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nittya naimittika karma & karmayoga

From the Bhakti List Archives

Krishna Kalale • August 25, 1999 


A few people asked about whether nitya naimittika karmas (such as 
sandhyavandana) is included in karmayoga? or are they separate from 
karmayoga.  This issue can be confusing when one looks into different 
acharyas' works.

Let me state here :

Sri Ramanuja basya on 4-29

yajna sistamrta bhujo yanti brahma sanatanam

Bhasya :

dravya yajna prbriti prayanayam paryanteshu karma yoga bhedeshu sva 
samihiteshu pravrittah ethe serve sah yajnaih stristva iti abhihita maha 
yajna pruvaka nitya naimittika karma rupa yajna vidah tata eva kshapita 
kalmasaha yajna sistamrtena sharira dharaman kuvantaha eva karma yoge 
vyapritaha.

note the last part: yajna sistamrtena..........eva karmayoge vyapritaha 
sanathanam brahma yaanti.

this means only people who do and know yajna starting from mahayajnas to 
nityamaimittika karmas, are the ones who are purified by these yajnas,  and 
they attain atman (self realization) through karmayoga.  here it is clear 
that karmayoga is over and beyong nitya naimiitika karmas which include 
pancha mahayajnas

Sri Ramanuja bhasya on 4-31:

naayam lokosti ayajnasya kutonyah kurusattama

Bhasya :

ayajnasya maha yajnadi purvaka nitya naimittika karma rahitasya nayam lokah 
na prakrta lokah;

which means for one who does not do yajna, meaning nittya naimittika karmas 
starting from mahayajnas, will not even attain this world, why talk about 
other.

SriRamanuja bhasya on : 4-32 (gita)

evam bahuvidha yajna vitata brahmano mukhe
karmajan viddhi tan sarvan evam jnantva vimokshyase

Bhasya :

evam hi bahu prakarah karmayogah brahmano mukhe vitatah - atma 
yathatmyavapti sadhanataya stithah; tan upkta lakshnanan ukta bhedan sarvan 
karmajan viddhi - aharaha anustiyamana nithya naimittika karman viddhi, 
evam jnatva yathokta prakarena anustaya moksyase

meaning: in this way, as stated in earlier verses, there are different 
types of karmayoga ( ie. dravyayajna, svadhyaya, prayanayama, tirtha-yatra 
etc.), which have attainment of self as their goal.  Those types of 
karmayogas are resulted due to daily performance of nitya and naimittika 
karmas. knowing this you will attain release.

Vedanta Desika makes this very clear in the bhasya - ie. nittya nimittika 
karma is additioanal to karmayoga practices.

adiyen  krishna kalale