Nishkama Karma (निष्कामकर्म)

This article needs editing. Add and improvise the content from reliable sources.

Nishkama karma (Samskrit: निष्कामकर्म) is translated as a ‘duty without desire’, ‘an action with no regard to its fruits’, ‘disinterested action’, and ‘selfless action’. Niṣkāma karma is a deed intended for everyone’s benefit, similar in a sense to altruism. It is karma that follows dharma, the moral imperative path. Bhagavad Gita emphasizes,

BG 2.47

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Karma (कर्म) refers to 1) any action or deed; 2) the principle of cause and effect; 3) a consequence or “fruit of action” (karmaphala) or “after effect” (uttaraphala), that sooner or later returns upon the doer.

While all physical and mental activities and their consequences over many lives are typically viewed as Karma, a subset namely niṣkāma karma, is where one performs actions without any interest about its consequences. It is investigated as an important Indian psychological construct for both self-actualization (unveiling  hidden potential to achieve worldly happiness) and self-realization (realizing one’s true self through self-transformation). Niṣkāma karma or action that has no ego-involvement and pays no attention to the results is the form of action that is involved in karma yoga.

Adi Shankaracharya states that karma is the action that a person may choose to do, not to do, or do in a different way. Shankara Bhashya on Badarayana Brahma Sutra:

Kartum akartum anyatha va kartum sakyam laukikam vaidikam ca karma.

The term kāma in Sakāma or Niṣkāma Karma

Sakāma karmas are deeds motivated by a fervent desire to achieve worldly goals on the materialistic path. It is the path of pravrtti (expanding social growth) and entails the active involvement of the self with social roles in the family and community. Contrary to it is the path of selfless action, an action without ego-involvement, an activity devoid of goals for personal gratification termed niṣkāma karma. The word ‘kama’ in niṣkāma refers to dismissing the ‘desire’ for an action’s results rather than eliminating the ‘desire’ to propel an action.

Sakāmi persons have a natural propensity to indulge their ego-driven needs, resulting in a range of emotions. Their deeds are motivated by a fervent desire to achieve worldly goals on the materialistic path. This is the path of pravrtti (expanding social growth) and entails the active involvement of the self with social roles in the family and community.

Niṣkāma karma is equated to the Western thought of categorical imperative, known as Kant’s moral law: a duty for duty’s sake. Kant's law, however, differs in that the arguments are intriguing in theory but troublesome in practice because Kant does not offer the applications of the idea.

Volition or Willed Action

The notion of karma as willed action—whether the will is controlled by the accumulated karma or driven by dharma - has wide implications on a person's psyche. Although one’s mental states are resultants of one’s karma, karma itself is produced by apperceptual (having specific own context) acts that are free. Man’s behavior is doubtless controlled and conditioned by all kinds of circumstances that include past karma. However, he is still free to exercise his volition to act differently. This is where the karmic consequences can be overcome from what is ordained and how they can be changed by the same volition or will. Volition in the sense of willed action means action with ego-reference. Volition without ego-involvement is what we called earlier pure volition, available in meditative and pure states of consciousness. Volition is thus the source for causing karma and a resource to overcome karma.

In Yoga, Avidya is described as the root cause of all troubles. Avidya is the mistaking of the ego for the true self, the root cause of kleśas, which is behind karmic actions, i.e., actions that produce karma. It is what biases one’s actions and stands as hurdle in the path of liberation. Volition as a function of ahaṁkāra is that aspect of the mind which has the karmic consequences. Therefore, control of the ego becomes a necessary state for moksha. Bhagavadgita also describes the path of Karma Yoga as a way of molding volition to render actions free of karma.

Karma Yoga refers to action without hankering for gains. The Bhagavad Gītā is commonly regarded as one of the basic sources for the understanding of the principles and practice of karma yoga.

Upanishadic Learnings

Upanishads, a rich source of philosophical ideas, contain psychological constructs that can alter the lifestyle and attitude of a person even in routine activities. Several philosophical thoughts about Karma found scattered in the Upanishads are pivotal for the evolution of Karma Yoga siddhanta.

Brhdaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.5) aptly summarizes how a person’s character is based on the integrity of thought, word, and deed (all of which are deemed as Karma) which ultimately define the personality molded by the laws of karma. The relationship between sakama karma and incarnations is seen in the Brhdaranyaka Upanishad, which says

तदेव सक्तः सह कर्मणैति लिङ्गं मनो यत्र निषक्तमस्य । प्राप्यान्तं कर्मणस्तस्य यत्किञ्चेह करोत्ययम् । स्माल्लोकात्पुनरैत्यस्मै लोकाय कर्मणे ॥ इति नु कामयमानः; अथाकामयमानः—योऽकामो निष्काम आप्तकाम आत्मकामो न तस्य प्राणा उत्क्रामन्ति, ब्रह्मैव सन्ब्रह्माप्येति ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 4.4.6)

Meaning: Being attached, he, together with the work, attains that result to which his subtle body or mind is attached. Exhausting the results of whatever work he did in this life; he returns from that world to this for (fresh) work.’ Thus does the man who desires (transmigrate). But the man who does not desire (never transmigrates). Of him who is without desires (akama), who is free from desires (desire for the fruits of karma - nishkama), the objects of whose desire have been attained (aptakama), and to whom all objects of desire are but the Self (atmakama) — the Prana (body or organs) do not depart. Being but Brahman, he is merged in Brahman. According to the ancient seers, the path of nishkama karma (desireless duty) ends this karmic cycle and leads a person to moksha. Shvetashvatara Upanishad declares that moksha can be attained through offering actions to Brahman.

आरभ्य कर्माणि गुणान्वितानि भावांश्च सर्वान् विनियोजयेद्यः । तेषामभावे कृतकर्मनाशः कर्मक्षये याति स तत्त्वतोऽन्यः ॥ ४ ॥ (Shve. Upan. 6.4)

It emphasizes that the karmaphala of nishkama karma is chittasuddhi. The Isavasyopanishad (1.2) exhorts one to spend an active life of one hundred years while carrying out prescribed karmas; escape from one’s duty is not acceptable. In this framework, Shankaracharya says that two paths - that of karma and renunciation - emerged during creation. There can be no other method by which karma (evil) may not cling, i.e., by which one may not become attached to karma, even though the road of renunciation (Taittriya Aranyaka) is described to be excellent.

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतँ समाः । एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥ (Isa. Upan. 2)

Brhdaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.5 and 3.2.13) explains human psychology that many desires dictate a person’s thoughts and actions. Thereby, a doer of good becomes good and a doer of evil becomes evil.

यथाकारी यथाचारी तथा भवति । साधुकारी साधुर्भवति । पापकारी पापो भवति । पुण्यः पुण्येन कर्मणा पापः पापेन । अथो खल्वाहुः । काममय एवायं पुरुष इति । स यथाकामो भवति तत्क्रतुर्भवति । यत्क्रतुर्भवति तत्कर्म कुरुते । यत्कर्म कुरुते तदभिसंपद्यते ॥ ४,४.५ ॥

The Chandogya Upanishad says,

अथ खलु क्रतुमयः पुरुषो यथाक्रतुरस्मिँल्लोके पुरुषो भवति तथेतः प्रेत्य भवति स क्रतुं कुर्वीत ॥ १ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 3.14.1)

Meaning: Just as he acts, just as he behaves, so will he be born. He who does good will be born good, he who does evil will be born evil. Man is entirely composed of desire (kama), he acts in proportion to his discretion. Kenopanishad (4.8-9) illustrates the significance of Nishkama karma without using the term itself.

तस्यै तपो दमः कर्मेति प्रतिष्ठा वेदाः सर्वाङ्गानि सत्यमायतनम् || (Kena. Upan. 4.8)

Meaning: Tapas (austerity), dama (control of the sense organs), and karma (rites such as Agnihotra, Vaidika karmas) are the foundation, the Vedas are the limbs and Satya is its abode. It refers to Brahman. Here, knowledge as imparted by the Vedas, dawns on one whose mind has been purified by tapas, dama, and karma, either in this or in past many lives. Shankaracharya explains that a sadhaka has to develop four important qualities (sadhana chatushtaya) to progress in jnana marga. The practice of tapas, dama, and karma (prescribed in Vedas, Vedangas) are foundational to the Vedas, and (leads to) Satya, the abode (of Brahman); it purifies the sadhaka's mind cittaśuddhiḥ and leads him to assimilate Brahmavidya. It is notable that a sadhaka working on the mental processes gives equal emphasis to Karma. However, as in the case of Asura Ravana, cittaśuddhiḥ is not necessarily the result of practicing Sadhana Chatushtaya. Ravanasura engaged in tapa and other practices for a long time, but they did not result in cittaśuddhiḥ. The primary justification is his motivation for the action i.e., he performed karma with a deep desire (sakama karma) to triumph over the three worlds. Mandodari, Ravanasura’s wife, bemoans after his death,

इन्द्रियाणि पुरा जित्वा जितं त्रिभुवनं त्वया | स्मरद्भिरिव तद्वैरमिन्द्रियैरेव निर्जितः || ६-१११-१८ (Valm. Rama. 6.111.18)

Meaning: In the past, by performing a great penance (tapas), you conquered the senses (dama) and vanquished the three worlds. Those exact senses have defeated you, now, as if revenging that enmity.

Kathopanishad explains jnana and karma as two paths leading to happiness of different kinds through the investigation of Shreyas and Preyas ways of life. It reminds one that the pursuit of desires and enjoyment in preyomarga must be constrained within the limits of Dharma.