WHAT ARE NISHKAM KARMAS? HOW CAN NISHKAM KARMAS BE BENEFICIAL TO MAN? HOW CAN OUR KARMAS BE CONVERTED INTO NISHKAM KARMAS?

We cannot live for a moment even, without doing any karam. Karmas refer to actions done by human beings only through their knowledge senses, karam senses and mind. Actions done by species other than man are not categorized as karmas for the reason that actions done by other species cannot be done through the use of intellect. 

 If we are bound to do karmas either through our body or speech or mind for the whole of our life, then why shouldn’t we improve the quality of our karmas. Every moment of our lives, we receive the fruits of our earlier karmas and simultaneously, do new karmas,  the result of which are received later on. What is meant by improving the quality of our karmas to improve our future? Improving the quality of any of our karmas, though, improves the sanskaaras responsible for our karmas but they may or may not be able to improve our future. Then improving what sort of karmas improve our future for certain? We will not be able to understand the answer to this question without knowing about nishkam karmas.

If all actions of human beings are categorized as karmas, then what are nishkam karmas and what is the need of converting our actions into nishkam karmas? Nishkam karmas refer to karmas, which are done without wishing any worldly gain. Every karam of ours yields its fruit according to the karamphal principles. According to these principles, karmas done without wishing any worldly gain produce fruits different from worldly gains like knowledge, power, status, popularity, money et cetra. Fruit different from worldly gain is the enjoyment of bliss of God. Only nishkam karmas can lead us to enjoyment of bliss of God. If we want to enjoy more and more bliss of God, then more and more karmas of ours should be converted into nishkam karmas. But, how can we convert our karmas into nishkam karmas? No action of ours can be done without any motive. We are required to change motive of our actions from worldly gains to non-worldly gains. The moment, the motive of our actions is non-worldly gains, our actions become eligible for producing the fruit of bliss of God. Every action of ours done towards meeting our worldly requirements can be converted into nishkam karmas. Let me explain it through an example. Imagine there is doctor practicing his profession with the objective of meeting his requirements. A patient comes to him for treatment of pain in his stomach. If the doctor treats him for his pain, he will get the fee in exchange of his services. Now, if the doctor feels of alleviating the pain of the patient and subdues the thought of fees to be received by him, he gets three benefits out of this mental state. First, the karam of the doctor of treating the patient becomes nishkam immediately. Second, the doctor receives a satisfaction of doing his job. Third and Last-the doctor receives the fee. If the doctor treats his patient thinking of fee only, then he can get the fee only in exchange of his services but if the doctor is able to change his state of mind, he will get other two benefits also, as mentioned above in addition to the fee. Receipt of fee depends upon meeting a lot more conditions but receipt of satisfaction and change of karam to nishkam karam are very much certain.