#216 Three types of karma (sattvika, rajasika, tamasika)

The Bhagavad Gita encourages us to cultivate sattva guna, which represents purity, clarity and knowledge. The more understanding one has of what is sattva, rajas, and tamas, the more subtlety one has in our appreciation of karma. One becomes more alert. That is why these divisions are made. It is something like appreciating the subtle nuances of colour. If you do not know the names of different shades you cannot even distinguish them properly. The more names you have the subtler is your appreciation of the difference between one shade and another. Similarly, the more you understand varieties of things like karma, karta, doer, mind, resolve, food, giving, and happiness in terms of sattva, rajas, and tamas, the more subtle your appreciation and your action becomes.

The predominance of sattva needs to seep in gently and firmly in all areas of our lives.

The purpose is not to sit in judgment on oneself or the other but to align oneself to more sattva, which prepares us for self-knowledge.

Today we look at what is three-fold karma

What is Sattvika karma?

नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम्।
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते।।18.23।।

That action, which is enjoined and which is done without attachment, without being impelled by likes and dislikes, by a person without a (binding) desire for result, is called sättvika.

The definition of karma-yoga is being given here. 

Any karma will have an element of raaga and dvesha, because nobody can perform an action without the expectation of a result.

Karma becomes karma yoga by the clear knowing that Ishvara pervades and permeates the law of karma both in the doing of karma and the receiving of the result. 

Karma through our roles and responsibilities is to be done in all our relationships with family, friends, at work.

Pancha Maha Yajñās, are all karma, in which I contribute to the well being of the various segments of the society; contributions towards Devatas through nitya puja and japa, responsibilities towards rishis and Gurus, community, and responsibilities towards the environment are to be done. My living becomes beneficial to others, but that is not an end in itself; When a person serves the society, no doubt he purifies the mind, but he does not have an opportunity to learn about the real nature of oneself.

Any karma that is done without certain kind of attachment, sangarahita, is saattvika. It is free from such identification as, ‘I am the one who is doing this.’ It is done without ego, without attachment. Some ritualistic people may do a lot of religious karma which is wonderful but they never come to Vēdānta.

People do karmas religious, vaidika, and secular, laukika, to gain punya, so that they can enjoy svarga and other improved situations later. But the karma spoken of here is done by one who is not even desirous of that kind of result, phala. He is a karma-yogi and therefore interested only in karma for purifying his mind( antah-karana-shuddhi – free from the hold of ragas and dveshas). For those of us who have raga-dveshas, this verse is not telling us to stop having raga-dveshas, it is suggesting that we still do the karma aligning our raga-dveshas with dharma. For instance, you are looking after your aging father and are irritated because you had to cancel a weekend outing with friends. Dharma would require you to not take out the frustration on the father as you are performing your duty. Your raga was to not miss the meeting but then you blurt out – I could not go, all because of you.

You do for the joy of doing.

You do karma because it is your privilege, responsibility and a gift.

You do karma because it is your contribution in the symphony of Ishvara.

The more you do karma with the right kind of attitude, the more free you are of the need to do karma; the less you define yourself by what you do or not do.      

Unfortunately, we define ourselves so much by our work. When we meet someone we often ask – What do you do? While that is fine in the context, am I defined by my karma?

If our karma indeed is to be sattvika, then we do what is to be done, knowing that,

No karma can add to the Atma that I am.

No karma can take away from the limitless Atma that I am. 

Then Bhagavan goes on to define the raajasam-karma.

यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः।
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम्।।18.24।।

But that karma which is done by one who has a (pronounced) desire for the result or again with arrogance (and) a lot of exertion is called raajasa.

Unlike sattvika karma, the karma done by the one who has a binding desire to obtain results is rajasika karma. Modern society has elevated passion to a tall pedestal. We are encouraged to find our passion and go all out for the results. If we don’t get the desired results the conclusions abound – you did not want it enough. You should be consumed by the desire like your life depends on it.

We tend to get obsessed and consumed by our partner, our work or our children. Of course, our partners, work and children are every important. But all the time if we obsess over any of them, trying to exercise a greater degree of control, clearly we are not performing our other responsibilities. We may even perform a lot of puja and japa for their sake. Although the karma is religious it is rajasika karma because it is based on the premise, that I will be fine only if this result is granted in my life.    

Rājasam karma is a karma done with tremendous stress and strain which tells upon one’s life in different ways; There are some people who suppress the tension, because business etiquette and work culture requires courtesy. The person suppresses his tension and pretends to be a relaxed person. Especially people who work in customer care. Varieties of psychosomatic diseases appear.

Most people do not know how to handle stress and anxiety, and therefore the person expresses the same inappropriately. Highly irritable in front of everyone and the victims are often the family members. Or some others who do not know how to cope with stress and strain and therefore he tries to release through addictions like drinking, internet, pornography or other habits.

It is natural to want results if you are doing karma, but obsession with the results leads to an unmanaged stressful life. And when one cannot lead even an ordinary peaceful life with relaxation, where is the question of studying the scriptures or praying or spending time with family members, or attending a Gita class.

People who perform rajasam karma believe that “if I change the set up, I will be happier. If I change the family members, I will be happier”. Many people ask Swamini to give advice to their family members, ‘Maybe if you say, they will listen’.

Rāga-dveṣa oriented karma is rājasa karma. And in fact,

when we are trying to change the world, the others are busy trying to change us!!

Bhagavan Krishna says a karma yōgi is interested in transforming himself; he does not have a complaint against the set-up. As Pujya Swami Dayananda ji beautifully would say, ‘The Problem is You; The Solution is You.’ Karma Yōgi wants to transform.

Also,  desire is not a problem. Bhagavan Krishna tell us clearly that he is the dharma aviruddha kaama, I am that desire which is unopposed to dharma or rather I am that desire which is aligned with dharma.   

Rajasam karma is doing not with a healthy self image but with a lot of pride and arrogance and thumping the chest proclaiming – I did it, for everything. Whether it is religious snobbishness or secular, it is just the furthering of ahankara. Even the guru the person will seek if at all, will be the most popular guru, the one who will elevate the status because the person is status conscious and acutely aware of managing perceptions. Even in a spiritual discourse, he would be particular about the row he is allotted. Even though the Gita is the same, whether you listen to from the lst row or the 3rd row, a big argument could break out if he has not been suitably respected. 

Then what is taamasam karma?

अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम्।
मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते।।18.25।।

That action, which is begun not taking into account the natural consequence, loss, injury (to others), and one’s own capacity because of delusion is called taamasa.

Action which is begun or impulsively done without seeing or taking into consideration the natural consequence. For example, if one utters the most hurtful things in anger, one does not consider the loss of closeness. Further the loss of energy and effort, loss of credibility and self-respect are not taken into consideration in this type of action.  

It is a lovely romantic idea to go with the flow but the question is are you ready to bump into rocks that might come into the way?  

Many people get confused regarding planning for the future and worrying about the future. Planning is a deliberate action and takes into account the natural consequences.

Planning with regard to the future, makes me efficient in the present. Planning is a sātvika karma but worrying is totally different.

Do you choose – between 5 and 6 pm, I will worry about my son. What happens without your permission at any time, even in the middle of the class sometimes, that is called worry. Worry regarding the future saps your efficiency. Planning strengthens you; worry weakens you;

Sātvika karma involves planning, whereas tāmasa karma, there is no planning. I felt like doing and therefore I did. Pauruṣam means the human capacity, personal capacity; personal resources, physical capacity; intellectual capacity; financial capacity. I keep these in mind while planning. In  tāmasic karma; proper plans will be lacking. Without considering the consequences, if an action is done, if in the office, the boss shouts at me, and I get angry, I feel it is justified and I shout back. The next day I lost my job. I should know whether I am dependent on the company or the company is dependent on me. Without knowing that, if you act, you will be in trouble. So therefore, before verbally expressing, before physically expressing, before starting anything, I need to know the consequences. क्षयम kṣayam means loss.

Whatever you have to accomplish in life; you have to proportionally expend energy, time effort. It is good to know if my body can expend so much energy, and at what cost?. Will any damage be caused by my action? Any action I do, there are favourable consequences and equal number of unfavourable consequences; generally, we downplay the unfavourable consequences because it appears bigger. There is no decision which is uniformly positive.

One must know what one is capable of and what one can complete successfully, for which one requires a proper recognition of one’s own resources, strength, skills, man power and so on. All these have to be taken into account when one performs an action. The incapacity to properly discriminate due to some kind of delusion, mohat is because of some grandiosity or false hope and it is a taamasam -karma.

This then is the three-fold karma.

We become aware of the nuances and align ourselves to more sattvika karma while being prayerful, ever connected with the law of karma, ever connected with Bhagavan’s presence permeating all karma.