Does a wife who cooks food for a sacrifice get an equal share of the fruit of the sacrifice as her husband?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on February 07, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Smt. Anita Renkuntla asked: If a wife does not earn anything, but she offers her service (karma saṃnyāsa) by cooking food for feeding the hungry in a ritual sacrifice (yajña), does she get an equal share of the fruit of the sacrifice (karmaphala tyāga) as her husband?]

Swāmi replied: Karma saṃnyāsa and karma phala tyāga together constitute karma yoga. A non-earning member of the family can only do the sacrifice of work, which is offering his or her service. The person cannot sacrifice the fruit of work (wealth). Such a non-earning member is equal to a saint in this aspect. But if an earning member only does karma saṃnyāsa and avoids karma phala tyāga the person is greedy. Such a member will not get the divine fruit. But in the case mentioned by you, the wife is eligible to the divine fruit, just as her husband is eligible. Practical devotion is called karma yoga. It is not merely karma phala tyāga. When karma phala tyāga is mentioned, it also includes karma saṃnyāsa. In that sense, karma phala tyāga can stand for karma yoga, as a whole. A person who is able to do karma phala tyāga should also do karma saṃnyāsa, unless the person is very old or diseased etc. When a person like a saint or a non-earning wife etc., does karma saṃnyāsa alone, the person has done karma yoga. But if a person does not sacrifice, even when it is possible for the person to sacrifice, the person is at fault.

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