नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते |
स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् || 40||
nehābhikrama-nāśho ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt
na—not; iha—in this; abhikrama—efforts; nāśhaḥ—loss; asti—there is; pratyavāyaḥ—adverse result; na—not; vidyate—is; su-alpam—a little; api—even; asya—of this; dharmasya—occupation; trāyate—saves; mahataḥ—from great; bhayāt—danger
Translation:
In this, no effort is ever lost and no harm is ever done. Even very little of this dharma saves a man from the Great Fear.
Commentary:
This Karma Yoga, performed with discrimination, is a powerful spiritual force. It never goes to waste. When once it is started, good results flow from whatever is done in this Yoga. There is no harm or adverse effect even if it is stopped in the middle. For instance, when we plant a seed in the soil, we should water the soil constantly. Otherwise, the seed is destroyed. Such is not the case with this Yoga. Whatever is done produces its own good results in proper measure and at the proper time. Nothing is lost and no effort is wasted.
Protects from great fear:- Even a little of this Sadhana protects man from great fear. And what is the great fear of man in this world? Death. The cycle of birth and death constitutes Samsara. By the practice of this Yoga, man transcends this awful fear.
A small spark of fire is capable of spreading and burning up a whole forest; A small ship is capable of taking us over the big ocean. Even so, even a little practice of Karma Yoga protects man from the great ills of life. The seeker need not feel discouraged at all. Though he cannot attain the state of perfection all at once, he should continue this practice, little by little, without intermission. Even it is a piece of worship, or a small mantra – have faith in it and go on doing it as best as you can. This will enable you to cross the ocean of samsara. A bit of medicine, taken with a proper diet, helps a man to overcome a fearful disease.
This declaration is the most encouraging assurance of the Lord to all mankind. Generally, the seekers are discouraged by thinking of the obstacles on the path of spiritual life “How can I swim across this mighty inscrutable ocean of samsara? How can I transcend this limitless darkness of ignorance? Alas! I am not a Rishi. I cannot perform painful Tapas. I have no steadiness of mind. How can I be saved ?” Such is the usual train of thought for the majority of the seekers. Such discouraging thoughts are the real obstruction to progress. So the Lord assures all that whatever little they do will yield the best results and they can work wonders by their faith. This is the Lord’s promise. This is the Lord’s hope for mankind.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
There is no danger that you can overdo it. “If you do even a little of it, [this yoga will save you from the terrible round of birth and death].[Source])
We worship him (Gautama Buddha) as God incarnate, the greatest, the boldest preacher of morality that the world ever saw, the greatest karma-yogi; as disciple of himself, as it were, the same Krishna came to show how to make his (Krishna’s) theories practical. There came once again the same voice that in the Gita preached, “Even the least bit done of this religion saves from great fear.”[Source]
This is teaching on the practical side. Believe, therefore, in yourselves, and if you want material wealth, work it out; it will come to you. If you want to be intellectual, work it out on the intellectual plane, and intellectual giants you shall be. And if you want to attain to freedom, work it out on the spiritual plane, and free you shall be and shall enter into Nirvana, the Eternal Bliss. But one defect which lay in the Advaita was its being worked out so long on the spiritual plane only, and nowhere else; now the time has come when you have to make it practical. It shall no more be a rahasya, a secret, it shall no more live with monks in cave and forests, and in the Himalayas; it must come down to the daily, everyday life of the people; it shall be worked out in the palace of the king, in the cave of the recluse; it shall be worked out in the cottage of the poor, by the beggar in the street, everywhere; anywhere it can be worked out. Therefore do not fear whether you are a woman or a shudra, for this religion is so great, says Lord Krishna, that even a little of it brings a great amount of good.[Source]
Cannot the knowledge, by which is attained even freedom from the bondage of worldly existence, bring ordinary material prosperity? Certainly it can. Freedom, dispassion, renunciation, all these are the very highest ideals, but “स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् — Even a little of this dharma saves one from the great fear (of birth and death).” Dualist, qualified-monist, monist, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta, even the Buddhist and the Jain and others — whatever sects have arisen in India — are all at one in this respect that infinite power is latent in this jivatman (individualized soul); from the ant to the perfect man there is the same Atman in all, the difference being only in manifestation. “As a farmer breaks the obstacles (to the course of water)” (Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra, Kaivalyapada, 3). That power manifests as soon as it gets the opportunity and the right place and time. From the highest god to the meanest grass, the same power is present in all — whether manifested or not. We shall have to call forth that power by going from door to door.[Source]
A very small amount of religious work performed brings a large amount of result. If this statement of the Gita wanted an illustration, I am finding every day the truth of that great saying in my humble life.[Source]
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
Sri Ramakrishna: “With the realisation of Satchidananda one goes into samadhi. Then duties drop away. Suppose I have been talking about the ostad and he arrives. What need is there of talking about him then? How long does the bee buzz around? So long as it isn’t sitting on a flower. But it will not do for the sadhaka to renounce duties. He should perform his duties, such as worship, japa, meditation, prayer, and pilgrimage.
“If you see someone engaged in reasoning even after he has realised God, you may liken him to a bee, which also buzzes a little even while sipping honey from a flower.”
The Master was highly pleased with the ostad’s music. He said to the musician, “There is a special manifestation of God’s power in a man who has any outstanding gift, such as proficiency in music.” (BG 10.41)
MUSICIAN: “Sir, what is the way to realise God?“
MASTER: “Bhakti is the one essential thing. To be sure, God exists in all beings. Who, then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God. But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity. The water of God’s grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism. It runs down. I am a mere machine.
(To Kedar and the other devotees) “God can be realised through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.
“You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion. I should reply: Suppose there are. Every religion has errors. Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time. It is enough to have yearning for God. It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him. Don’t you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul. Suppose a man has several sons. The older boys address him distinctly as ‘Baba’ or ‘Papa’, but the babies can at best call him ‘Ba’ or ‘Pa’. Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well. All children are the same to the father. Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names. They call on one Person only. God is one, but His names are many.” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
Related Articles:
- Verily these acts should be performed leaving aside attachment (doership) and the fruits; this is my certain and best opinion. (BG 18.6)
- O Arjuna! Steadfast in Yoga, giving up all attachment, unmindful of success or failure, do your work. Such equanimity of mind is called Yoga. (BG 2.48)
Question: Explain the point of Karma Yoga.
Answer:
- Whatever is done in this Yoga never goes to waste.
- There is no adverse effect, even if it is stopped in the middle.
- A little of this practice saves man from great fear.
Question: What is the way to escape the fear of Samsara?
Answer: To act according to the law of Karma Yoga with discrimination is the way.
