कर्मयोग

Karma yoga is the path in which a seeker does not run from action but makes action itself the practice. In verse 3.3 Lord Krishna names two commitments: knowledge for those who lean towards reflection, and action for those who lean towards work. The commitment of action is karma yoga.

On this path the work itself does not change; the inner stance does. Work is done as duty and service, the grip on its fruit stays loose, and the mind stays even in success and failure. For this reason it is not separate from nishkama karma but its wider road. In verse 12.10 it joins with devotion, where work is done for the Lord.

One common misreading is that karma yoga just means working harder. A person can work very hard and still be bound by the fruit and by pride. Another is that it leaves no room for thought or feeling. Verses 5.4-5 call those who treat knowledge and action as different goals half-informed: anyone properly established in either one receives the fruit of both.

For the question whether giving up action is itself the practice, see Can We Simply Stop Acting?.