categories. There are people who sacrifice their wealth in the form of various kinds of charity. In India, the wealthy Vaishyas or kings establish various types of charitable institutions such as dharamshalas, annakshetras, guest houses, orphanages, and educational institutions. There are many hospitals, old age homes, and religious institutions. All these charitable works are also called dravyamaya yajnas in other countries to provide free food, education, and medicine to the poor. There are some who voluntarily accept various types of penances such as Chandrayana and Chaturmasya to attain a higher life or to reach higher worlds in the universe. In these systems, one has to follow strict rules and strict austerities to live life. For example, during the Chaturmasya fast, the initiate does not shave his beard, does not eat certain types of food, does not eat twice a day, or does not leave the house during those four months of the year (July to October). This sacrifice of the pleasures of life is called Tapomaya Yajna. Others engage in various forms of yoga such as Patanjali’s system (to merge in the Supreme Being) or (for special siddhis) take up Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga, and still others go on pilgrimages to holy places. All these practices are known as Yoga Yajna, that is, a Yajna performed for some kind of Siddhi in the material world. Others engage in the study of various Vedic sciences, especially the Upanishads, Vedanta Sutras, or Samkhya Tattva. All these are called svadhyaya yajnas, or participation in the yajnas of study. All these yogis seek the higher life by remaining attentive in various yajnas. However, Krishna consciousness is different from all these because it is the direct manifestation of the Lord. It cannot be obtained by any of the above-mentioned types of yajnas! It can be obtained only by the mercy of the Lord, the mercy of the bona fide devotees of the Lord. Therefore Krishna consciousness is divine.
The Lord is instructing. Even if such an order complicates the situation a little, one should perform the duties of depending on Lord Krishna. Because that is the natural state of the living entity. Since the natural state of the living entity is to be dependent on the desires of the Lord, he cannot be happy without the cooperation of that deity. That is why Arjuna was ordered by Lord Krishna, like a general, to fight. For the pleasure of the Lord, everyone should sacrifice everything and at the same time perform the duties of the deity without any mental thought. Arjuna did not have to think about the Lord’s order. He just had to carry it out. Lord Krishna is the soul of all souls. Therefore, one who completely depends on the one Varamatma without any thought of his own, in other words, one who is completely in Krishna consciousness, is called a spiritual soul. “Nirasih” means that one should work only as per the order of the master and not expect results. A clerk who counts money for his master does not claim even a single penny as his own. Similarly, a man should realize that nothing in this world belongs to anyone, but everything belongs to God. This is the real meaning of “mayi” (mine). When a man works in such Krishna consciousness, he does not show any attachment to anything. This consciousness is called “nirmama” (nothing is mine). If there is any reluctance to carry out such a strict order without any thought for even nominal relatives in kinship, it should be immediately abandoned. Accordingly, a man becomes “vigatajvara” (free from agitation and intoxication). Everyone has to perform a specific karma according to his nature and condition. As mentioned above, all such karma should be performed in Krishna consciousness. That is what leads a man to the path of liberation.
