Could You please correct my analysis showing how sacrifice includes service?

[Śrī Ganesh asked: You mentioned in one of Your discourses that the mention of the sacrifice of wealth (karma phala tyāga), automatically includes the mention of service (karma saṃnyāsa). I never understood this point until today. I always thought that both are different things.

I understood that karma phala tyāga is greater than karma saṃnyāsa. My logical analysis is given below about how I understood the above point.

When we compare two things, we compare only similar items. We often say that apples cannot be compared with oranges. Apples need to be compared with apples alone. So, it is an established fact for us that karma phala tyāga is greater than karma saṃnyāsa. Now we are comparing two things. This means we are comparing similar objects. Thus, karma phala tyāga becomes a superset and karma saṃnyāsa becomes the subset. Therefore, by mentioning the superset, one automatically mentions the subset.

I would be grateful to You, if You find fault with my logic. Also on another note, it gives me immense happiness that I found a logical answer, but I have observed within myself that it boosts my ego tremendously and this acts against my spiritual growth. How do I put myself in my place? At Your divine feet, Ganesh V.]

Swāmi replied: Karma phala tyāga is certainly greater than karma saṃnyāsa on a scientific basis. Karma saṃnyāsa is sacrificing or offering service, which is offering work or energy. Karma phala tyāga is the sacrifice of the fruit of one’s work. The fruit is always matter. As per the famous equation in physics, E = mc², a lot of energy is equivalent to a very small amount of matter. Hence, a very small sacrifice of the fruit of one’s work is equal to the sacrifice of a very huge energy. The employer pays money (matter) to the employee who sacrifices work to the employer in return. Since matter is far greater than energy, it is the employee who respects the employer and not vice-versa.

I said that if karma phala tyāga is mentioned, karma saṃnyāsa is automatically included with it. The reason for this is not the explanation given above. The reason for this is that saints can only do karma saṃnyāsa while householders do both karma saṃnyāsa and karmaphalatyāga. Therefore, if karma saṃnyāsa is mentioned, it may indicate either a saint or a householder. But if karma phala tyāga is mentioned, it only indicates the householder and not the saint. Hence, in the Gītā, when Kṛṣṇa mentioned karma phala tyāga as the final step, it means that the householder is represented. Since the householder does both karma saṃnyāsa and karma phala tyāga, we say that karma yoga as a whole is being mentioned by the word karma phala tyāga. By mentioning karma phala tyāga, only the householder is presented and the saint is filtered off. When the householder alone remains, he represents both karma saṃnyāsa and karma phala tyāga. It means that karma yoga as a whole is presented since karma yoga = karma saṃnyāsa + karma phala tyāga.

Keywords:

| Shri Datta Swami | Could You please correct my analysis showing how sacrifice includes service? | karma sannyasa karmaphalatyaga tyaga

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