Thread by @DefiledGod

Brief thoughts on Karma Yoga.

Nowadays, there is a tendency to claim any diligent worker is a "karma-yogi" and that karma yoga involves actions done without any expectation of fruits. Both are actually wrong assumptions.+

Firstly, karma yoga is an accessory to Brahma vidyA. Hence, shUdrAs are not eligible for it. So not everybody can be a "karma yogi". It is strictly traivarNika upAya.

Swami pillai Lokacharya summarizes the various activities that constitute karma yoga+

yajna, dhAna, tapa, dhyAna,   sandhyAvandana, panchamahA-yajna, agnihotra, tIrtha yAtrA, puNya kShEtra vAsa, kruchchra chAndrAyaNa, puNya nadi snAna, vrata, chAturmAsya, pala  mUlASana, shAstra abhyAsa,  samArAdhana, japa, tarpaNa - are performed by karma yogIs+

Many or most of these are not possible for shUdrAs or women as they lack eligibility. If a shUdra adheres to his dharma as service to bhagavAn, like dharmavyAdha, he is merely "sva-varNa-dharma-niShta" - it is conducive for a future birth where he becomes eligible for karma yoga+

Though "sva-varNa-dharma-anuShtAna" is a part of karma yoga, it is only so in the case of nitya-naimittika karmas of a Vedic nature. Karma yoga is also supported by aShtAnga yoga (yama, niyama etc.), as it has the goal of realizing the self. Which brings us to the 2nd issue+

Karma yoga is "desireless action" but not "purposeless action". "Not laying claim to fruits" does not mean doing meaningless work. There is a fruit -- the goal is to realize the self as distinct from the body and progress to meditation on the self+

The means to achieve this, is to dedicate all fruits to bhagavAn, ie, these works have a purpose of being used as services to please bhagavAn, to achieve one's desire of the self. It is not merely "do your duty, don't expect fruits". Fruit of bhagavad kripa is indeed expected+

So not everyone is a "karma yogi", karma yoga is not purposeless action and neither is karma yoga a practical upAya in kali yuga.//