How to dedicate ALL actions to Krishna as said by Krishna?
A Girl devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
Hare Krishna Anna. I want a detailed explanation of SB 11.2.36 . Will you please explain it to me.
REPLY:
Srimad Bhagavatham (11-2-36) says like this:
In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should offer to the Supreme, thinking, “This is for the pleasure of Lord Narayaṇa.”
“Particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life” means everyone performs or acts as induced by his three modes. Some people may have the domination of Rajo guna and he will always act in a passionate way and with aggression.
(What is the actual meaning of Karma Yoga? How can we get initiative to work if we don’t expect the fruits? Read Here!)
Those who are in the domination of thamo guna will act lazily or in a foolish way.
Those who have the domination of satva guna will act in a responsible manner analyzing good and bad acts. Thus, our activities are determinded by the mix of gunas (modes) in ourselves.
Here, WHATEVER ONE DOES means only the permitted activities, ie, all his assigned duties. We can also understand as the activities that are done with the satva guna bhawa. One should never offer prohibited activities such as Meat, gambling, using intoxicants and illicit relations to Krishna.
One should not offer if he kills, retaliates, accuses, spoils anyone, etc. to Krishna.
If one performs such prohibited acts, he is a sense gratifier.
If one performs the acts to satisfy the demigods and ancestors, he is called karmi.
At the same time, if one performs his assigned duties and pious activities to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna, ie, entrusting the results to Krishna, he is a karma yogi.
When the same person starts chanting the holy names and offering his worship to Krishna, the karma yogi becomes a bhakta, ie, a devotee.
A karma yogi need not be a devotee because he merely offers the results of his acts to Krishna.
So, dedicating all our acts to Krishna requires our resolution to perform only the permitted activities.
If one performs some permitted activities and offer them to Krishna and also perform some prohibited acts, he is a pretender.
However, he is better than the sense gratifier.
(How to follow Karma Yoga? Is aiming for a good job a materialistic approach? READ HERE!)
In due course of time, with the power of some of his acts being offered to Krishna, all his prohibited acts will vanish.
At the same time, those persons, while performing the offering of some of his acts to Krishna, should always be trying to give up the prohibited acts he is doing.
What is the effect of offering our acts to Krishna?
We will gradually get purified.
When we resolve to dedicate ALL actions to Krishna, we will fear to initiate any activity that is prohibited by the scriptures.
For example, if a boy has weakness towards girls, and performs offering food, offering his assigned duties to Krishna, etc, at the fist stage, he will atleast fear to speak to girl devotees unnecessarily in the temple because all others will be following discipline.
Initially, he may try to talk to them, but, he will not feel full freedom to do that because the temple has spiritual atmosphere. In due course of time, when he mingles with fellow devotees who are sincerely following the devotion, he too will stop all his efforts to speak to the girl devotees unnecessarily.
Even outside the temple, ie, during his other works, he will hesitate to associate with women unnencessarily in a fear that any devotee may see him and he will lose all good name.
Same applies for smoking also. A person performs offering food, offering his assigned duties to Krishna, etc. He also has the smoking habit. But, at the first stage, he will avoid smoking atleast on the day of going to the temple to avoid smoke smell that will be found by other devotees. Then, he may smoke secretly in a fear whether other devotees may find him smoking. Then, with the guilt after the continuous association of the sincere devotees, he will totally stop smoking.
(What is the difference between Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Bakthi Yoga? READ HERE!)
Thus, one will gradually get reformed when he starts to dedicate ALL actions to Krishna. He will start to do only those activities that are permitted according to his varna and ashrama.
As a brahmachari, he can study and learn the scriptures. He can spend part of his earnings for the service of Krishna through his guru. He will dedicate this to Krishna.
As a grahastha, he can spend a part of his earning to the service for Krishna after keeping a part for his family maintenance and protection.
As a vanaprastha and sanyasi, he should stop physical relations with the spouse and involve in devotional service and start to cut his attachments.
As a sanyasi, he should hand over his duties to the family members, his son, and involve in the service of the Lord full time.
In this kaliyuga, he can even stay in the family and follow sanyasa entrusting his duties to the son. By this time, he should have cultivated his sons and daughters as the devotees of Krishna. This is the duty of every grahastha. One should get children only if he can make them as the devotees.
(KARMA, AKARMA AND VIKARMA – DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM! READ HERE!)
All the above first three varnas must avoid spending money for unwanted reasons. The last varna sanyasi should avoid handling money totally.
When performing his Permitted duties, ie, assigned duties, one should dedicate ALL actions to Krishna.
He should think like this:
“I am going to study well, earn well and spend for Krishna more”
“I am going to the market now to buy vegetables to cook delicious foods to Krishna”
“I am taking my son to school to make him study, earn and also serve the lord sincerely”
“I am protecting my parents with love to perform my duty as a son and also because, seeing me, they too will become good devotees”
“I am cleaning this house because this house is the temple of Krishna and this temple should be keep clean”
(Will Performing our Prescribed duties, ie, Karma Yoga give rebirth? KNOW HERE!)
“I am buying a house because I want to do services to Krishna in a house that need not be vacated frequently”
“I am buying this vehicle because, I should go and return my home earlier and to spend the saved time in chanting, reading, worshiping Krishna, book distribution, etc.”
“I will travel only in the public train or bus without buying a vehicle because I can chant or read about Krishna when I travel”
“I buy this laptop or tablet PC because I want to be always in touch with the devotees in the spiritual media.”
Thus, we should do whatever we do, to dedicate its benefits to Krishna.
This will make all our activities spiritual and we will become pure in due course of time.
Of course, dedicating ALL actions to Krishna is not the pure devotional stage. But, it can act as a preliminary stage towards Pure bhakti that we will follow in future.
Hope you have understood this verse.
(Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga – Which is the best one to follow? KNOW HERE!)