'Karma' and 'Jnyan'

The terms 'karma' (Action) and 'jnyan' (Knowledge) have much deeper meaning and connotation than they appear to be at the outset. Karma is action, as also, the fruits of action (karma phala) both accumulated, carry over and recurring! It is very difficult to know what sort of karma afflict us in our life. There are actions stipulated in the scriptures (shastra vihita), prohibited (nishidda), and ordained (obligatory or mandatory) actions for different age-groups and states of life. As regards, 'jnyan', there are the lower, worldly (aihika) and the paramarthika (other-worldly)!and some special nes for those who seek liberation, mukti, moksha.

Chapter III of the Bhagavad-Gita deals with 'Karma Yoga'. Here, Arjuna wants to know why the Lord, asks him to do the ordained duty (here, 'fight the battle' as kshatriya) although He is of the opinion that 'Jnyan' is superior to karma. The Lord has explicitly stated: nahin jnyanena sadrusham ! meaning, 'there is nothing superior to Jnyan'. Still He asks Arjuna to do his duty. So, Arjuna wants to know why the Lord is asking him to do his duty (karma) when 'Jnayan' (Knowledge) is superior to karma (action).

  Here, the problem is very complicated. The Lord has made it clear that 'one should perform the assigned job without expecting any reward! In fact, no body understands what He speaks'! Normally, the mortals are driven by desire and perform action to fulfil their desires. It is really difficult to understand the spoken words of the Lord. He, the Lord says, to do your duty is a right but to award the fruits of your action is my prerogative. It is My sweet will and pleasure that I give whatever I want and that to whenever I wish. However, He assures that justice will be done and He would give nothing more, or less, neither early, or late! So the best thing for us is to do our ordained duties without bothering about the fruits  or rewards. This sort of surrender to the will pf the Lord is the way to redemption, emancipation (mukti). There will be no bondage (karma bandhana) when action is done without  any expectation in return (nishkama karma). This indeed, is the the real 'jnyan' and, action done with this knowledge yields is superior to action done without this knowledge!