16. kim karma kim akarma ithi kavayaH api athra mohithaaH
thath the karma pravakshyaami yath jnaathvaa mokshyase
aSubhath
Even the wise are deluded as to which is action and which is inaction. I shall tell you about that action knowing which you will be freed from evil.
Karma- action, akarma- nonaction
kavayaH- the word kavi is normally used in the sense of poet but here means the wise denoting one with insight and intuition.
They are also deluded, mohithaaH, meaning that they also are under the influence of gunas and hence fail to understand the real nature of what is karma and what is akarma.
17.karmaNaH hi api bodDhavyam bodDhavyam cha vikarmaNaH
akarmaNaH cha bodDhavyam gahanaa karmaNaH gathiH
The nature of action, should be understood, and also that of variegated and prohibited action.. Knowledge about non-action also must be acquired. The path of action is very difficult.
karmaNaH- (the nature)of action
bodDhavyam- should be known
vikarmaNaH- (the nature )of vikarma, variegated or prohibited action
akarmaNaH- (the nature )of non-action
gahanaa ?difficult or unfathomable ( is)
karmaNaH gathiH- the path of action
Karmayoga had been explained by
The average man seems to have no doubt at all in this matter because to him action is exertion of some kind and inaction is immobility. But there are not only karma and akarma, action and inaction, but also vikarma, prohibited action. What is laid out in the Vedas are karma in accordance with one's nature and position in this world. These have to be done but without attachment. At the same time one ought to know what are the actions prohibited by the Vedas and should avoid them. For example a thief may say that stealing is what comes to him naturally and demanded by his status in the society because he is not trained for any other work. This kind of activity is denoted by vikarma. On the other hand there are certain actions which need not be done and abstaining from them will be akarma.
Ramanuja however defines vikarma as viviDhathaam aapannam karma, variegated action. Karma according to him is mokshasaaDhanabhootham, the action which has to be done to attain release from bondage. Vikarma is varied action, such as nithya, obligatory, naimitthika, occasional and kaamyakarma, desire prompted. Akarma on the other hand is non-action on acquiring the knowledge of the self.
Nithya karma is the duty that should be done normally such as svadharma and that ordained by the Vedas like agni hothra, sandhyavandhana, aradhana etc. naimitthika karma is that done on special occasions like sraaddha , yajna, marriage, propitiating the holy men etc. The rest is desire motivated and should be given up by one aspiring for moksha.
It is variegated because different nithya naimitthika karmas are prescribed for different kind of people according the rules of
When one reaches the final state of enlightenment there is no need for him to do any karma and whatever he does becomes akarma.
To put this in a simple language, any work that brings a result that affects the doer is karma and that which does not affect the doer in anyway is akarma. A man of divine wisdom, jnani, does not think that he is doing anything because he does not identify himself with the body, mind and intellect and does not possess ahamkara, ego. As mentioned in the last chapter he considers his actions as the interaction between the gunas in him an those outside, gunaaguneshu varthantha ithi mathvaa na sajjathe. Only the man whose intellect is clouded with ego thinks that he is the doer.
This idea can be well brought out by a story about sage Vyasa and
The one who knows this is wise says
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