Gita 9.28
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनैः। संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि॥
śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣyasi
In essence: When action is offered rather than owned, both good and bad karma lose their binding power, and liberation is assured.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "I understand wanting freedom from bad karma. But why would I want freedom from good karma? Don't I want good results?"
Guru: "What happens when you receive good results?"
Sadhak: "I'm happy, successful, comfortable..."
Guru: "And then?"
Sadhak: "Well... I want to maintain them. I fear losing them. I seek more."
Guru: "So 'good karma' brings happiness bound to fear, attachment, and endless seeking. Is this the freedom you desire? Or is it a golden chain instead of an iron one?"
Sadhak: "When you put it that way... but isn't some good karma necessary just to live?"
Guru: "Living requires action. But who said action requires bondage? The action can flow like water through a pipe - the pipe isn't wet inside. When action is offered, results flow through you to Krishna. You function, you engage, you even enjoy - but nothing accumulates as 'mine.' This is the sannyasa within yoga that Krishna describes."
Sadhak: "But practically, if I don't care about results, won't I become passive, ineffective?"
Guru: "Examine your assumption. Does a mother caring for her sick child check whether she's accumulating good karma? She acts from love, fully engaged, completely effective. Results happen. She simply isn't calculating them. The offered action is often MORE effective because it's free from the distortion of self-interest. The surgeon operating on a loved one may shake; the surgeon operating as service remains steady."
Sadhak: "So I still act for results, just don't claim them?"
Guru: "You act for excellence, for dharma, for offering - and results naturally follow. The difference is internal: you don't grip, don't cling, don't define yourself by outcomes. Success doesn't inflate you; failure doesn't crush you. Both are offered. In this freedom, you finally become effective in the deepest sense - not reactive but responsive, not desperate but devoted."
Sadhak: "And this leads to liberation?"
Guru: "This IS liberation - not a future event but a present state. Every moment of non-clinging is a moment of freedom. String enough such moments together, and you realize: you were never bound except by the illusion of ownership. When Krishna says 'you will come to Me,' He means you will realize what was always true - you were never separate from Him except in your own misunderstanding."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Begin the day with a 'karma-release' intention. After morning practice, say: 'Today I will act fully, skillfully, with care - but I will not carry the weight of results. What succeeds, I offer. What fails, I offer. What is praised, I offer. What is criticized, I offer. I will sleep tonight as light as I wake now, having accumulated nothing that binds.' This sets the inner compass for the day's practice of sannyasa-yoga.
When results come - whether favorable or unfavorable - practice the 'instant offering.' The moment you receive news of success: internally touch it lightly, feel the pleasant sensation, and release it toward Krishna. The moment you receive news of failure: internally touch it lightly, feel the unpleasant sensation, and release it toward Krishna. Both receive the same treatment. This equality of offering prevents both inflation and deflation, keeping you steady and free.
Before sleep, perform the 'karma accounting' with a twist. Review the day: what good results came? what bad results came? Instead of tallying them as credits and debits in your personal account, consciously transfer them all to Krishna's account. Visualize a ledger with your name; now watch all entries from today being moved to Krishna's ledger. Your account ends the day at zero. You owe nothing, you are owed nothing. From this clean slate, sleep. From this clean slate, wake. This is lived sannyasa.