Karma, Karma Yoga, Akarma, and Vikarma as per Bhagavad Gita


What is Karma?


Karma is an action that has a reaction which will result in another birth in the material world.

Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities. Bg 8.3

What is Karma Yoga?


Karma yoga means to connect with Krishna by performing one’s duties free from attachment and aversion as an offering to Krishna.

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight. Bg 3.30

What is Akarma?


Akarma means activities that have no reaction that binds us to the material world. They are the opposite of karma, and can be called ‘inaction’ for this reason, even though they are actions. Such activities are those which are done for the pleasure of the Lord and can encompass many different kinds of activities, but since the goal is to please Krishna there is no material reaction which implicates us with the three modes of nature and forces us to take another material body.

One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities. Bg 4.18
Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings Bg 4.20

What is Vikarma?


Vikarma means anything performed without the direction of the Vedas, unauthorized or sinful work.

Actually, for those on the path of transcendence any activity that has a material reaction is vikarma, because the reaction is not wanted. But for those who are following the mundane codes of morality, and the sub-religious principles, there are recommended activities which bring pleasant material results, and others which bring about unpleasant results. Vikarma covers the activities that will result in unpleasant results and should at all cost be avoided.

For example, if you want to eat meat, there is a prescribed ritual in which an animal like a goat is offered in sacrifice at a certain time of the month with a certain ritual to a certain deity, and then the meat is eaten. There will be a reaction to this and the person will have to take birth as an animal and be killed, but there will be no additional sinful reaction because it has been done according to the prescribed regulations.

Setting up a slaughterhouse and meat processing plant, and killing thousands of cows per day is vikarma of the highest order and will carry very heavy vikarmic reaction on top of the karmic reaction.



Related Post:

Dharma according to Bhagwad Gita


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