Category:Engaging in Working
Theme Analysis
Work (karma) is an inseparable aspect of conditioned life, as every living entity is compelled to act according to the modes of material nature (guṇa). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that inactivity is neither natural nor possible, for the living entity is inherently active by constitution. The real issue, therefore, is not whether one works, but under what consciousness and direction that work is performed. When activities are carried out under ignorance (avidyā) and for sense gratification, they bind the soul within saṁsāra. However, when the same work is harmonized with varṇāśrama-dharma and ultimately offered for the satisfaction of the Supreme (hari-toṣaṇam), it becomes purified into karma-yoga, leading toward liberation.
- Inescapable Nature of Work: Every living entity is forced to act by the influence of the guṇas, and even attempts at renunciation often mask subtle forms of mental activity. Idleness is therefore artificial and dangerous, as it gives rise to uncontrolled thoughts and degraded tendencies. Proper engagement is essential not only for maintaining order in society but also for stabilizing the mind and progressing spiritually.
- Material Work and Its Consequences: When work is motivated by bodily identification and personal desire, it produces entanglement, fatigue, and dissatisfaction. Such labor, often glorified in modern civilization, binds the living entity to the cycle of action and reaction, preventing real peace or fulfillment. The harder one works under illusion, the deeper one becomes implicated in material existence.
- Regulated Duty and Social Order: The system of varṇāśrama-dharma provides a structured way for individuals to engage according to their inherent qualities and tendencies. This organization is not merely social but deeply spiritual, as it guides one gradually toward purification. When duties are performed responsibly and without selfish attachment, they become a stepping stone toward higher realization.
- Transformation into Devotional Service: The highest perfection of work is achieved when all activities are consciously dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. In such a state, work no longer produces karmic reactions but becomes a means of liberation. This transformation from karma to karma-yoga represents the essential shift from material existence to spiritual life.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Engaging in Working - From Material Labor to Divine Service.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
Pages in category "Engaging in Working"
The following 67 pages are in this category, out of 67 total.
A
- Actually we see that different people are engaged in different ways; therefore there must be divisions according to work
- Among the sons of Sagara Maharaja was one named Asamanjasa, who was born from the King's second wife, Kesini. The son of Asamanjasa was known as Amsuman, and he was always engaged in working for the good of Sagara Maharaja, his grandfather
- Arjuna was Krsna's friend, but He never said that "You stop your working." Rather, He engaged him in his real work. He was a fighter
- As long as one is affected by the modes of material nature, especially by rajas and tamas, he will be very greedy and lusty and will therefore engage in hard tasks, laboring all day and night
- As Madhvacarya passed through that area (Maharashtra) with his disciples, he was also obliged to help in the excavation (of lake). After some time, when Madhvacarya visited the king, he engaged the king in that work and departed with his disciples
- At the present moment human society is overly influenced by the mode of passion, and consequently people are engaged in working in big factories. They forget how distressful it is to live in such places
B
- Because of our ignorance we engage in so much work which is connected with the bodily or material conception of life
- Because sudras do not have ample intelligence, they should simply engage as workers to serve the higher statuses of social life
- Becomes a renounced order, sannyasi, and highest order, and then, after some time, he becomes engaged in opening hospitals and philanthropic work and in politics. We have seen it. Oh, why?
F
- Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world. BG 16.9 - 1972
- For advancement of sense gratification, the living entities are engaged in the work of this world, and they aspire to heavenly happiness after death. BG 1972 purports
G
- Generally, ordinary persons are engaged simply in working hard in the material world, and they have no information that there is another kingdom or another sky, which is known as the spiritual sky, where life is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge
- Go back home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of human life. And that point we are missing. We are engaged in so-called philanthropic work. Real purpose of life we are missing. And this can be done only in this human form of life
H
- He is my old friend and Godbrother, and so you should offer him all due respects whenever he comes, but do not try to engage him in some work in his old age
- Here the government begins cheating. He is engaging you to hard work day and night and paying you a piece of paper, where it is written "one hundred dollars." That's all. This is your society, cheating and cheater
I
- I was born in an inferior family, and my body is most abominable. I always engage in low work. Therefore, I am the lowest, most condemned of men
- If we do impious work, we may have to take birth in a low class or animal family, or become illiterate or foolish, or very ugly. Although we engage in very pious work & take a good birth, we will still be subject to the stringent laws of action & reaction
- If you are not engaged in good work, then you must act badly. That is natural. You have to work. Therefore idle brain is devil's workshop. If you are sitting idly, then brain also will work, mind also will work
- In Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna also says: "O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything - and yet I am engaged in work" - BG.3.22
- In London you will see everyone engaged in hard work. In the morning, all the buses and trucks travel with great speed, and people go to the office or factory from morning until late at night. They work hard, and it is called advancement of civilization
- In material world this is always. The plan is . . . There is planning commission by the government. Why? To engage them to work very hard. That is going on
- In the scriptural injunctions we find what sort of work should be performed and what sort of work should not be performed. Those who do not care for those injunctions engage in work not to be done, and such persons are generally materialistic. BG 1972 p
- In this age the human being is actually engaged in the work of an ass, carrying heavy burdens and driving thela and rickshaws
- Initiation means the beginning. The very word initiation means if you are engaged in some work, just in the beginning, that is called initiation. Initiation is not the end. Initiation means you agree to enter into the world of enlightenment
K
- Kilbisam means resultant action of sinful life. Kilbisam. So if we don't desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved in sinful activity, kurvan api, even though he is engaged in working
- Kriya means varnasrama-dharma, everyone is engaged in his own work. Brahmana is engaged in his own work. Ksatriya is engaged in his own work. That is all right. But the ultimate goal should be hari-tosanam
- Krsna says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good." Idle brain is a devil's workshop
L
- Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion. BG 3.26 - 1972
- Lord Brahma therefore engaged Daksa in the work of generating living entities and maintaining them. In due course of time, Daksa also engaged other Prajapatis (progenitors) in the process of generation and maintenance
N
- Nobody is going to work without any remuneration. Everyone is working for getting some profit. That is called karma. But that ordinary karma and karma-yoga is different. You can engage yourself in ordinary work, but, at the same time, become a yogi
- Nondevotees engage their senses in very troublesome and extensive work, and they suffer insomnia at night because their intelligence constantly breaks their sleep with various mental speculations
O
- O lord, please note that we are not at all negligent in discharging our duties. We have been faithfully carrying this palanquin according to your desire, but this man who has been recently engaged to work with us cannot walk very swiftly
- O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything - and yet I am engaged in work. BG 3.22 - 1972
- O twice-born brahmanas, still his (Vayasadeva) mind was not satisfied, although he engaged himself in working for the total welfare of all people
- On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior. BG 3.7 - 1972
- On the whole, the kayastha community is a mixture of all castes, and it especially includes those engaged in clerical or secretarial work. Materially such people are always busy occupying responsible government posts
- One of the symptoms of the disease is that all of the people are engaged in artificial work, and the whole world is interdependent
- One should work only for Krsna. It does not matter in what kind of work one engages, but that work should be done only for Krsna. That is the standard of devotional service. BG 1972 purports
P
- People are engaged to earn money, working very hard day and night. So if there is such thing that simply by pleasing Krsna you can get as much money as you want, then why shall I earn money?
- People are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program, at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajnas
- People in general are all engaged in senseless work. They are systematically unmindful of the real beneficial work, which is the devotional service of the Lord, technically called the arcana regulations
- Persons who are not for spiritual realization, they may be engaged in work for eight hours only, but those who are engaged for spiritual realization, oh, they are engaged twenty-four hours
S
- Some men are busy engaged in trade, industry, economic development, political supremacy, etc., and some of them are engaged in fruitive work to become happy in the next life by attaining higher planets
- Some of the Brahmacharies may be engaged in the publication work, some of them may be engaged in the Kirtan party preaching work, and some of them in distributing our literature. That will make our mission perfect
T
- That worker who is always engaged in work against the injunction of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating & expert in insulting others, who is lazy, always morose & procrastinating, is a worker in the mode of ignorance. BG 18.28 - 1972
- The demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world
- The expert spiritual master engages his followers in work that will gradually develop their consciousness of service to the Lord
- The laborers in great factories and workshops are also engaged in such burdensome work, and after working hard during the day, the poor laborer has to be again kicked by the fair sex, not only for sex enjoyment but also for so many household affairs
- The learned karma-yogis tactfully engage such foolish mundaners in the respective works for which they have special attachments - but in relation with Krsna - without disturbing them in their general activities
- The Mayavadi philosophers, engaged in the missionary work of spoiling the Vedic culture by preaching that everyone is God, describe a poverty-stricken man as daridra-narayana, or “poor Narayana”
- The modern economy is, "Engage people in hard working to produce, and by artificial cheating, secure the goods, commodities" This is modern economy. So a worker is getting three thousand dollar per month, but he is getting paper
- The so-called advancement of human civilization has engaged a human being in the work of an ass
- The spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by illusory energy. BG 1972 purports
- The unemployment, devil's workshop, that is breeding so many isms and that . . . otherwise, if anyone is engaged into work, his brain will not be a devil's workshop. He will work something
- They (persons who are engaged in destructive work) are all of the demoniac mentality, always challenging the supreme power of the Lord
- Those who are trying to be idle krsna-bhaktas, they are not devotees. One must be engaged with Krsna's work. That is devotion. Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah - BG 9.14
- Thus they (karmis) engage their energy in working very hard for such material acquisitions. Such materialistic people have lost their good intelligence. They must search out their intelligence within the heart
- Thus when the Personality of Godhead entered into the elements by His energy, all the living entities were enlivened into different activities, just as one is engaged in his work after awakening from sleep
U
W
- We are engaged in philanthropic work, to give food to the poor, as if God is unable to give food to the poor, because we have taken the position of God. So this is not our business. God has food for everyone
- When we are engaged in work, memories of events that happened 10, 20, thirty or 40 years ago may suddenly come to our mind for no apparent reason. These thoughts come from our subconscious, and because they are always rising, the mind is always agitated
- Who is writing good hand, that is a secondary question. The teacher's duty is to see that everyone is engaged in handwriting work