Skill in action - the heart of song celestial

Chapter 2 verse 50 says "Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam..." This phrase is commonly translated as "skill/dexterity in action is Yoga"; and Krishna gives this advice to a forlorn Arjuna when he is all set to put down his bow and run off the battlefield. Interesting!!. The warrior is trembling with emotions, his hands are sweaty and shaky; and here is the master confidently telling him that he must perform his actions with dexterity.. If one were to take this phrase out of this context ( which is what we do) and practice its intent- it would roughly mean that we must work assiduously to achieve perfection in whatever is allotted to be our bidding in life. For example, if one is working as a software developer, then the idea is to worker harder on writing more and more code, until one reaches a point of utmost skill. And so is the case with all professions or livelihood.

But I don't think Krishna meant that when he gave this advice to Arjuna. You see, there is an interesting etymology to this Sanskrit word "Kaushalam". In Vedic times, children were sent to pluck Kaushi leaves for their master, and these leaves are usually hidden behind thorns. And only a child who had nimble small fingers could ever pluck a leaf without drawing blood. No matter how hard anybody else tries or practices, it is impossible to become adept at it for the simple reason that not everyone is physically suited to do that work. It is not a matter of embarrassment or incompetence if one would come back to his Guru without a Kaushi leaf. The Master understood... And he would allot other tasks that would suit their temperament, skill and prowess. So "Kaushalam" in this sense, was meant to designate a boy who had the physical aptitude to pluck leaves out of a Kaushi Branch. That is all.

Now, seen in this context, what krishna essentially tells Arjuna here is that "Hey, if you think that you are warrior; and there is warrior (Kshatriya) blood running through your veins; then such grief is not becoming of you. This act of killing should come naturally to you. And I am beginning to now doubt if bowman ship is indeed your true nature at all. Probably not.."

Skillfulness in action only come when one is doing what come naturally; not otherwise. If you look at the kind of jobs that people do, most of them are misfits. And asking them to work harder, or be smarter is like ordering someone to jump off the ground by tugging at their boot laces. It is simply not possible. Many a time, what we are good at doing is not something that will help us make a living. That is the price we pay for an overdose of growth, progress, nationhood and fuzzy economics. Martin Luther King Jr famously said and I quote

"..If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well..."

But I guess, Dr King was joking. All of us today want to do something other than what we are good at doing. Our education does not help in establishing our roots and interests; but only triggers a deep sense a dissatisfaction over living a life that flowers with each one of us. Our skills are of no use if it not "productive". - is what we are taught in school, colleges, at home, at work and all around. And in the midst of all this chaos "Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam" seems a travesty to preach or practice.

But you know what : who wants to understand true meanings? Bhagavad gita is good for a Sunday reading, after heavy breakfast and we need something to read to feel good.

So there we go... That's skill that comes quite effortlessly to all of us..

God bless..

Yours in life,

Bala