All actions are broadly classified as Preyas and Sreyas. Preyas refers to those actions that bring rewards in this life and for better life in future births. Sreyas leads to realising the atma swaroopa. Scriptures recommend Sreyas for the jiva and coax him to engage in atma vichara to know about the true nature of the atma and the Supreme Brahman. This is the highest knowledge and unlike worldly knowledge that is assimilated through the sense, mind and intellect, this jnana is gained with faith and sincerity.
When Brahma Jnana is gained, the jiva is absolved of the effects of all karma, good and bad, and the soul gets liberated. In this context, Sri B. Sundarkumar drew attention to the view of the interpreters of Vedanta sastra who point out that jnana destroys only the effects of one’s bad karma. They say that the good karma such as those acts of the jiva that are directed to self realisation, are not destroyed though it is true that the effects of all karmas have to be nullified for attaining liberation.
The important point in Gita teaching is to show that though all karma good or bad automatically bind the jiva to samsara, the subtle link between karma and jnana provides room for negotiation between them by the jiva. Krishna highlights the spirit in which the realised soul leads life. He does not renounce action but renounces the fruit of all action. There is no trace of ego, that is, the feeling of personal pride in doing any act; and there is no desire for any fruit that may result from the action done by him. All actions that are expected to be done and ordained for him are done to the best of his ability and they are dedicated to God wholeheartedly. If one imbibes this attitude, where is the question of being bound by karma?
