Life before joining the Maṭha

Pure devotees never perform karma, so the activities that Śrīla Gurudeva performed in his young adult life before joining his gurudeva’s maṭha were not mundane karma.

It is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.12) and in Śrī Bhajana-rahasya (1.14):

नैष्कर्म्यम् अप्य् अच्युत-भाव-वर्जितं
न शोभते ज्ञानम् अलं निरञ्जनम्
कुतः पुनः शश्वद् अभद्रम् ईश्वरे
न चार्पितं कर्म यद् अप्य् अकारणम्

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṃ
na śobhate jñānam alaṃ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṃ karma yad apy akāraṇam

Even pure knowledge (jñāna), which is the direct sādhana to obtain liberation, has no beauty if it is devoid of bhakti to Bhagavān. What beauty can there be, then, in selfless action (niṣkāma-karma) that is not offered to Bhagavān and fruitive action (kāmya-karma), which is always inauspicious in both its practice and perfection?

In his Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti, Śrīla Gurudeva has written:

The word naiṣkarmya in this Text refers to niṣkāma-karma, selfless action. Although such selfless action does not have the variegated nature of karma-kāṇḍa, devotees do not accept it because it is devoid of worship of Bhagavān. Devotees also have no connection with nirañjana-jñāna (knowledge freed from nescience) if it is not dedicated to Bhagavān. Vairāgya (renunciation) that does not lead to attachment for the lotus feet of Bhagavān is also useless. The ācāryas have ascertained that the jīva who leaves the eternal service of Hari and runs towards inauspicious karma or contemptuous mokṣa becomes bereft of his own supreme auspiciousness forever.^[1]

On the other hand, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said in Bhagavadgītā (3.5)

न हि कश्चित् क्षणम् अपि जातु तिष्ठत्य् अकर्म-कृत्
कार्यते ह्य् अवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृति-जैर् गुणैः

na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ

No one can remain without performing action, even for a moment. everyone is impelled to act under the influence of qualities such as attachment, envy and so on which are born of his nature.

These two statements appear to contradict each other, but there can be no difference or contradiction in the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and those of Bhagavad-gītā. When we act for our own selfish happiness, it is called karma. When the same action is embued with bhakti, then it is sevā. Why is it said that no one can exist without action, even for a moment? Sitting, standing, talking and sleeping are all forms of action. even our breathing is an action, and is therefore karma. everyone -no matter how exalted a devotee he may be -is impelled to perform karma (work or action).

We are bound to perform karma but pure bhakti is never covered by karma. The pure devotee has no fruitive desire and performs no fruitive activity. He does not try to increase his material pleasure or decrease his material suffering. His every move is to please the Lord, and that action is called bhakti.

The following are statements by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (3.7–9), and Śrīla Gurudeva’s commentaries on these verses:^[2]

यस् त्व् इन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्म-योगम् असक्तः स विशिष्यते

yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate'rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate

Bhagavad-gītā (3.7)

But, O Arjuna, a person who performs action with his working senses in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures, who regulates his senses through the mind, and who is free from all fruitive desires, is superior.

Śrīla Gurudeva’s commentary

In order to purify the heart, it is imperative to perform action prescribed in scripture without attachment. Those practitioners, or sādhakas, who after controlling their knowledge-acquiring senses (such as the eyes, ears and tongue), perform karma-yoga with their working senses (such as the legs, hands and speech) without desiring the fruits of their activities, and who are careful and attentive in their endeavour, are qualified to attain puruṣārtha, the supreme goal of human life. Such practitioners, who aspire for the transcendental goal, are superior to those who accept sannyāsa impetuously, forcibly controlling their working senses while enjoying sense objects through their knowledgeacquiring senses.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्य् अकर्मणः
शरीर-यात्रापि च ते न प्रसिध्येद् अकर्मणः

niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ
śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasidhyed akarmaṇaḥ

Bhagavad-gītā (3.8)

Perform your prescribed duties, such as the chanting of the gāyatrī-mantra, because action is better than inaction. If you refrain from action, you will not even be able to maintain your body.

Śrīla Gurudeva’s commentary

The above statement is verified in Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.26.2):

आहार-शुद्धौ सत्त्व-शुद्धिः
सत्त्व-शुद्धौ ध्रुवा स्मृतिः
स्मृति-लम्भे सर्वग्रन्थीनां विप्रमोक्षः

āhāra-śuddhau sattva-śuddhiḥ
sattva-śuddhau dhruvā smṛtiḥ
smṛti-lambhe sarvagranthīnāṃ vipramokṣaḥ

It is by the purity of food that one’s mind becomes purified. When the mind is purified, one attains a stable memory. When the memory is stable, all the knots of the heart are untied.

Furthermore it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.13):

भुञ्जते ते त्व् अघं पापा
ये पचन्त्य् आत्म-कारणात्

bhuñjate te tv aghaṃ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

Those who cook grains and other foodstuffs for their own sake are sinful and certainly partake of sin.

It is understood from this and other statements that for the perfection of one’s practice (sādhana), it is necessary to maintain and protect the body, and for this it is imperative to follow the scriptural injunctions for the performance of one’s prescribed duties. However, those who impetuously give up all action by taking sannyāsa do not receive the light of knowledge in their impure hearts. Moreover, if they perform no work at all, they can even leave their bodies because they have not maintained them.

यज्ञार्थात् कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्म-बन्धनः
तद्-अर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्त-सङ्गः समाचर

yajñārthāt karmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṃ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṃ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara

Bhagavad-gītā (3.9)

For humanity, all actions other than those selflessly offered to Śrī Viṣṇu are a cause of bondage to this world, O son of Kuntī. Therefore, become free from all desires for the fruits of your actions, and perform appropriate action solely for His satisfaction.

Śrīla Gurudeva’s commentary

The Vedas say “yajño vai viṣṇu–yajña, or sacrifice, is indeed Viṣṇu.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa also tells uddhava in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.39): “yajño’ham bhagavattamaḥ–I, the son of Vasudeva, am yajña.”

The Tantra-sāra also states yajña to be Śrī Hari Himself:

यज्ञो यज्ञ-पुमान्श् चैव यज्ञशो यज्ञ-भावनः
यज्ञ-भुक् चेति पञ्चात्मा यज्ञेष्व् इज्यो हरिः स्वयम्

yajño yajña-pumānś caiva yajñaśo yajña-bhāvanaḥ
yajña-bhuk ceti pañcātmā yajñeṣv ijyo hariḥ svayam

In the two verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.10–11), which Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has cited in his commentary on the present verse, the word sva-dharma-stha (situated in one’s prescribed duties) has been used twice. While commenting on these two verses, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says:

(1) One does not go to hell if he is situated in his occupational position (sva-dharma) and does not transgress the activities prescribed in scripture to engage in forbidden activities. And since he has no desire for the fruits of his activities, he does not go to the heavenly planets, either.

(2) A person who engages in selflessly offering the fruits of His prescribed duty to the Supreme by performing selfless action (niṣkāma-karma) is called sva-dharma-stha, or truly situated in his prescribed religious occupation.

When one’s occupational duties (karma) are performed in accordance with scripture, without any selfish motive and for the pleasure of Śrī Viṣṇu, they purify the heart. Associating with saintly persons then causes knowledge of bhagavat-tattva, the fundamental truth in relation to the Supreme Lord Bhagavān, to appear in the heart. This then allows one to enter the path of devotion to Him that is beyond the modes of material nature (nirguṇa-bhakti).

The great saint Śrī Nārada has spoken the same in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.32):

एतत् संसूचितं ब्रह्मंस् ताप-त्रय-चिकित्सितम्
यद् ईश्वरे भगवति कर्म ब्रह्मणि भावितम्

etat saṃsūcitaṃ brahmaṃs tāpa-traya-cikitsitam
yad īśvare bhagavati karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam

O knower of the Absolute Truth, that work which is dedicated to the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān, the controller and master of everyone, removes the three types of miseries.

Śrī Bhagavān also told the Pracetās:

गृहेष्व् आविशतां चापि पुंसां कुशल-कर्मणाम्
मद्-वार्ता यात-यामानां न बन्धाय गृहा मताः

gṛheṣv āviśatāṃ cāpi puṃsāṃ kuśala-karmaṇām
mad-vārtā yāta-yāmānāṃ na bandhāya gṛhā matāḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.30.19)

Those who know Me to be the enjoyer of the fruits of all activities offer all of their activities to Me alone. Such expert performers of action, as well as those who spend their time hearing of and reciting My pastimes, do not become bound by their actions, even though remaining in household life.

Like Lord Śiva, when Śrīla Gurudeva is asked for anything, he does not consider whether giving it is good or bad for himself. He simply wants to help others. There are many examples of this.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

From the Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti to Text 14 of the First Chapter–Prathama-yāma-sādhana (Niśānta-bhajana–śraddhā) by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (CC-BY-ND. Gaudiya Vedanta Publications)

[2]:

From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā with the Sārārtha-varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti commentary by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (Third english edition, CC-BY-ND. Gaudiya Vedanta Publications 2010)