Sri Aurobindo’s View about

Gita’s Karmayoga
Debashri Banerjee
Research Scholar, Dept. of
Philosophy, Jadavpur University
Necessity of following Karmamarga

 Jnanamarga is for them whose Chitta is

completely pure.
 Karmamarga is for them who trying to make
his impure Chitta pure.
 Those who are Kebal-jnani also perform
karma for the sake of others’ good (Loka-
samgraha).
Karmayoga : Meaning & Explanation

 Everybody must perform Karma. Without

karma nobody can survive.
 For the sake of others we have to perform
Niskama Karma.
 Niskama Karma is not Niswartha i.e. devoid
of our personal desires. It is to be done for
the sake of the well-being of our community,
society and nation.
 Yagya
 Niskama Karma = the actions done for the
sake of Yagya.
 What is Yagya ?
 1st Interpretation : Vaidik Rituals for
sacrificing worldly belongings to the Gods.
 2nd Interpretation : It is none the less than
God i.e. the Divine himself.
 Yagya = Vaidik Ritual

 From the ancient Vaidik age, Rishis or

Yogins always busy in performing this ritual
for sacrificing their worldly belongings infront
of different Gods. After their successful
performnce, being happy Gods give them
blessings. There are several numbers of
Yagya. For example, Agnihotroyag,
Kaririyag, Syenyag etc.
 Yagya = Brahma or the Divine
 In a Yagya everything used stood as the
representative of the Divine. The sacrificing
material is Brahma, the receiver is Brahma,
the giver is also Brahma, the main purpose
to be fulfilled & the goal to be attained is
nothing else than Brahma or the Divine
himself.
 Different types of Yagya
 Dravya Yagya i.e. the ritual where we have
to sacrifice reqiured materials
 Tapo Yagya i.e. where we have to do
Tapasya in accordance with making this
Yagya
 Yoga Yagya i.e. where we have to resist our
Chitta Vritti by the help of Astango Yoga
 Different types of Yagya
 Swadhyay Yagya i.e. where we have to
perform this Yagya for the sake of attaining
Moksha
 Pranayam-rupi Yagya i.e. where we have to
perform them with the help of Pranayam
 Jnana Yagya i.e. the Yagya which is
performed for the sake attaining Knowledge
True Relation among Jnana, Karma
& Bhakti
 According to Sri Aurobindo, in Gita it is
always desired that we have to perform
Karma in the form of a great Yagya, have to
realize the Ultimate Reality & to sacrifice
even ourselves in his feet. Only this three
ways combinedly can help us to reach to
him. So, neither of Jnaana, Karma & Bhakti
alone sufficient to get the Absolute Reality.
 True place of Karma in everyone’s
life
 In Sri Aurobindo’s opinion, we can not think
Karma as the lowest way than Jnana &
Bhakti. Because Karma is the way through
which we can reach the highest levels of
Jnana & Bhakti. Karma is necessary to
purify the impure souls or Chittas, so that in
this pure souls the realization of God’s true
nature be possible. And only after that, the
 True place of Karma in everyone’s
life
 Person can be ready to surrender himself in
front of the Sachchidananda. Thus Karma-
marga is necessary for the attainment of the
highest levels of Jnana-marga as well as
Bhakti-marga.
 Conclusion
 Sri Aurobindo’s Karmayoga actually
inflenced by his deep faith over Basudeva.
He sincerely believes that whatever man
can do is to be done as per the wish of
Basudeva. Karma is nothing but a tool in the
hands of God by whose help he can control
everyone’s lives. So Karma seems a great
controling power of Basudeva.