Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga (Sanskrit: “yoga of action”) is the path of selfless action as the means of spiritual purification and liberation.

Overview

Karma Yoga is the practice of performing one’s duty (dharma) without attachment to the results, dedicating all actions to a higher purpose. It transforms ordinary work into a spiritual practice by cultivating equanimity and selflessness.

Philosophical Context

Karma Yoga is elaborated in the Bhagavad Gītā (chapters 2-5), where Krishna instructs Arjuna on the nature of selfless action. The core teaching is that one should act according to one’s dharma without being attached to success or failure, pleasure or pain. This practice gradually purifies the mind of egoism and desire, the root causes of bondage. The Bhagavad Gītā (3.19-3.35) describes how action performed as an offering to the divine, without selfish motivation, becomes a form of worship that burns karmic impurities. Karma Yoga does not require renunciation of worldly activity but rather a transformation of attitude.

Interpretations

In the Gītā, Karma Yoga is presented as a practical path suitable for those who are not yet ready for the renunciant paths of Jñāna or Rāja Yoga. In the broader Hindu context, karma yoga is often interpreted as the practice of nishkāma karma (desireless action). In modern contexts, karma yoga is sometimes identified with selfless service (sevā) in spiritual communities.

Verification Notes

• The Bhagavad Gītā chapters 2-5 are the primary source