Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the difficulty of practicing 'Nishkam Karma' (desireless action) as taught in the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He begins by explaining that for us, the meaning of Nishkam Karma is that if you perform actions based on desire, you will only encounter more suffering. He points out that one has been performing 'sakam karma' (desire-based action) their entire life, which is why they are now turning to the Gita and attempting to practice Nishkam Karma. 'Sakam karma' is defined as any action performed to fulfill one's desires, a path that has been followed throughout life. The speaker prompts the questioner to reflect on what has been gained from this path and how pleasant it was, to now find Nishkam Karma difficult in comparison. He clarifies that Nishkam Karma is not a special path of action. Its name, 'Nish-kam' (without desire), is a negative instruction; it tells you what not to do, which is to not act for the sake of your desires. While the Gita says to offer all actions to Shri Krishna, the speaker explains that Krishna is formless and abstract, making it impossible to literally act for him or offer things to him. Therefore, Nishkam Karma should be understood as not acting for one's own desires, because that path has only led to suffering. If one had not suffered, the need for Nishkam Karma would not have arisen. It is a path for those who are already fed up with desire-based actions. For those who still find pleasure in their desires, Nishkam Karma will inevitably seem difficult. The speaker acknowledges that Nishkam Karma is indeed difficult; otherwise, Shri Krishna would not have needed to explain it so extensively to Arjun. The practical approach is to first deeply analyze one's experience with 'sakam karma'. One must ask what has been truly gained and lost, and whether any desire has ever been completely fulfilled. Nishkam Karma is not just a principle but a way of life for someone who feels defeated by the path of desire. When letting go of desires feels difficult, one must remember the immense suffering they have caused. By comparing the suffering of chasing desires with the suffering of renouncing them, one realizes that the latter is a smaller pain and the true path to liberation. Once this is understood, desirelessness ('nishkamta') will naturally enter one's life.
