Raja-Yoga. Raja-Yoga brings Jnana. Supreme devotion is Jnana only. Bhakti, it should be borne in
mind, is not divorced from Jnana. On the contrary, Jnana intensifies Bhakti. Karma-Yoga removes
the tossing of mind, Raja-Yoga steadies the mind and Jnana-Yoga removes the veil of ignorance
and brings in the Knowledge of Self. Every Yoga is a fulfilment of the preceding one. Thus Bhakti
is the fulfilment of Karma, Yoga of Bhakti, and Jnana of all the preceding three.The practice of Karma-Yoga prepares the aspirant for the reception of knowledge of Self. It moulds him into a proper Adhikari (aspirant) for the study of Vedanta. Ignorant people jump at once to Jnana-Yoga without having any preliminary training in Karma-Yoga. That is the reason why they fail miserably to realise Truth. The impurities still lurk in their minds. The mind is filled with likes and dislikes. They only talk of Brahman or God. They indulge in all sorts of useless discussions vain debates and dry, endless controversies. Their philosophy is on their lips only. In other words, they are lip-Vedantins. What is really wanted is practical Vedanta through ceaseless selfless service. Those who follow the path of Karma-Yoga should do work for work’s sake, without any motive. Two things are indispensable requisite in the practice of Karma-Yoga. A Karma-Yogi
should have extreme non-attachment for the fruits of his works and secondly he should dedicate all
his actions at the Altar of God with the feeling of Isvararpana (self-surrender). Non-attachment
brings freedom and immortality. Attachment is death. Non-attachment is eternal life.
Non-attachment makes a man absolutely fearless. When you thus consecrate all your actions to the
Lord, you will naturally develop devotion towards Him, and the greater the devotion the nearer you
are to the Lord. You will slowly begin to feel that God directly works through your body and senses.
You will feel no strain in the discharge of your works now. The heavy load you felt previously on
account of your false egoism, has now vanished out of sight, never to return.
The doctrine of Karma-Yoga1 forms an integral part of Vedanta. It expounds the riddle of
life and the riddle of the universe. It brings solace, satisfaction and happiness to one and all. It is a
self-evident truth. Fortunately even the Westerners have begun to acknowledge its importance and
veracity. They have no other go. Every sensible man or woman will have to accept it. “As you sow,
so you reap” holds good not only on the physical plane but in the moral world as well. Every
thought and every deed of yours generate in you certain tendencies which will affect your life and
hereafter. If you do good actions in a selfless spirit, you will naturally soar high to regions of bliss
and peace. Karma-Yoga is the lowest rung in the Spiritual Ladder; but it lifts us up to ineffable
heights. It destroys pride, selfishness and egoism. It helps growth and evolution.
From – SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
