Karma Yoga

The word karma comes form a Sanskrit root - kr. (to do). Karma is action. In a sense Karma also means the after effect of the action already done. In karma yoga karma is to be understood as action. The ultimate goal of human should be knowledge and not pleasure or luxury. And his actions should be based on this basic rule.
The actions we see in this world, everything that happens around us is the manifestation of the thoughts of human being. It is the out come of will.

The third chapter of bhagavad geeta talks about Karma Yoga. It says that any creature cannot be without doing any action at any time. Everything we do is action and has a result. We have five sense organs and we do all our actions through these five senses directed by mind. The man who does actions without attachment to the fruits of the work is superior. Man has to work. Work is better than doing nothing. Even bodily maintenance is possible by means of work. A Karma Yogi does work and such work will never hurt any one. He sacrifices all his work to the supreme almighty. When the person is not attached to the fruits of the work, he will come out of the chain of pleasure and misery. Beyond that he will find joy.

People, giving more importance to ego, thinking - " I am the doer" get entangled in the net of fruits of action. Doing action only for pleasure might give pleasure or misery when the expected result does not come. But when a person does work without expectation and sacrificing the results to the supreme lord, he experiences Joy and bliss which is incomparable to little pleasures.

Some work to get fame, some for money, some for power and some for the purpose of going to heaven. But one has to work for the sake of work only. People wait to get to a destination - Result. But if one understands that the work itself is the destination, then the work will also be done better and there wont be any misery arising out of it.

Desire and Lust spoil a person completely. Like fire covered by smoke, Mirror covered by dust - True knowledge of self is covered by Lust and Ego. When one wipes of dust of lust and ego, one finds the true self and true knowledge.

Thoughts become actions. Bhagavad geeta says - 
When  one thinks too much about something with desire, attachment arises, attachment gives rise to lust, and when one does not get that thing the lust turns into anger, anger turns into psychological disorder and makes the person evil, the person causes harm to the society and self.

Surrendering all the work to the supreme almighty, gives you detachment, detachment gives strength to mind, it opens up the heart to the world, love for all the creatures arises in the heart, thereby one does good things that help others. One thinks good things and wishes good things to world.

Work for the sake of perfection, for the sake of work surrendering the result to the GOD. Is what bhagavad geeta says about Karma Yoga.

Yoga - A way of life

Yoga is not just exercise or a set of postures. It is beyond that. Many people think yoga is just exercises and aasanaas. But yoga has many branches like -


  • Jnyana yoga - the path of knowledge ; 
  • Bhakti yoga - The path of surrender ;  
  • Karma yoga - path of expectation-less work ; 
  • Raaja yoga - Path of mind control and self understanding. Raja yoga has 8 steps of which aasana is also one.


Yoga aasanas is also not just exercise. It is a way of guiding and directing praana shakti or the vital force in the body to the different parts of body with postures. It gives strength and flexibility to body. But it is just a very small benefit of the benefits of yoga aasanas.

In long term yoga aasans give mental stability, clarity, courage. Yoga aasana is not like other exercises. The movement of the body is slow and gradual in yoga aasanas. Also one should give adequate rest to body in between aasanas.

All the branches of yoga are to be adopted in one's life. It will better the life in all the ways. 

Mukunda maala

ghushyatE yasya nagarE ranga yAtrA dinE dinE
tamaham shirasA vandE rajAnam kulashEkharam ||

I bow to king kulashekara, to whose land, piligrims come to see Lord Ranganatha every Day.


srii vallabhEti varadEti dayAparEti
bhakta priyEti bhavalunThana kOvidEti |
nAtEti nAga shayanEti jagannivAsEti
AlApanam pratipadam kuru mE mukunda        ||1||

jayatu jayatu dEvo dEvakii nandanOyam
jayatu jayatu krshnO vrshNi vamsha pradiipah
jayatu jayatu mEgha shyAmala kOmalAngO 
jayatu jayatu prthvii bhAra nAsho mukunda     ||2||                                            


mukunda mUrdhnA pranipatya yAchE
bhavantam EkAntam iyantam artham |
avismrtih tvaccharaNAravindE
bhavE bhavE mEastu bhavatprasAdAt             ||3||


nAham vandE tava charaNayoho dvandva madvandva hEtOho
kumbhii pAkam gurumapi harE nArakam nApanEtum
ramyA rAmA mrdu tanu latA nandanEnApirantum
bhAvE bhAvE hrdaya bhavanE bhAvayEyam bhavantam || 4||


nAsthA dharmE na vasunichayE naiva kAmOpabhOgE
yadyad bhavyam bhavatu bhagavan pUrva karmAnu rUpam
Etat prArthyam mama bahumatam janma janmAntarEpi
tvat pAdAmbOruha yuga gatA nishchalA bhaktirastu  ||5||

divi vA bhuvi vA mamAstu vAsO
narakE va narakAntaka prakAmam
avadhiirita shAradAravindau
charanau tE maraNEapi chintayAmi || 6 ||

krshna tvadiiya padapankaja panjarAntam
adyaiva mE vishatu mAnasa rAja hamsaha
prANa prayANa samayE kapha vAta pittaihi
kaNThAvarOdhana vidhau smaraNam kutahstE ||7||

chintayAmi harimEva santatam
manda manda hasitAnanAmbujam
nandagOpa tanayam parAtparam
nAradAdi muni vrnda vanditam ||8||

kara charaNa sarOjE kAntimannEtramiinE
shramamuShi bhujaviichi vyAkulEagAdha mArgE
harisarasi vigAhyApiiya tEjOjalauGham
bhava maru parikhinnah kEdamadya tyajAmi ||9||

sarasija nayanE sashankha chakrE
murabhidi mA viramasva chitta rantum
sukhataramaparam na jAtu jAnE
haricharaNa smaraNAmrtEna tulyam ||10||

mA bhiih manda manO vichintya bahudhA yAmiishchiram yAtanAha
nAmiinaha prabhavanti pApa ripavaha svAmi nanu shriidharah
Alasyam vyapaniiya bhaktisulabham dhyAyasva nArayaNam
lOkasya vyasanApanOdana karO dAsasya kim na kshamaha ||11||

bhava jaladi gatAnAm dvandva vAtA hatAnAm
suta duhitr kalatra trANa bhArAritAnAm
vishama viShaya tOyE majjatAmAplavAnAm
bhavatu sharaNamEkO vishNu pOtO narANAm.||12||

bhavajaladhim agAdham dustaram nistarEyam
katham aham iti chetO mA smagAh kAtaratvam
sarasija drshi dEvE tArakii bhaktirEkA
naraka bhidi nishaNNA tArayishyatyavashyam ||13||

trshnA tOyE madana pavanOddhUta mOhOrmimAlE
dArAvartE tanaya sahaja grAhasanghAkulE cha
samsArAkhyE mahati jaladhau majjitAm nastridhAman
pAdAmbhOjE varada bhavatO bhaktinAmam prayaccha || 14 ||

mAdrAksham kshENapuNyAn kshaNamapi bhavatO bhaktihEnAn pdAbjE
mAshrauSham shrAvyabaddham tava charitam apAsya anyadAkhyAnajAtam
mAsmArSham mAdhava, tvAmapi bhuvanapatE , chEtasAapahnuvAnAn
mAbhUvam tvatsaparyA vyatikara rahitO janma janmAntarEpi || 15||

jihvE kiirtyaya kEshavam, muraripum chEtO bhaja, shriidharam
pANirdvandva samarchayAchyuta kathAh shrOtradvaya tvam shrNu
krshNam lOkaya lOchana dvaya, harErgchhAnGhri yugmAlayam
jiGhra GhrANa mukunda pAda tulasiim, mUdhan namAdhOkshajam || 16||

hE lOkAh shrNu prasUti maraNa vyAdhEhe chikitsAmimAm
yOgajnyAhh samudAharanti munayO yAm yAjnyavalkyAdayaha
antarjyOtiramEyam Ekam amrtam, krshNAkhyamApiiyatAm
tatviitam paramauShadham vitanutE nirvANamAtyamtikam || 17 ||

hE martyAh paramam hitam shrNuta vO vakshyAmi sankshEpataha
samsArArNavamApadUrmi bahuLam samyak pravishya sthitAha
nAnAjnAnamapAsya chEtasi namO nArAyaNAya ityamum
mantram sapraNavam praNAma sahitam prAvartayudhvam muhuhu || 18||

prthviirENuraNuhu pyAmsi kaNikAha phalguh sphulingO laGhuhu
tEjO nihshvasanam maruttanutaram randhram susUkshmam nabhaha 
kshudrA rudrapitAmaha prabhrtayaha kiiTAh samastAssurAha
drShTE yatra sa tAvakO vijayatE bhUmAvadhUtAvadhihi ||19||

baddhEnAnjalinA natEna shirasA gAtraih sarOmOdgamaihi
kanTHEna svaragadgadEna, nayanEna udgiirNa bhAShpAmbunA
nityam tvaccharaNaravinda yugala dhyAnAmrtAsvAdinAm
asmAkam sarasiiruhAksha, satatam sampadyatAm jiivitam ||20||