Bhagavagd Gita - Session 31- Track 3110

Question: So, it is bargaining, so it is not actually Karma yoga.

It is not the highest Karma yoga. There are various kinds of Karma yogas. There are for examples Karma yogas in which you try to unite yourself with lower beings: it is also Yoga; when for example you want a favour of somebody and you loiter about that person all the time, it is also Yoga, it is also Karma yoga, but it is a lower kind because at least you are giving your mind to that person, you are offering something to that person to that extend, so small favour you want to get from somebody you go on loitering round and round and round until at last some bread is thrown to you and you feel that well at least something has come, now I can go to next step. So, there are many kinds and many levels of Karma yoga.

The essence of Yoga is offering; the object of offering, the expectation of the offering, the ultimate result of offering, all this may be quite different. The highest Karma yoga is one which Sri Krishna will explain here, but at the lower level, the action is still guided by desire. And even the kind of ritualistic Yoga which was done by the Vedic ritualists, which was ruled by three vidyā, it means three kinds of knowledge: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda. When you give the mantra of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, it is called the yajña which is done by three vidyā(s), Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda. Now, this ritualistic yajña is usually done in order to please the gods, knowing that in this world there are so many cosmic forces who control so much, knowing that Ganesha is the lord of wealth and you worship Ganesha, you offer so much you invite many people, you sacrifice so much, but with the desire that now wealth will come from Ganesha; lot of rituals you do, but it is addressed to Ganesha. Similarly there are many other gods, you call Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Mahasaraswati, many kinds of goddesses you worship separately or individually or collectively: all these are full of desire of one kind or the other.

So, Sri Krishna says now:

traividyā māṁ somapāḥ pūtapāpā yajñair iṣṭvā svargatiṁ prārthayante |

Those who are drinkers of Soma, those who get purified of pāpa, by traividyā, by means of three vidyā(s); yajñair iṣṭvā, they worship by sacrifices; svar-gatiṁ prārthayante but they desire to go to svarga, which is supposed to be the Abode of pleasure and happiness.

te puṇyam āsādya surendralokam aśnanti divyān divi devabhogān ||20|| (IX)

Even they attain merit and they go to the svarga-loka, surendra-lokam: Surendra is the loka of Indra; so they do go to higher heaven of Indra, and there, aśnanti divyāndivi deva-bhogān, they also enjoy, aśnanti, (they enjoy); deva-bhogān, they enjoy divine and celestial happinesses.

But then what happens? (IX, 21):

te taṁ bhuktvā svargalokaṁ viśālaṁ: these individuals having enjoyed bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ, the wide svarga, paradise, having enjoyed the pleasures of the paradise…

kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṁ viśanti |, but when their merits are finished, the lower bargain comes to an end, kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṁ viśanti |, they again come back to this world;

evaṁ trayīdharmam anuprapannā, these are the people which are attracted by three vidyā(s), Sama Veda Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, those who are attracted by these three vidyā(s), they…

gatāgataṁ kāmakāmā labhante ||21|| (IX)

They also attain to their desired results.