yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara || 9||

My Understanding : Whatever you do, surrender it to God with a wholehearted heart. Give your actions to Him, and dedicate yourself fully to them. Do not focus on the results; simply act with sincerity and dedication. Your aim should not be personal satisfaction, but to bring goodness into the world. Do everything to make the divine happy, not for your own gain. Act to survive and fulfill your purpose, not in pursuit of wealth.

niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ
śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ || 8||

My Understanding : Work can be of two types: physical and mental. Physical work involves the body’s functions, such as digesting food to produce energy, without requiring mental effort. On the other hand, mental work engages the conscience, which harbors desires and guides our actions. Sometimes, our conscience tells us to act, and we follow. Other times, even when it warns us against something, we might still choose to do it—whether out of duty or personal reasons. Good and bad deeds are not recorded externally; instead, our conscience inherently understands what is right and wrong based on the situation. It is up to us to listen to this inner voice and act accordingly. We must fulfill our daily responsibilities while focusing on actions that bring peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment. Whatever we do, we should do it wholeheartedly, with sincerity and dedication.

yas tvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate || 7||

My Understanding : Controlling your desires by closing your eyes or distancing yourself from the world won’t give you true control. It’s not about suppression but mastering your senses. You must guide your actions to avoid anything harmful or unethical. See the good around you, and keep your thoughts and deeds ethical. Focus on doing what you can, without attachment to the results. Don’t dwell on outcomes—once you’ve fulfilled your duty, your role is complete. Let that be enough.

karmendriyāṇi sanyamya ya āste manasā smaran
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyate || 6||

My Understanding : The senses are governed by the mind, and through these karmic senses, a person performs actions—this is where karma yoga begins. The mind must take charge of the senses, embracing and harmonizing them. When this balance is achieved, the person discovers beauty in nature, the world, and everything around them. Through the eyes, conscience perceives and interprets the outer world. This perception shapes human nature, forming the essence of the person. From this connection, desire arises, leading to karma. As desires grow, attachments form, sparking feelings of like and dislike, love and hate. Even when the eyes are closed, the conscience continues to “see,” sustaining karma and binding the person to attachments. To transcend these attachments, a human must strive to control their senses. Only then can they experience a profound change in their behavior and find clarity and freedom from the endless cycle of desire and action.

na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit
kāryate hyavaśhaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛiti-jair guṇaiḥ || 5||

My Understanding : No one can exist without performing karma. Even the simple acts of breathing and the beating of the heart are forms of karma. Whether you’re sleeping or sitting idle, you are still engaged in karma—it is unavoidable. Controlling your conscience and senses is part of the practice of yoga, but this is only achievable when you are on the correct path. Facing your own intentions is like battling with your own hand—it is an internal struggle. When your intentions within your conscience align with your senses, they give rise to willpower (sankalpa) to act. Suppressing your desires is a mistake and goes against the essence of yoga. Yoga is not about denial but about balance and alignment. True yogabhyasa (yogic practice) should bring you happiness and inner harmony, not suppression or discomfort.

na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho ’śhnute
na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati || 4||

My Understanding : The body is formed from the five elements of nature, filled with energy that originates from the natural world. This energy varies from person to person, influenced by their trigunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas). These trigunas shape the connection between the body, intelligence, life, and conscience, binding them together in harmony. From this connection, willpower arises, driven by karma. However, conscience has no authority over willpower—it cannot control the nature of our actions. Instead, the will must independently judge and discern between good and bad deeds. Conscience plays a different role; it guides the physical body, often restraining it from performing certain actions. The intentions or sankalpa (resolutions) we form originate from nature itself, but conscience acts as a barrier, stopping the body from engaging in actions it deems unfit. Good and bad deeds, however, are not governed by conscience. They are determined by the choices we make through willpower and judgment. It is through understanding and aligning our actions with the right path that we shape our karma and its outcomes.

śhrī bhagavān uvācha
loke ’smin dvi-vidhā niṣhṭhā purā proktā mayānagha
jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karma-yogena yoginām || 3||

My Understanding : Life is a harmonious coordination of four key elements: Physical Body: The vessel through which we act. Cosmic Energy: The force that sustains and empowers life. Intelligence: The guide for discernment and action. Light: The awareness that illuminates our path. The physical body is created and sustained by cosmic energy, both of which arise from intelligence. Intelligence is the foundation that directs karma—determining what should or should not be done. This is why life’s journey begins with intelligence, for it enables us to discern between good and bad karma before acting. When we engage in good deeds, our intelligence becomes pure, leading to clear and positive thoughts. Purity in intelligence fosters clarity in action, allowing us to align our lives with goodness. Therefore, choosing to do good is essential for cultivating a harmonious existence. In moments of confusion, we must pause, reflect, and seek guidance from a guru—whether external or within ourselves. With careful thought and discernment, we can decide to pursue good karma. Once this decision is made, confusion fades, and karma loses its power to trouble us. Good actions bring peace and clarity, allowing us to live without the burdens of doubt. By aligning the body, cosmic energy, intelligence, and light, we create a balanced and purposeful life, grounded in the pursuit of good deeds.

arjuna uvācha
jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava || 1||
vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṁ vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām || 2||

My Understanding : Humans, at their core, are composed of three essential elements: Light, the essence of awareness. Intelligence, the pathway to experience. Power, which is life itself. Life’s power is expressed through the body, whose ultimate purpose is to correct and realign. Intelligence guides us to experience, while the body’s energy channels this power to fix what is broken. The role of life, carried by the body, is to rectify the wrongs we have done—this is the essence of practicing karma. From the roots of existence, intelligence grows in layers, leading to karmabandha (the bond of actions). These layers, shaped by ego and pride, tether us to the cycle of deeds. Though karma encompasses both good and bad, it inevitably intertwines with emotions like hatred. Many believe that ceasing certain actions can free them from hatred, but this is a misconception. The body itself requires karmacharana (the practice of karma) to sustain life and progress. There is an intricate link between our actions and their outcomes. Escaping karma by pursuing knowledge alone is futile, for knowledge without karma is incomplete and impossible. What we deem “impossible” often becomes an excuse to avoid confronting our duties, but this avoidance is merely an illusion. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna for guidance, yearning for the right path amidst his confusion. He recognizes the discomfort and burdens of karma but remains hesitant to act. Krishna advises him to embrace his duty and fight, yet Arjuna resists, overwhelmed by doubt and the weight of his own questions. Arjuna’s struggle highlights a universal truth: Knowledge is the soul’s foundation, and the guru is not an external figure but a guiding light within. Despite Krishna’s wisdom, Arjuna’s hesitation reveals the human tendency to seek clarity without readiness to act. This is why he questions Krishna repeatedly, even after receiving the counsel to fulfill his role as a warrior. The Gita reminds us that karma and knowledge are intertwined; one cannot exist without the other. The true path lies not in escaping karma but in embracing it with intelligence and purpose, aligning our actions with the greater order of life.