When an atma first takes birth, it has only sattvic qualities. But due to its actions on this earth, it acquires rajasic and tamasic qualities, said M.K. Srinivasan, in a discourse. So acting in the right manner is important. When a person performs actions, he must do so with sattvika tyaga. This means that he must not think of himself as the doer, or think of the action as his. He must think of the actions as those of the Supreme One. He must not lay claim to any fruits of the actions. He must realise that the fruits of the action are not his, and it is the Lord’s grace that gives results for his actions. A person should not perform his duties with a view to gaining something. Likewise, worship too should not be for a purpose. A person who has rajasic qualities, while doing his duty, lacks this attitude towards actions. The one with tamasic qualities fails to perform his duties.
Doing prescribed actions is sattvika karma. Doing one’s duties with sattvika tyaga, is to do sattvika karma. Rajasic karma is that which is done for a purpose and without sattvika tyaga. Tamasic karma is that which is done as one pleases, actions done at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and in a way that harms oneself and others, and doing what the Sastras forbid.
The Lord spells out clearly in the Gita, what one gets by doing sattvika karma. One gains control over the mind; one begins to think of His name constantly; one likes only His mantras; one gives up undesirable traits like anger, jealousy etc.
A person who does actions with sattvika tyaga acquires parabhakti — that is, awareness about the atma. In the next stage he gets parajnana — that is, a vision of the Supreme One. The last stage is Paramabhakti, which means that that vision of the Supreme One, becomes a lasting vision.
Having said all this, the Lord talks about Saranagati (total surrender) as a means to reach Him. Saranagati is the simplest way to reach Him.
