The Purpose of Life

Can one escape Karma?

Here are Krishna's words when he says about Karma, "Mentally dedicating all your actions to Me, considering Me as the Supreme goal, continuously absorb your heart in Me. Such a being finds his heart filled with infinite bliss and there is no room for lesser pleasures of senses."

"O Arjuna, you must perform natural actions (prescribed duties) neither unwillingly, nor with attachment. Duties must be performed willingly but without attachment and with a firm objective of liberating yourself from all egoistic activities."

Krishna stresses that no being can escape performing his Karma. Bhagwaan never suggests Akarma (Inaction). He urges his devotees to perform all their duties willingly and with great enthusiasm, but with a sense of detachment.

Renunciation does not mean forsaking duties or abandoning family. It just means abstaining the senses and mind from running unnecessarily in all directions at one time. Bhagwaan asks for renouncing ego, lust, greed and rage... not the duties that a person is bound to fulfill and serve.

Krishna himself has made it clear that a householder, honoring all his duties of being a good father/mother, son/daughter, husband/wife, brother/sister, etc. without attachment to pleasures or fruits of actions, can easily get absorbed in devotion and hence can explore higher realms of existence and consciousness.

Even if not for higher realms, a devotee only wants his Bhagwaan and nothing else. Such an attitude invokes modesty, compassion and a strong sense of love in the heart of the devotee.

He then sees this love in all the beings around him... sees the same beloved Bhagwaan lighting up the souls of everyone around.

One can not renounce his duties towards his parents (without their consent) and relinquish the spirit of bringing a positive change in the society and run behind Moksha (Liberation). This is selfishness and greed.

Krishna has mentioned that Kings like Janaka have attained perfection solely by the flawless performance of their duties. King Janaka is revered as a RajRishi because he had reached a spiritually advanced state but still worked as a King for the welfare of his people.

For such beings, who are true to their Karma and always immersed in love of Bhagwaan while carrying out their duties; Who help and work for the benefit of others should not care to attain liberation... because liberation has already reached them.