MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 334

6th October 2025

Success is a state of mind

Arjuna was confused in the very beginning of chapter 5 of the #BhagavadGita. He was confused between action and renunciation as Lord Krishna praised the ‘path of renunciation’ at times and the ‘path of action at other times. Lord Krishna answered his question through Sloka 5.2, stating that the ‘path of action’ is better than the ‘path of renunciation’. Why did he then praise renunciation at times? Lord Krishna clarified that doubt as well. “Path of Action’ is better than that of the ‘Path of renunciation’ subject to terms and conditions - as you would see in small prints on the consumer products and contract conditions.

Lord Krishna to Arjuna: Both the path of karm sanyās (renunciation of actions) and karm yog (working in devotion) lead to the supreme goal. But karm yog is superior to karm sanyās.  Bhagavad Gita 5.2

What are these terms and conditions?

The first condition is that the action must be performed with devotion, as we saw in the previous episode, and the second condition is that the action must be undertaken without getting attached to the results. The Bhagavad Gita mentions this in multiple slokas, including the one given below.

Actions without attachment

युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् | अयुक्त: कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ||Bhagavad Gita 5.12||

The harmonised yogi, abandoning the fruits of action attains final peace, while the non-united one impelled by desire for the fruits of action is bound.

You might wonder how one can abandon the fruits of their actions. We all look forward to the results of our actions. We take actions to satisfy our needs and to achieve certain goals in life.  Is Krishna suggesting that dreaming is wrong? We are accustomed to a plethora of quotes that ‘everyone should dream.’  Dr Abdul Kalam asked all the youngsters to dream.

Abandoning the fruits of action does not mean abandoning the goals. We must dream and we must plan our actions to achieve our goals. The ban is not on dreaming but getting attached to the results. Not getting attached to the results gives us peace of mind to do the work effectively, whereas getting obsessively attached to the results binds us, preventing us from doing the job effectively.

There is a popular and maha sloka of the Bhagavad Gita, which I already explained in an earlier episode of #BhagavadGita. Let me take it up again, as it is well-connected to the above sloka.

Work for the satisfaction

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ Bhagavad Gita 2.47

You have the right to work only but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

This sloka is also telling us the same truth ie don’t do work for the sake of results but for the satisfaction of doing the job.

Some philosophers interpret this sloka as “It is our responsibility to do work, but the results are in the hands of God”, which is wrong.

I am a firm believer of the fact “You and You alone are responsible for what you are today and what you will be in the future”

Why would the Lord make judgments on the results of our actions? The Lord is neither an autocrat nor gullible to award results not commensurate with our actions. The Lord is known for love and compassion and nothing else. It is a disrespect to the Lord even to imagine that the Lord decides on the results in difference to the merits of the action.

Lord Krishna understood that his statement could be misinterpreted. That is why he quickly added a clarification as the last part of the same sloka, which is

“Because you do not have the rights over the results of your actions, you cannot resort to inaction. Doing your duties is your responsibility”

You are performing your actions with a goal in mind, but not for the goal. You are doing your job because it is your responsibility, and you like the job. If you always focus on the results, there is no guarantee that you will enjoy the job. It is essential that you love your job. The pressure of the results, anxiety & anticipation of the results should not deter you from enjoying the job. It is natural to be anxious of the results.

Why should you worry if your actions would succeed or not? Enjoy your work. As anyway

“Success is a state of mind… if you do things with heart, everything leads to success”, and you can be guaranteed of that.

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Adapted from newindianexpress.com

Chapter – 1 Cafe

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, baked cookies and the sweet smell of new books draw people to #Chapter-1Cafe at Jagatsinghpur town of Odisha. Step inside it and you will witness a sweet change - people of all age groups reading books.

‘Chapter - 1’ has recently been opened by Basanta Barik and his wife Baijayanti Barik. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the town, the cafe was started by them with a purpose: to instil a reading habit in people again.

While one has to pay for a coffee or a snack, sitting down to read a book throughout the day does not come with a price tag.

Baijayanti is a writer and researcher in Sanskrit language. A voracious reader herself, she wanted to inculcate the habit of reading among people, particularly youths and the elderly. Basanta, a software engineer, said that while mobile shops are proliferating in the town, there are hardly any new bookshops emerging. “Because youth lost interest in reading under the influence of mobile phones and social media,” he added.

The cafe boasts a collection of nearly 1,500 books across various genres, and the space can accommodate up to 20 readers simultaneously. For snacking, the menu features sandwiches, burgers, patties, pastries, as well as coffee, tea, and more. Baijayanti said that the money they make from the cafe goes into maintaining the library and paying staff salaries.

It has sparked a new interest in books among people of all ages in the town. Principal of SVM College Sujata Otta said the cafe-cum-reading space is a huge draw among her college students as they get to read different kinds of books in a cafe setup. The couple is now planning to open a second such venture, ‘Chapter - 2’, in the city.

Previously, the couple had made their contribution to society by donating financial assistance to needy patients, distributing saplings, and renovating old temples.

We need more ‘Chapter-n ’ cafes in all the cities to lure people away from screen culture.

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Conceived, compiled and posted as a weekly motivational newsletter #MondayMusings every monday by Jaganathan T (www.authorjaganathan.com).