‘Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana’

All outgoing energy following a selfish motive is frittered away; it will not cause power to return to you; but if restrained, it will result in development of power. This self-control will tend to produce a mighty will, a character which makes a Christ or a Buddha. Foolish men do not know this secret

Even the lowest forms of work are not to be despised. Let the man, who knows no better, work for selfish ends, for name and fame; but everyone should always try to get towards higher and higher motives and to understand them. “To work we have the right, but not to the fruits thereof:” Leave the fruits alone. Why care for results? If you wish to help a man, never think what that man’s attitude should be towards you. If you want to do a great or a good work, do not trouble to think what the result will be. (I, 33 – 34)

Those who want to transform Karma into Karma Yoga and thus attain peace, happiness and spiritual progress must take care of three things. Firstly, he should give up the sense of doership, that is, the idea, ‘ I am the doer’. Secondly, one must try not to superimpose our likes and dislikes on the work we do, doing only what brings happiness to oneself rejecting the contrary ones. Third and most important point is never to be over anxious about the results of action. Such an evaluation will lead us on to the ideals of ‘ pravriti and nivriti’. Nivriti leads to peace and happiness while pravriti drags us down to the mire of samsara.