Aham-karta: I am doer

If there is one universal illusion that grips the entire humanity, it is ahankaar. The word ahankaar is the combination of aham (I am) and karta (doer or executor) - I am doer or executor or achiever or loser. Ahankaar is so subtle that it is very difficult to overcome it. The Bhagavad Gita is a guide to understand and overcome ahankaar. In fact, any spiritual preaching or practice is about freeing ourselves from the clutches of ahankaar.

Krishna says that one attains peace when one remains unmoved by desires, like an ocean that is unmoved by the waters entering it (2.70). Nir-mama (sans -I) and nir-ahankaar (sans -I am doer) are the paths for peace (2.71) to reach the destination of the eternal state (2.72). None are deluded after attaining it. 

Our understanding is that every karma has a karta (doer) and karma-phal (fruits of action). He advises us to drop ‘I’ as well as ahankaar so that karta and karma are separated. This is nothing but being nimitta-matra (an instrument in the hands of the Almighty) (11.33). There is no point of return once this eternal state of peace is achieved and any karma remains just one of the billion actions of this ever-active universe. 

Facets of Ahankaar

Ego is a small part of ahankaar. It is called arrogance when one experiences pleasure polarity of success, win or profit and falls into depression, unhappiness, anger when one goes through pain polarity of failure, defeat or loss. It is jealousy when others are experiencing pleasure polarity and sympathy for  others’ pain polarity.

It is there when we are gathering physical possessions and may also motivate us to shed them. It is responsible for action as well as inaction. It is the cause of destruction as well as creation. It is in knowledge as well as in ignorance.

Ahankaar gets boosted with praise and gets hurt by criticism. Ahankaar is behind every emotion in some sense or the other and these emotions influence our external behaviour. Ahankaar is also an illusion which appears to drive us to success and prosperity. 

I, Me, My and Mine are the four legs of ahankaar and by avoiding the use of these words in daily conversations and thoughts, we can weaken ahankaar to a large extent.

Gunas and Karta

Krishna says, “No one can stay even for a moment without performing karmas as all are compelled by gunas (characters or modes) born of prakriti (nature) to perform karmas (actions)” (3.5).  He advises to engage one’s organs of action in karma yoga (yoga of action) without attachment (3.7). The crux is performing karmas without attachment or hatred as both are birthplace of Ahankaar.

Krishna says that the ignorant are under the hypnotic spell (maya) of gunas and feel that they are karta (3.27) and he who sees all actions are performed by prakriti (nature) alone and also the Self as non-executor, he sees (13.30). Krishna further clarifies and says, “When a wise person perceives that there is no agent of action other than the three gunas, and realises ‘That’ which is higher than the gunas, he attains My Being (14.19). By transcending the three gunas (guna-atheeth), one (dehi) is released from birth, death, old age and misery; and attains immortality” (14.20). Essentially, the three gunas are the agents of action or real karta (doer) and this realisation in the present moment frees us from all illusions.

Selfless actions

Using the water cycle as an example to explain selfless actions (3.14), Krishna indicates that the selfless action of yajna holds the supreme reality or supreme power (3.15). In the beginning, using this power the Creator created (3.10) and advised everyone to use it to further themselves (3.11). This is nothing but aligning ourselves with the supreme reality to tap its power through the selfless action.

In this interconnected water cycle, if clouds hoard water without giving it back as rain, the cycle would collapse. Krishna calls such hoarders who disturb these cycles thieves (3.12). On the other hand, clouds keep forming when they continue with the selfless action of rain. Krishna uses the word ‘dev’ (shining ones) for the participants of this cycle helping each other (3.11). Instead of hoarding, one should participate in this cycle, and this will free us from all sins (3.13) - hoarding being the original sin.

Krishna cautions that non-selfless actions bind us (karma bandhan) and advises actions be performed without attachment like yajna (3.9). He reveals a secret that the remnant of selfless action of yajna is the nectar of Brahma (Supreme God) (4.31 The subtle indication is that all blessings we receive stem from the selfless actions we perform, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Paramatma is Sakshi

Krishna says that the Prabhu (Lord) creates neither doership nor actions nor union with the fruits of action for the world. The delusive cosmic nature is the originator of all these (5.14). The All-pervading takes no account of anyone’s virtue or sin (punya or paap). Human beings are deluded because their knowledge is covered by moha (delusion or ignorance) (5.15). But in whom ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of self, in them wisdom reveals the Supreme like the illuminating Sun (5.16).

The Lord is like a screen in a movie theatre where the screen has nothing to do with what is being projected on it while the audience goes through a flurry of emotions. The Lord can also be seen as a catalyst in a chemical reaction where the presence of a catalyst makes the chemical reaction happen. The catalyst itself doesn’t undergo any change.

Krishna says, “Nor these acts bind Me, for I remain above them, unconcerned and unattached” (9.9). The key is non-attachment. While we tend to get attached to things or achievements, Paramatma is not attached to his mighty creations. When we take ourselves to be a karta (doer), we are bound by our karmas to karma bandhan (bondage of action) while the Paramatma is like a sakshi (witness) who is not bound.

Krishna further says, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, do them as an offering to Me” (9.27). This is nothing but offering our sense of doership to Him while performing the karmas and in other words offering ahankaar to Him. Krishna assures that through this offering; we will be free of karma bandhan (9.28) where nothing in this world can affect us as one attains ultimate freedom (moksha).

Usually, our goals in the material world involve gathering or filling. But the goal of Paramatma involves emptying ourselves and shedding of our sense of attachment, aversion and hatred like dissolving of a salt doll to become the ocean itself.