Karma-bandhanah means

Expressions researched:
"Karma-bandhana means" |"Karma-bandhanah means"

SB Canto 4

Karma-bandhanaḥ means that if we do not work for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, then the reaction of our work will bind us.

SB 4.6.53, Translation and Purport:

O destroyer of the sacrifice, please take your portion of the sacrifice and let the sacrifice be completed by your grace.

A sacrifice is a ceremony performed to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, it is stated that everyone should try to understand whether the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied by his activity. In other words, the aim of our activities should be to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as in an office it is the duty of the worker to see that the proprietor or the master is satisfied, so everyone's duty is to see whether the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied by one's activity. Activities to satisfy the Supreme Godhead are prescribed in the Vedic literature, and execution of such activities is called yajña. In other words, acting on behalf of the Supreme Lord is called yajña. One should know very well that any activity besides yajña is the cause of material bondage. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9): yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ. Karma-bandhanaḥ means that if we do not work for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, then the reaction of our work will bind us. One should not work for his own sense gratification. Everyone should work for the satisfaction of God. That is called yajña.

After the yajña was performed by Dakṣa, all the demigods expected prasāda, the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Viṣṇu. Lord Śiva is one of the demigods, so naturally he also expected his share of the prasāda from the yajña. But Dakṣa, out of his envy of Lord Śiva, neither invited Śiva to participate in the yajña nor gave him his share after the offering. But after the destruction of the yajña arena by the followers of Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā pacified him and assured him that he would get his share of prasāda. Thus he was requested to rectify whatever destruction was caused by his followers.

In Bhagavad-gītā (3.11) it is said that all the demigods are satisfied when one performs yajña. Because the demigods expect prasāda from yajñas, yajña must be performed. Those who engage in sense gratificatory, materialistic activities must perform yajña, otherwise they will be implicated. Thus Dakṣa, being the father of mankind, was performing yajña, and Lord Śiva expected his share. But since Śiva was not invited, there was trouble. By the mediation of Lord Brahmā, however, everything was settled satisfactorily.

The performance of yajña is a very difficult task because all the demigods must be invited to participate in the yajña. In this Kali-yuga it is not possible to perform such costly sacrifices, nor is it possible to invite the demigods to participate. Therefore in this age it is recommended, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who are intelligent should know that in the Kali-yuga there is no possibility of performing the Vedic sacrifices. But unless one pleases the demigods, there will be no regulated seasonal activities or rainfall. Everything is controlled by the demigods. Under the circumstances, in this age, in order to keep the balance of social peace and prosperity, all intelligent men should execute the performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña by chanting the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One should invite people, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and then distribute prasāda. This yajña will satisfy all the demigods, and thus there will be peace and prosperity in the world. Another difficulty in performing the Vedic rituals is that if one fails to satisfy even one demigod out of the many hundreds of thousands of demigods, just as Dakṣa failed to satisfy Lord Śiva, there will be disaster. But in this age the performance of sacrifice has been simplified. One can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and by pleasing Kṛṣṇa one can satisfy all the demigods automatically.

Karma-bandhana means "the bonds of fruitive activity."

SB 4.24.78, Translation and Purport:

A devotee who rises early in the morning and with folded hands chants these prayers sung by Lord Śiva and gives facility to others to hear them certainly becomes free from all bondage to fruitive activities.

Mukti, or liberation, means becoming free from the results of fruitive activities. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.10.6): muktir hitvānyathā-rūpam. Mukti means giving up all other activities and being situated in one's constitutional position (svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ). In this conditional state, we are entangled by one fruitive activity after another. Karma-bandhana means "the bonds of fruitive activity." As long as one's mind is absorbed in fruitive activities, he has to manufacture plans for happiness. The bhakti-yoga process is different, for bhakti-yoga means acting according to the order of the supreme authority. When we act under the direction of supreme authority, we do not become entangled by fruitive results. For instance, Arjuna fought because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted him to; therefore he was not responsible for the outcome of the fighting. As far as devotional service is concerned, even hearing and chanting is as good as acting with our body, mind and senses. Actually, hearing and chanting are also activities of the senses. When the senses are utilized for one's own sense gratification, they entangle one in karma, but when they are used for the satisfaction of the Lord, they establish one in bhakti.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Karma-bandhanaḥ means you become bound up by the resultant reaction.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

In the Fourth Chapter we have discussed that what sort of work we shall do? That is prescribed. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Karma-bandhanaḥ means you become bound up by the resultant reaction. But if you act for yajñārthe-yajñārthe means for Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa—then there will be no reaction, śubhāśubha. Śubha means good, and aśubha means bad. So reaction, either good reaction or bad reaction, you have to take this body. Suppose your... As a result of your good action, you are going to take your birth in the Rockefeller family of America. That's all right. But so far your body is concerned, the body itself is miserable. Don't think that because you are getting your body in some rich family, or in other higher planets, in the demigods planet where you can have a long duration of life... But still, you have got the material body. And as soon as you get this material body, the reaction of the material body—threefold miseries and the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of old age, and the miseries of disease—will continue. Because you are rich man, so you are not immune from the material miseries. That will affect. Therefore all these material affection will continue either you do good work, either you do bad work.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Karma-bandhana means so long we do not know what is our duty, we create our position differently and therefore sometimes we suffer, sometimes we enjoy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Because we suffer on account of sinful activities. And we enjoy by pious activity. That is the law. If you become nicely educated, cultured, then you get good position in the society. But if you are a rascal, then you suffer. Similarly, we are creating our position. But that... That is called karma-bandhana. Karma-bandhana means so long we do not know what is our duty, we create our position differently and therefore sometimes we suffer, sometimes we enjoy. Therefore we must know what is our duty. That we have forgotten. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). In this material condition of life we have forgotten what is our actually aim of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Our duty, when we forget our dharma, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Dharma is not a religious sentiment. Dharma means our occupational duty, real meaning. I think I have given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So when we forget our duty, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Glāniḥ means deterioration of our real occupational duty.

Karma-bandhana means being locked up in one's material activities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

Suppose something, some animal, and this man who has killed. He will take another birth and he will slaughter him. There are so many subtle laws. Māṁsa. The word māṁsa, Sanskrit. Mām means "me," and sa means "he." "As I am eating him just now, he will eat me next life." That is called māṁsa. Māṁsa khādati. This is the definition of māṁsa, or flesh. Māṁsa khādati. "As I am eating, enjoying now, palate, eating some animal, so he'll also eat me next life." This is called karma-bandhana. Karma-bandhana means being locked up in one's material activities. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajña, Viṣṇu..., if you act for Kṛṣṇa, beyond this, whatever you act, you'll be under bondage. Just like I'm killing some animal, eating, enjoying, so it is karma-bandhana. I am being locked up with my action so that I shall become again a cow or goat, and this man, this cow and goat will become man, and he will kill me and eat. You believe or not believe—that's a different thing. But these are the Vedic statement. And, practically, we are seeing that life for life. Why? Unless there is some meaning, why this punishment is there? Life for life.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Karma-bandhanaḥ means you are bound up by the reaction. So therefore you have to act according to Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Indian man (4): Therefore, if we say that we can kill some animal by the order of Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: Yes, then you are not responsible. Suppose I kill one snake by the stick. The stick is not responsible; I am responsible.

Indian man (4): When do you think that you'd know that Kṛṣṇa is responsible and not our...

Prabhupāda: You learn from the śāstra. You learn from Bhagavad-gītā what Kṛṣṇa says and do it. Then you are not responsible for anything. Just like there is lawbook. If you act... (aside:) Don't keep so near. ...act according to lawbook, then you are not criminal. If you violate the lawbook, then you are criminal. Similarly, what Kṛṣṇa says, that is recorded in the śāstra, especially in the Bhagavad-gītā. So you act what is said in the Bhagavad-gītā; then you remain free from all sinful reaction. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko ya karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajñārthāt means for Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you do, that's all right. Otherwise you are become bound up by the reaction. Anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Karma-bandhanaḥ means you are bound up by the reaction. So therefore you have to act according to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you act differently, then you are responsible.