samsara Chakra). Nivritti is the Jnana that enables escape from that Samsara — the inward-turning path of liberation. Nivritti-karma means Yoga-karma — the inner action that generates Jnana.
Na hi jnaanena sadrisham pavitram iha vidyate
Tat svayam yoga-samsiddha, kaalenaatmani vindati
— Bhagavad Gita 4-38
Yogaat sanjaayate jnaanam
— Trishikhi Brahmanopanishad — 16
Nothing in this world is as purifying as Jnana. And that Jnana is found spontaneously within oneself when one is perfected in Yoga — Yoga alone generates Jnana. Therefore, Nivritti-karma = Yoga-karma = Karma-Yoga = Pranayama. This is the one Yoga that alone is called Nivritti.
Diagram 8: Pravritti vs. Nivritti — Two Paths of Karma
| PRAVRITTI vs. NIVRITTI — THE TWO PATHS OF KARMA |
| PRAVRITTI KARMA (Outward Path): |
| All external worldly actions — business, rituals, social duties, warfare |
| Perpetuates Samsara Chakra (the cycle of birth and death) |
| Encouraged for those in the active phase of worldly life |
| Result: Continued births in higher, lower, or human realms |
| NIVRITTI KARMA (Inward Path): |
| Yoga-karma — inner action that generates Jnana |
| The specific karma of Pranayama that stills the mind |
| Leads AWAY from the cycle of birth → toward liberation |
| ‘Yogaat sanjaayate jnaanam’ — From Yoga, Jnana is born |
| THE EQUATION: Nivritti = Karma-Yoga = Yoga-Karma = Pranayama = Jnana-Kara |
| This is the ONE Karma that truly liberates — all else is Pravritti |
What is Karma? What is Akarma? — Even the Wise Are Confused
Kim karma kim akarme-ti, kavayo-apy-atra mohitaah
Tat te karma pravakshyaami, yaj jnaatvaa mokshyase-ashubhaat
— Bhagavad Gita 4-16
‘What is karma and what is akarma (non-karma)? Even the learned are confused about this. I will declare to you that karma by knowing which you will be liberated from this inauspicious Samsara.’
Krishna acknowledges that even Vedantins without direct experience (anubhava) remain full of doubts about karma and akarma. He then teaches the Buddhi-Yoga — the wisdom-united approach to action that liberates from Samsara — as the special karma capable of achieving what no other karma can.
Esaa te-abhihitaa saankhye, buddhir yoge tv imaam shrinu
Buddhyaa yukto yayaa paartha, karma bandham prahaasyasi
— Bhagavad Gita 2-39
Dureena hy avaram karma, buddhi-yogaad dhananjaya
— Bhagavad Gita 2-49
‘Karma and Buddhi-Yoga are distant opposites.’ Karma here refers to outer/external action; Buddhi-Yoga refers to inner Yoga-karma. The contrast reveals: external karma is ‘far inferior’ (Dureena avaram) to Buddhi-Yoga. Karma is external; Buddhi-Yoga is internal (Antarkarma). This explains why Sri Krishna assigns supreme importance to Yoga-karma.
Diagram 9: Karma vs. Buddhi-Yoga — External vs. Internal
| KARMA (External Action) | BUDDHI-YOGA (Inner Yoga) |
| Outer worldly deeds | Inner Yoga practice — Pranayama |
| Bahya-karma — done with body/speech/mind | Antarkarma — inner action |
| Mind fully engaged in the action | Mind restrained — turned inward |
| Results in karma-phala (good/bad fruits) | No karma-phala generated |
| Creates bondage — Samsara continues | Creates Jnana → liberation |
| ‘Dureena avaram’ — far inferior | ‘Vishishyate’ — superior, excellent |
The Bhagavad Gita (2-40) adds the remarkable assurance: Buddhi-Yoga has no loss of commencement (Neh-abhikrama-nashosti) — even if practiced only partially, it protects from great danger. And there is no counter-fault (Pratyavaaya-dosha) — unlike prescribed Vedic rituals that create faults if not performed correctly. Even a little of this Yoga-karma brings tremendous protection.
Neh-abhikrama-nasho-asti, pratyavaayo na vidyate
Svalpam api asya dharmasya, traayate mahato bhayaat
— Bhagavad Gita 2-40
What is Nishkama Karma? Who Can Practice It?
Nishkama karma means action performed WITHOUT desires (Nishkama = desireless). Is it possible to perform actions without any desire? The scriptures and realized teachers say YES — but only in a specific way.
The method is demonstrated by Janaka Chakravarti (King Janaka) to Shuka Brahmarshi: place a full vessel of oil on your head and walk throughout the entire city without letting a single drop spill — without using your eyes to look around. Janaka Chakravarti instructed Shuka Brahmarshi to do this. When Shuka returned after walking the entire city, Janaka asked what he had observed in the city. Shuka replied that he had seen nothing.
This is the experience: to walk through the city without spilling oil, Shuka had to keep his mind fully fixed on the vessel on his head. Therefore, although his feet walked and his eyes were physically open, he saw nothing — no visual experience reached his awareness. In the same way, one who places the mind on the Atman and then acts with the senses (Jnanendriyas and Karmendriyas) — such a person does not perform karma in the binding sense. Karma does not attach to that person. That person is the Nishkama Karma Yogi.
Diagram 10: King Janaka’s Teaching — The Oil Vessel Analogy
| THE OIL VESSEL TEST — HOW NISHKAMA KARMA IS ACHIEVED |
| KING JANAKA’S INSTRUCTION TO SHUKA BRAHMARSHI: |
| ‘Carry this vessel full of oil on your head through the entire city’ |
| ‘Do not let a single drop spill’ |
| ‘Without using your eyes to look around’ |
| WHAT HAPPENED: Shuka walked the entire city |
| Feet walked → KAYA KARMA (body karma) occurred |
| Eyes were open → J N A N E N D R I Y A S (sense organs) were active |
| BUT: Mind was entirely fixed on the oil vessel |
| Result: Shuka saw NOTHING of the city despite walking through it |
| THE TEACHING: Mind was NOT with the eyes — so no impression was formed |
| ‘I performed no karma’ — correct, because the mind was elsewhere |
| THE NISHKAMA APPLICATION: |
| Place the mind on ATMAN instead of the oil vessel |
| Then act with body and senses (Indriyas) in the world |
| The actions happen — but the mind is NOT with them |
| No karma-phala attaches → the Nishkama Karma Yogi is born |
Chetasaa sarva karmaani, mayi sannyasya mat-parah
Buddhi-yogam upaashritya, mach-chittaha satatam bhava
— Bhagavad Gita 18-57
‘Surrender all actions to Me in the heart, take refuge in Buddhi-Yoga, and keep your mind always absorbed in Me.’ Here Sri Krishna instructs: practice Yoga-sadhana, and keep the mind always fixed in the Atman. Such a Yogi, even while performing actions with hands and feet, does not accumulate karma. That person is the true Nishkama Karma Yogi.
Yasya naaham-krito bhaavo, buddhir yasya na lipyate
Hatvaa-api sa imaan lokaan, na hanti na nibadh-yate
— Bhagavad Gita 18-17
‘One who has no sense of Aham-kara (“I am doing this”), whose intellect is not tainted — even if such a person kills all these people, they are not the killer, they are not bound.’ The Bhagavad Gita Acharya’s statement: this person is not tainted by karma, even when performing the action of killing — because there is no Ahankara (ego-identification with the act), and the Buddhi (intellect) remains untainted.
Therefore: Karma-Yoga is Yoga itself. Nishkama Karma is also Yoga. The Yogi alone is the true Nishkama Karma Yogi.
