Chapter 18 Shloka 12

अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मण: फलम्।

भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित्।।१२।।

The actions of the ignorant (those who are

driven by desire) beget three kinds of fruit –

pleasant, unpleasant and mixed;

whereas the deeds of the renunciate

beget no fruit, now or hereafter.

Chapter 18 Shloka 12

अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मण: फलम्।

भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित्।।१२।।

The Lord says:

The actions of the ignorant (those who are driven by desire) beget three kinds of fruit – pleasant, unpleasant and mixed; whereas the deeds of the renunciate beget no fruit, now or hereafter.

Little one, those who are ridden with attachment and who crave the fruits of action receive three types of fruit in accordance with the merit of the deeds performed.

Ishtam phalam (इष्टफल) – Pleasant fruit

1. One’s desired destiny.

2. A life in accordance with one’s likes.

3. A life of renown and great reverence.

4. The prevalence of joyous circumstances in one’s life.

5. The possession of wealth, comforts and joy.

6. A life which enjoys the respect of others.

Anishtam phalam (अनिष्टफल) – Unpleasant fruit

Those who receive such fruits:

a) are unfortunate people who are constantly spurned by all;

b) have to face adversity and opposition in every situation and circumstance;

c) do not even obtain enough food for self sustenance;

d) are ever surrounded by sorrow, antagonism and remorse;

e) are physically handicapped at times, and at other times deprived of love; sometimes, despite having everything, they are gripped by disease;

f) have unpleasant associates and an unpalatable life;

g) are surrounded by enemies on all sides;

h) are surrounded on all sides by harshness.

Mishram phalam (मिश्रितफल) – Mixed fruit

Some people receive mixed fruits in accordance with their deeds. That is:

1. They receive a few joys and a few sorrows.

2. They meet with some deceit and some love.

3. They face some losses and gain some victories.

4. At times, when they have a family, they are left devoid of love.

5. They thus live a life full of dualities.

What is indicated here is that the cycle of life is set in motion by man’s desire and by his attachments and aversions.

The Lord repeats again and again, “Renounce attachments. Renounce the desire for the fruits of action and you will be released from the cycle of birth and death.”

It could thus be said that actions are actually performed by the mind. All that happens in the external world transpires automatically due to the interaction of qualities. Even if the mind does not get attached to them, those actions will continue. Even if the mind renounces all desire for their fruits, those actions will continue to unfold.

This means that:

a) the fruits of gross deeds do not produce any seeds of action;

b) even gross deeds are not within our control;

c) actually gross deeds constitute the fruits that man receives. They are the result of the sprouting of the seeds of past lives.

Attachment

1. Attachment is a mental identification with any object.

2. It could also be described as a mental union with that object.

3. It denotes an intense affinity.

4. It denotes an extremely intense bonding.

5. It is a resolute mental knot.

6. It connotes yoga or unity.

7. It is a desire for oneness.

The consequences of attachment

The individual who is the Atma embodied, is deluded by the ignorance of the mind and the intellect.

1. Thus he considers himself to be the body.

2. He becomes identified with the body-self.

3. The inanimate body and the animate Atma are inherently dissimilar, yet he mistakenly believes them to be one.

4. He should have been the impartial witness of the body, which is nothing but an idol of clay, but instead he has become one with that gross idol.

5. Then the intellect within that idol of clay and the body combined together address that idol, emitting a single sound: ‘I’.

6. That one who was meant to be merely an impartial witness of all, made the body ‘I’ and identified himself with that body of clay.

7. Thus the veils of the mind, intellect and the body-affiliated ‘I’ covered that witness.

8. The individual was meant to have performed all deeds spontaneously, bound by the gunas or qualities. Attachment caused the ‘I’ to claim those deeds.

9. All actions were continuing in accordance with the universal law. The ‘I’ identified with those deeds and said, “I have done them!”

10. The pride of doership sprang up due to attachment; however, all actions were in fact inanimate and occurred through an interplay of qualities.

11. The ‘I’ has individualised the body-self.

12. Love was the essence of the mind, but that mind became a veritable stone once it became attached to the body.

13. The ‘I’ is attached to each limb, each pore, each desire of the body-self.

14. The essence of the intellect was supreme knowledge; however, attachment has caused the intellect to become a repository of gross learning.

15. Actually, the mind suffers happiness and sorrow due to this attachment.

a) Since it is the ‘I’ that nurtures the pride of doership, it is this very ‘I’ that is the recipient of the fruits of deeds.

b) The mind is the participant and enjoyer.

c) In fact, it is the ‘I’ that is the bhokta or participant.

d) Attachment germinates the seed of life.

e) Attachment empowers the seed to procreate further.

f) Attachment causes moha.

g) Attachment causes the birth of ignorance.

h) Attachment constitutes the root of the cycle of birth and death.

i)  It is due to attachment that the individual is bound by the fruits of deeds and in the fetters of hopes and expectations.

j)  Attachment arouses the individual’s desire to establish the body-self.

The Lord says that attachment is the most potent deed or karma. If there is no attachment, you do not perform any deeds, nor do any fruits of action accrue to you. He who renounces attachment, does not generate any fruits of action.

Little one, how can action produce any fruit when there is no doer? Such a one does not even claim his own body. He is then a veritable jivan mukta – one who has attained liberation whilst life still persists.

What is action?

Little one, now understand the complete connotation of action. The Lord says that it is the qualities that are the real ‘doers’.

If there is no attachment:

a) there is no action;

b) there is no fruit of action;

c) no seeds of action remain;

d) sin and virtue both become meaningless;

e) animate and inanimate are both alike;

f) one becomes a jivan mukta or liberated soul.

Hence it is evident that it is attachment that fills potency into one’s deeds. Gross deeds are vitalised by attachment. If the deeds are not yours, you are not the doer. Thus attachment is one’s only karma or deed. Attachment is the karma of the mind – therefore only mental deeds comprise karma. All external deeds are impelled by the attributes of Prakriti. You are not their doer.

If one makes the state of the jivan mukta or the liberated soul one’s goal:

a) it is necessary to train the mind on the right path;

b) it is necessary to renounce both attachments and aversions;

c) relinquish desire and greed, both being mental aberrations;

d) the Lord bids us to renounce ego, meum, arrogance, pride and enmity.

1. Divine qualities and demonic qualities, both belong to the mind.

2. Thought processes both negative and positive, satiation, dissatisfaction, hopes and expectations, all belong to the mind.

3. It is the mind that experiences acclaim and insult.

4. It is the mind that is peaceful or agitated.

All these are mental phenomena, they are what every Scripture discusses and explains. Nowhere has it been enjoined that one must renounce gross actions. We are continually advised to renounce attachment, including attachment to the fruits of our deeds. We have been advised to renounce deeds born of desire in order to attain sanyas. The Lord exhorts us to become sarvarambha parityagi – one who abstains from the initiation of any project (for self-aggrandisement). When there is a cessation of attachment with the body, mind and intellect, what projects need one then initiate?

Here too, the mind is predominant because it is on the mind’s desire, interest and attachment that action is hinged. However, gross action is dependent on the qualities. If the mind is devoid of mental aberrations:

a) the intellect will gain purity;

b) the mind-stuff will become pure;

c) the individual will transcend actions;

d) external actions will continue, but the bondage of the mind will be cut asunder.

The deeds of the ordinary man are directed by attachment and hurl him into various states of existence in different births – both high and low.

The renunciate does not receive any fruit of his actions. So little one, renounce action!

Understand action once more:

1. To revel mentally in sense objects, having restrained the senses from dwelling in them, is hypocrisy. (Chp.3, shloka 6)

2. The deluded soul stricken by egoity believes ‘I am the doer’. (Chp.3, shloka 27)

3. The Lord Himself acts without desire and remains uninfluenced by action. (Chp.4, shloka 24)

4. The ever satiated renunciate who has relinquished attachment to deeds performs all actions, yet does naught. (Chp.4, shloka 20)

5. One who remains satiated in whatever he receives, who is devoid of duality and jealousy and who dwells in equanimity, performs deeds, yet remains untouched by those deeds. (Chp.4, shloka 22)

6. One who is firmly established in knowledge, acts in the spirit of yagya. All the karmas of such a liberated being get destroyed.

7. Those who are devoid of raag and dvesh – attachment and repulsion, are worthy of being regarded as eternal renunciates. (Chp.5, shloka 3)

Little one, the Lord has specified that attachment is action. Thus the Lord has said that the mind is action. If the mind is silenced, then even if one continues to perform all actions, you will remain ever inactive. You will not be the doer.

In fact, little one, if you truly wish to become an Atmavaan, know that:

1. It is impossible to know the Atma if one has not silenced the mind.

2. It is impossible to become an Atmavaan if one has not silenced the mind.

3. It is impossible to become devoid of the body idea whilst raag and dvesh – attachment and aversion – still persist.

4. It is impossible to be rid of the intellect that identifies with the body, whilst bodily attachment remains.

5. It is impossible that one is ever protective of the body, yet the ‘I’ becomes extinct!

6. How can it be that the body remains an embodiment of demonic attributes and one is devoid of attachment? This is impossible!.

7. It is impossible that one retains pride of the body, and yet is humble and free of pride.

One who does not know how to give of his body and its potential in the service of others cannot become an Atmavaan. One who remains distanced from others in self-protection will find it impossible to become an Atmavaan. One who believes that one’s reputation should be blemishless and is afraid of the mind being pained, can never attain the state of an Atmavaan.

Sadhana

1. Sadhana or spiritual practice is that which helps one to transcend the body idea and the intellect that identifies with the body.

2. Sadhana is that which enables one to give of a part of oneself.

3. When the spiritual aspirant impartially gives a part of himself to others, that is the extent to which he has renounced the body-self.

4. To give of oneself is sadhana. To take anything at all for oneself is contrary to the nature of a sadhu.

5. Give respect to others; do nothing to demand another’s respect or recognition for yourself. This is sadhana.

6. Perform deeds for others; do not bother about yourself. This is sadhana.

7. Protect others from sorrow; do nothing to procure pleasure or happiness for yourself. This is sadhana.

Thus the Lord says that yagya, tapas and daan are innate purifiers. Understand this carefully my little one!

1. In devotional offering, forbearance and charity, the spiritual aspirant must necessarily give a part of himself.

2. A selfless attitude is imperative to make devotional offering, forbearance and charity successful.

3. When yagya, tapas and daan reach their zenith, the sadhak will have forgotten himself.

4. It is also said that self-forgetfulness can be equated with abidance in the Self. He who forgets to do something for himself will forget himself one day.

5. Little one, knowledge is that which teaches the spiritual aspirant to give of himself. Ignorance prompts one to ‘take’ or receive.

6. If one seeks anything for the establishment of the ‘I’, one is steeped in ignorance. Any such activity augments the ego.

a) ‘I have been insulted’ – to say this or to think in this manner, only serves to increase one’s ignorance.

b) ‘I must not be insulted’ – this very desire serves to augment ignorance.

c) ‘I have not received that which was my right’ – this very statement increases ignorance.

Little one, if one aims to relinquish the body idea, then of what consequence is the body for whom you seek its ‘rights’?

The spiritual aspirant grants everybody their rights knowing it to be his duty to do so. He himself establishes no right or claim over the other. He does not seek the fruits of his actions even in his dreams. He is the epitome of self-forgetfulness. People doubt him – many even cast aspersions on his sincerity – but he himself is a paragon of sincerity.

Little one, this is the secret of spiritual practice. It is through such practice that the individual can come to know the Atma. It is such practice that enables the individual to become an Atmavaan.