Renu Singh Parmar
yogodapr@gmail.com
The Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, set on a battlefield. But its real message is not just about war,butalso about how to live wisely every day. One of its most powerful teachings is about desireless action: doing your best without being obsessed with the results.
According to Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, the great Indian spiritual master, performing actions without desire is an important aspect of yoga. In his monumental commentary, God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, he explained that Krishna’s message is not an abstract philosophy but a practical guide for anyone, whether managing a household, heading a company, or seeking God.
In Chapter 2, verse 47,of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna:
“Thy human right is for activity only, never for the resultant fruit of actions. Do not consider thyself as the creator of the fruits of thy activities; neither allow thyself attachment to inactivity.”
This means: do your duty-whether it is your job, caring for your family, or any responsibility, but don’t live in constant anxiety about rewards or recognition. Worrying about “what will I get” only brings stress. Freedom comes when you focus on the action itself, not on the outcome.At the same time, don’t become lazy or inactive.
Further in verse 48,Krishna advises Arjuna:
“O Dhananjay(Arjuna),remaining immersed in yoga, perform all actions, forsaking attachment(to their fruits), being indifferent to success and failure. This mental evenness is termed yoga.”
Life brings praise and blame, success and failure. Krishna teaches us to remaincalm in both situations. This even-mindednessis true yoga- the union of inner peace with outer action.
Later, in Chapter 3, verse 30, Krishna gives the key to achieving this state:
“Relinquish all activities unto Me! Devoid of egotism and expectation, with your attention concentrated on the soul,free from feverish worry,be engaged in the battle(of activity).”
In simple words: dedicate everything you do to God. To live this way is not to withdraw from the world, but to perform every action as an offering to Him-without restless desire, without ego, without expectation and feverish worry.This is the only path to a peaceful life.
And in Chapter 5, verse 10, Krishna presents a beautiful analogy:
“Like unto the lotus leaf that remains unsullied by water, the yogi who performs actions, forswearing attachment and surrendering his actions to the Infinite, remains unbound by the entanglement in the senses.”
Like the lotus, which grows in muddy water yet remains untouched, one can live amidst worldly struggles and remain calm by practising desireless action and surrender to God.
Yoganandaji founded Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in the West and YogodaSatsanga Society of India (YSS) to share these timeless teachings. His classic,Autobiography of a Yogi, introduced millions to yoga and meditation, and especially to Kriya Yoga, the ancient technique mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, as a direct way to experience God.
Desireless action is not running away from responsibilities but means working wholeheartedly- in the office, in relationships, in personal goals -but without clinging to outcomes.
The battlefield may be symbolic, but the struggle is real-between attachment and freedom, ego and surrender. The Gita shows us that victory lies in action without desire, for that alone brings lasting joy.
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