Summary:
Chapter 2, Verse 48: Evenness of mind (samatvam) means remaining equanimous to four possible outcomes: getting more than, less than, equal to, or opposite of expectations. Success can lead to pride while failure can trigger anger towards Ishvara and blame-seeking – both resulting in loss of perspective. This equanimity isn't mere advice but an understanding that results come from impersonal, impartial laws of Ishvara. These universal laws operate without bias (like gravity affecting all equally) and include the law of karma (cause-effect). While karma operates across millennia and includes collective karma (samashti-karma), life combines both free will (purushartha) and destiny (prarabdha). Outcomes depend on effort (prayatna), timing (kala), and grace (kripa). Verse essence: Equanimity in action comes from understanding that results are governed by impartial universal laws.
Revision:
The Essential Inquiry of Karma Yoga
Karma-yoga begins with an inquiry into the nature of action. While most people ask “what actions should I do?”, the real question is “in what way am I doing actions?”
This shift in perspective is crucial because any action, whether efficient or inefficient, reinforces two problematic tendencies: Bhokta (the sense of being an enjoyer seeking pleasure) and Karta (the sense of individual doership).
The Instrument Perspective: A Path to Freedom
The solution lies in seeing oneself as an instrument, like a pen writing the story of life. The writer is Ishwara (the divine), and we are merely the instrument through which action flows. When criticism or praise comes, it's not really directed at the instrument but at the larger divine order. This perspective helps reduce personal attachment to outcomes and results.
The Cycle of Attachment and Its Consequences
Without karma–yoga, actions create attachments, which lead to expectations and a sense of entitlement. When these expectations aren't met, it results in anger, frustration, and disappointment. This creates a cycle where we seek more pleasure to cover up the pain of unmet expectations. The limitations of action become evident when we consider how efforts can appear “wasted” – like building a business for a year only to have it fail due to unexpected circumstances like COVID.
Transforming “Failure” Through Karma Yoga
However, with karma yoga, even seemingly “failed” actions have value because they're transformed into opportunities for growth and learning.
Through karma-yoga, your actions don't just build external results but also develop internal qualities.
While Karma-Kanda from the Vedas is doing action strictly for future results — with Karma-Yoga, actions are done as a means of spiritual growth, or citta-shuddhi (mind purification).
Karma-Kanda focuses on enjoying pleasures here and hereafter, while Karma-Yoga transforms every action into an opportunity for inner development, regardless of external outcomes.
Understanding the Root of Rigid Thinking
The rigid mindset (avyavasayatmika buddhi) develops primarily due to desires. Like children constantly seeking the next pleasure, individuals become trapped in the mindset of “if I do X, I will get Y.”
This transactional thinking creates a fixed pattern where life becomes an endless journey of doing this to get that. The neural patterns become so deeply ingrained that the mind becomes almost brainwashed, unable to see beyond its own limited understanding. This rigidity manifests in statements like “my God alone is correct” or “my way alone is right,” dismissing all other perspectives.
They use “flowery words” that sound convincing but lack substance, and when challenged, they close themselves off, rejecting anything outside their scope of understanding. Their minds are filled with images of heaven.
For these reasons, karma-kandis are disinterested in logic and knowledge as they're living in bubbles.
BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 48:
How to have evenness of mind
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गम् त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय ।
सिद्धि असिद्ध्योः समः भूत्वा समत्वम् योगः उच्यते ॥ २-४८॥
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgam tyaktvā dhanañjaya ।
siddhi asiddhyoḥ samaḥ bhūtvā samatvam yogaḥ ucyate ॥ 2-48॥
Remaining steadfast in yoga, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)! perform actions abandoning attachment and remaining the same to success and failure. This evenness of mind is called yoga.
Same in Success and Failure / Evenness of Mind:
Results aren’t in your hands. This is shown by 4 possibilities in any outcome. They are: I have gotten more then I expected, less then, equal-to, or opposite.
Getting more-off, or equal to – potentially leads to pride, or looking down on others. While getting less-then or opposite – potentially leads to anger towards the world and Ishvara, discouragement and looking for external variables to blame why you didn’t get it.
Both result in loss of perceptive. One leads to attachment to success, other to loss of composure upon failure.
Krishna replies to this, “samatvam yoga ucyate” — remain equanimous to 4 outcomes. This isn’t an advice, but an understanding that result of actions are coming from impersonal/impartial laws of Ishvara.
Examples of impartiality of laws:
- Whether you drop a tennis ball or something dearly precious – in both cases that laws take over. The laws don’t bias the saint over the thief dropping the ball. This makes laws fair and unbiased.
- If mosquito bites a saint and gives him malaria, the laws won’t spare his potential death, unless he applies treatment. Laws work equally on everyone.
- Rama nor Krishna could change Ravana’s / Duryodhana’s mind. Because their mind was governed by psychological laws.
There is one more law called “Law of karma”:
Every action must have a consequence. Because universe is governed by cause-effect relationship. This law needs no proof because you know it already.
EG: You figured out to become a doctor – must study anatomy, prepare for exams, etc. You intuitively understand, “If I want this effect, I need to do this cause”. If you didn’t have knowledge of “law of karma”, you couldn’t make decisions.
Reason we doubt “Law of karma”:
We start to doubt “law of karma” when notice our efforts aren’t bringing corresponding results, and others’ lesser efforts are bringing huge returns. This is because “law of karma” doesn’t operate within 80 years – but has been running for millennia.
Second reason is due to Samashti-karma (collectively shared karma). We are inter-related in this world. Certain actions done by collective impact you. EG: Global-warming.
Error made regarding law of karma:
We think karma (karma-phala) is predetermined, making you good as a puppet going through scripted joys/sufferings. This error makes one dull and passive, like the 3rd fish as we discussed in prior sessions.
Correction to this error is to recognize life is combination of purushartha (free will) and prarabdha (past causes fructifying in the present; destiny). You’re given capacity to shape tomorrow according to today’s choices. You’re authoring life daily.
Examples form Mahabharata showing situations aren’t always according to past-karma:
STORY 1 (Cause coming from past, affecting present): Bhisma died through Shikhandi who was Abma in last life. Bhishma abducted Amba in prior life along with her 2 sisters, to get them married to his brother Vichitravirya. Amba revealed her choice for King Salva, so he returned her, but he rejected her too. She was unwanted. Blaming Bishma, she vowed for revenge next life. In this example, Bhishma was killed to due past life causes.
STORY 2 (Cause created in this life): Pandu shot arrow and killed sage/wife. Can’t say sage/wife were meant to die due to past life causes, and Pandu was only an instrument. If that was true, Pandu shouldn’t get punished. He was punished due to his negligence.
STORY 3 (Whether cause is past or present, either way Arjuna is asked to set it right): Duryodhana is consistently stepping over Pandavas rights. Krishna doesn’t say “Pandavas have done wrong in past and they need to go through their prarabdha”. Krishna said they must rise up and set boundaries.
Conclusion:
Three stories above show even if you’re negatively affected by past causes (prarabdha), you always have purushartha (choice) to start fresh any moment, influencing your future and the impact past causes are having on you in the present.
Additionally, any outcome is made up of 3 factors: Prayatna (effort), Kala (time lag between effort and result), Kripa (grace).
Therefore it’s unwise to say “This is my karma”, because you don’t have knowledge of your past, and the statement discourages problem-solving.
Homework: How will it help me knowing life is governed by non-negotiable laws?
NEXT VERSE: Two approaches to doing actions. One has spiritual benefit, other doesn’t…
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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.
Recorded 26 Jan, 2025