Shloka 18
Govardhana-pūjā: Kṛṣṇa Redirects Indra-yajña to Worship of Govardhana, Cows, and Brāhmaṇas
तस्मात्सम्पूजयेत्कर्म स्वभावस्थ: स्वकर्मकृत् । अञ्जसा येन वर्तेत तदेवास्य हि दैवतम् ॥ १८ ॥
tasmāt sampūjayet karma svabhāva-sthaḥ sva-karma-kṛt anjasā yena varteta tad evāsya hi daivatam
لہٰذا انسان کو اپنے مزاج کے مطابق اپنے ہی فرض و عمل کی عقیدت سے پرستش کرنی چاہیے۔ جس کے ذریعے آسانی سے زندگی بسر ہو، وہی اس کا قابلِ عبادت دیوتا ہے۔
Lord Kṛṣṇa here proposes the modern if absurd philosophy that our work or occupation is really God and that we should therefore simply worship our work. Upon close scrutiny, we observe that our work is nothing more than the interaction of the material body with material nature, as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself states in a more serious mood, in the Bhagavad-gītā (3.28) : guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta. Karma-mīmāṁsā philosophy accepts that good activity in this life will give us a better next life. If this is true, there must be some type of conscious soul different from the body. And if that is the case, why should a transcendental soul worship the interaction of the temporary body with material nature? If the words sampūjayet karma here mean that one should worship the laws of karma governing our activities, then one may astutely ask what it means to worship laws and, indeed, what might be the origin of such laws and who is maintaining them. To say that laws have created or are maintaining the world is a meaningless proposition, since there is nothing about the nature of a law that indicates it could generate the existential situation it is supposed to govern. In fact, worship is meant for Kṛṣṇa Himself, and this real conclusion will be clearly revealed in this chapter.
FAQs
This verse teaches that one should respectfully perform and honor one’s natural, prescribed work, treating the means by which one lives properly as one’s daivatam—an object of reverence—rather than seeking artificial or unsuitable duties.
In the Govardhana context, Krishna redirects the Vrajavasis from ritual dependence toward grounded dharma—encouraging them to honor their natural livelihood and responsibilities, setting the stage for the Govardhana worship and the lesson that devotion can be expressed through sincere, fitting duty.
Choose work aligned with your nature and responsibilities, do it conscientiously, and offer its results in a spirit of reverence—turning daily duty into steady spiritual practice instead of chasing forced roles or status.