welcome KR On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 at 17:02, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sorry for the delayed resoponse . Great Feedback Helped a Lot to improve > my Learning > pu > > > *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not as > important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a > happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "* > > > > > On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 9:20 AM Rajaram Krishnamurthy < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> True selflessness begins where expectations end. When love becomes the >> intention, not reward or recognition, service turns into joy. This wisdom >> reminds us that fulfilment isn’t found in what we get, but in how deeply we >> give. >> >> Nishkama Karma (or Nishkamya Karma) from the Bhagavad Gita >> signifies performing duties selflessly, without attachment to rewards, >> recognition, or outcomes. Rooted in Sanskrit (nish=without, kama=desire), >> this principle of Karma Yoga emphasizes focusing on the action itself >> rather than the results. It helps purify the mind, reduce anxiety, and >> foster spiritual growth. The term is Nishkam Karma or निष्काम कर्म. >> First let’s try to understand its meaning. >> >> Nishkam/निष्काम is a sandhi of nih+kam or निः+काम. Here “nih” or “निः” >> means “without” and “kam/काम” means “kamna”/”कामना”, i.e. any kind of >> desire. >> >> Karma/कर्म means “work”/”action”, “kri/कृ ” dhatu. >> >> So, the term “Nishkam Karma” means “action or without desire” or “work >> without motive”. >> >> To elaborate this— Krisha suggests that we have rights only on the work >> or the action, and not on its results, whether it is good or bad. Our >> works, our desires should be “desireless”, we should not desire for any >> pleasing (or unpleasing) result. >> >> As I have already mentioned “Nishkama Karma” is the central message of >> Bhagavad Gita, readers will surely notice that are many verses in Bhagavad >> Gita discussin “Nishkam Karma” theme. >> >> In this article our topic is Swami Vivekananda‘s quotes and comments on >> Bhagavad Gita‘s teaching “Nishkam Karma”. >> >> Swami Vivekananda on Nishkama Karma >> >> Here you’ll find Swami Vivekananda’s mentions, quotes and commentaries on >> Bhagavad Gita’s teaching “Nishkam Karma”. >> >> Now, what is the meaning of working without motive? Nowadays many >> understand it in the sense that one is to work in such a way that neither >> pleasure nor pain touches his mind. If this be its real meaning, then the >> animals might be said to work without motive. Some animals devour their own >> offspring, and they do not feel any pangs at all in doing so. Robbers ruin >> other people by robbing them of their possessions; but if they feel quite >> callous to pleasure or pain, then they also would be working without >> motive. If the meaning of it be such, then one who has a stony heart, the >> worst of criminals, might be considered to be working without motive. The >> walls have no feelings of pleasure or pain, neither has a stone, and it >> cannot be said that they are working without motive. In the above sense the >> doctrine is a potent instrument in the hands of the wicked. They would go >> on doing wicked deeds, and would pronounce themselves as working without a >> motive*. If such be the significance of working without a motive, then a >> fearful doctrine has been put forth by the preaching of the Gita*. >> Certainly, this is not the meaning. >> >> The next is, Nishkâma Karma, or work without desire or attachment. People >> nowadays understand what is meant by this in various ways. Some say what is >> implied by being unattached is to become purposeless. If that were its >> real meaning, then heartless brutes and the walls would be the best >> exponents of the performance of Nishkama Karma. Many others, again, give >> the example of Janaka, and wish themselves to be equally recognised as >> past masters in the practice of Nishkama Karma! Janaka (lit. father) did >> not acquire that distinction by bringing forth children, but these people >> all want to be Janakas, with the sole qualification of being the fathers of >> a brood of children! No! *The true Nishkama Karmi (performer of work >> without desire) is neither to be like a brute, nor to be inert, nor >> heartless. He is not Tâmasika but of pure Sattva*. His heart is so full >> of love and sympathy that he can embrace the whole world with his love. { >> KR: PIRAR KUTRAM NEEKKI THAN KUTRAM KANGIR PIN…..; ANBIRKKUM UNDO ADAIKKUM >> THAAZH…..}The world at large cannot generally comprehend his all-embracing >> love and sympathy >> >> Swamiji observed {KR NO ONE CAN WORK WITHOUT AN OBJECTIVE, PURPOSE AND >> DEZIRE AS BRAHMA SUTRA OPENING VERSE SAID,” ATHATHO BRAHMA JGNASA: MEANING >> LETS DEZIRE TO LEARN VEDAS; SEZIRE IS STRESSED BUT FOR LEARNING THE VEDA >> WHICH SHALL NOT BE USED FOR SELF AS SASTRIGAL BUT MUST RAISE PUBLIC >> STANDARDS AS RISHIS AS YOHINATH OF UP; RIG VEDA NASADIYA SUKTAM SAYS THAT >> THE MANIFESTATIONS BEGAN ONLY OUT OF THHE DESIRE OF BRAHMAMAND THE DESIRE >> FOR THE SOULS TO ATTAIN THE MUKTI AND LEAD KINDLY LIFE OR TURN AROUND >> BODIES AS A SYSTEM; ALL IN PUBLIC INTEREST AND NOT FOR SELFISH ATTAINMENT} >> >> The result of every work is mixed with good and evil. There is no good >> work that has not a touch of evil in it. Like smoke round the fire, some >> evil always clings to work. We should engage in such works as bring the >> largest amount of good and the smallest measure of evil. Arjuna killed >> Bhishma and Drona; if this had not been done Duryodhana could not have been >> conquered, the force of evil would have triumphed over the force of good, >> and thus a great calamity would have fallen on the country. The government >> of the country would have been usurped by a body of proud unrighteous >> kings, to the great misfortune of the people. Similarly, Shri Krishna >> killed Kamsa, Jarâsandha, and others who were tyrants, but not a single one >> of his deeds was done for himself. Every one of them was for the good of >> others. We are reading the Gita by candle-light, but numbers of insects are >> being burnt to death. Thus it is seen that some evil clings to work. Those >> who work without any consciousness of their lower ego are not affected with >> evil, for they work for the good of the world. To work without motive, to >> work unattached, brings the highest bliss and freedom. This secret of >> Karma-Yoga is taught by the Lord Shri Krishna in the Gita. >> >> How to follow the ideal of Nishkama Karma Swami Vivekananda suggested— >> We say that we cannot do good without at the same time doing some evil, or >> do evil without doing some good. Knowing this, how can we work? There have, >> therefore, been sects in this world who have in an astoundingly >> preposterous way preached slow suicide as the only means to get out of the >> world, because if a man lives, he has to kill poor little animals and >> plants or do injury to something or some one. So according to them the only >> way out of the world is to die. The Jains have preached this doctrine as >> their highest ideal. This teaching seems to be very logical. But the true >> solution is found in the Gita. It is the theory of non-attachment, to be >> attached to nothing while doing our work of life. Know that you are >> separated entirely from the world, though you are in the world, and that >> whatever you may be doing in it, you are not doing that for your own sake. >> Any action that you do for yourself will bring its effect to bear upon you. >> If it is a good action, you will have to take the good effect, and if bad, >> you will have to take the bad effect; but any action that is not done for >> your own sake, whatever it be, will have no effect on you. There is to be >> found a very expressive sentence in our scriptures embodying this idea: >> “Even if he kill the whole universe (or be himself killed), he is neither >> the killer nor the killed, when he knows that he is not acting for himself >> at all.” Therefore Karma-Yoga teaches, “Do not give up the world; live >> in the world, imbibe its influences as much as you can; but if it be for >> your own enjoyment’s sake, work not at all.” >> >> AND NOW IF THE WORDS ARE ALTERED SUITABLY IN AFRAME WORK AS >> >> न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते | >> >> न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति || 4|| >> >> na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho ’śhnute >> >> na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati >> >> BG 3.4: One cannot achieve freedom from karmic reactions by merely >> abstaining from work, nor can one attain perfection of knowledge by mere >> physical renunciation. >> >> VIZ KARMIC REACTIONS ARE SERVICE FOR OTHERS AND NOT FOR SELF SO HAD TO >> WORK WITH EXPECTATIONS OF RESULTS AS IT WOULD FULFIL THE THIRST OF OTHERS >> IN WHICH FAILURE WILL ALSO BE THERE, WHEN THE KARMA CONTINUED WITHOUT >> CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURES OR SUCCESS, SIMILARLY SANYASA DOES NOT MEAN WEARIN >> THRI THANDI AND KAVI AND GO TO HIMALAYA; IN BG BHAGAVAN SAYS, OH ARJUNA IN >> THIS WORLD I HAVE NOTHIG TO DO HEREAFTER; BUT RIDING YOUR CHARIOT SITTING >> AT A LOWER LEVEL; WHY; IT IS NOT RIDING THE CHARIOT; BUT MAINTAING DHARMA; >> FOR THE SAKE OF DHARMA I AM WORKING ALWAYS YET I ANM IN NONE FOR MY SAKE. >> THUS RENUNCIATION IS DOING THE WORK WITH THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE. >> >> SELFLESSNESS IS SERVICE TO PEOPLE WITH EXPECTATIONS AND HARD WORK >> AS SELF IS REUNCIATED. >> >> K RAJARAM IRS 23126 >> >> On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 at 04:37, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> True selflessness begins where expectations end. When love becomes the >>> intention, not reward or recognition, service turns into joy. This wisdom >>> reminds us that fulfilment isn’t found in what we get, but in how deeply we >>> give. >>> >>> >>> *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not >>> as important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to >>> live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "* >>> >>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZopzsHkZsH4TKgpPhx211Rhe92Gd3252%3DDsCwBqnpJQsPg%40mail.gmail.com.
