Answer
Under illusion, one may think, “I will not act according to Your direction.” But as Krishna explains to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, such a decision does not actually hold—because one is ultimately compelled to act according to one’s own nature.
The purport is that if a person refuses to act under the direction of the Supreme Lord, then he is forced to act by the modes in which he is situated. Everyone is influenced by a particular combination of the modes of material nature, and accordingly, they act. However, one who voluntarily engages in action under the direction of the Supreme Lord becomes truly glorious.
This shows how practical Krishna’s teaching is. All of us are conditioned by certain modes—these influences shape our tendencies, inclinations, and duties. According to those modes, we have a natural duty, and the real perfection is to connect that duty to the service of the Lord.
To illustrate this with a contemporary example: there was a report about Mark Zuckerberg at Meta Platforms, where around 25 employees were dismissed for misusing company food coupons. Even though the amount involved was relatively small and their salaries were high, the violation of principle—misuse of resources—was taken seriously.
Similarly, from a spiritual perspective, any action done in violation of divine principles leads to karmic reaction. That is why one of the central teachings of the Gita is not just to act, but to understand how to act in such a way that no karmic reaction is incurred.
This is the essence of karma-yoga: to perform one’s prescribed duty in alignment with higher guidance, without selfish motive, and in a spirit of offering.
