Unifying Bhakti Yog and Karm Yog

The journey of a Bhakt

All the actions of a Bhakt are for his Ishta Dev (इष्ट देव) or Bhagwaan (भगवान).

In the beginning, a Bhakt may have multiple demands from his Lord. With non-stop practice of Name chanting, he starts to focus only on his Ishta Dev. Slowly, he begins to realize that whatever happens in his life is planned by his Ishta Dev. He accepts it as the best for him. He feels that no one can love him more than God. The Bhakt then becomes free of all worries and begins to love his Ishta Dev even more deeply.

Then comes the next stage. The Bhakt now wants to give something back to his Ishta Dev. He wishes to serve and make his Lord happy. At first, he serves in limited ways like prayer, rituals, or temple work. But soon, he realizes something deeper. The whole universe is a form of his Ishta Dev. So, he must serve everyone and everything.

Saint Tulsidas, a great Bhakt, whose Ishtadev was Shri Ram, wrote in Ramcharitmanas:

मैं सेवक सचराचर रूप स्वामि भगवंत॥1
(I am the servant, and the whole world of living and non-living is my Lord.)

The Bhakt sees his God in everyone. If he meets a hungry man, he sees his Ishta Dev in that man. He feeds him with love. And he does not feel proud of this. He believes it was his God who came in that form and gave him a chance to serve.

Difference between Bhakt and Non-Bhakt

From outside, a Bhakt’s work looks like anyone else’s. Both may feed the poor, help people, or do social service. But the difference lies in intention.

A Bhakt serves out of love for his Ishta Dev.
Others may act from greed (lobh), fear (bhay), anger (krodh), lust (kaam), jealousy (irsha), attachment (moh), or ego.

So, the same action can come from very different roots.

Link to Karm Yog

When a Bhakt serves everyone with love, seeing God in all, he follows the core of Bhakti Yog. The stronger this feeling, the higher he rises on the path.

In Karm Yog, the principle is also clear. We must work without expecting results. Work for the sake of work. Actions will give results, good or bad, depending on circumstances. But the Karm Yogi does not care for that.

He keeps working with full energy. He does not stop for comfort, family ties, or desires. His work flows naturally, like blood flows in the body without effort.

The unity of the two paths

Both Bhakti Yog and Karm Yog involve hard work and intense action.

The Bhakt works out of love for his Ishta Dev.
The Karm Yogi works out of pure existence, without attachment.

From a Bhakt’s view, a Karm Yogi is also a devotee—his Ishta Dev is subtle, and his work too comes from love. From a Karm Yogi’s view, the Bhakt is also doing Karm Yog, only by dividing existence into two—God and himself.

So in truth, Bhakti Yog and Karm Yog are not separate. They meet at the same path.

https://www.ramcharitmanas.iitk.ac.in/ramcharitmanas?tid=4&tid_1=11&tid_2=8