Now in next verse 50th Krishna will give another definition of Yoga:

BG 2.50

buddhi-yukto jahatiha

ubhe sukrita–dushkrite

tasmad yogaya yujyasva

yogah karmasu kausalam

SYNONYMS

buddhi–yuktah — one who is engaged in devotional service; jahati — can get rid of; iha — in this life; ubhe — both; sukrita–dushkrite — good and bad results; tasmat — therefore; yogaya — for the sake of devotional service; yujyasva — be so engaged; yogah — Krishna consciousness; karmasu — in all activities; kausalam — art.

TRANSLATION

A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.

So here, we see that Sri Krishna is repeating what was mentioned in 2.38 in 2.50. In 2.38, it was ‘tato yuddhāya yujyasva’—engaging in battle. Now, in 2.50, it is ‘tasmad yogaya yujyasva’—engaging in yoga. The actions mentioned are not identical but similar. Engaging in yoga is what Krishna advises here, while previously, He instructed Arjuna to engage in battle. What is the difference between the two?

Yoga is a general principle that can be practiced in various ways. Kshatriya yoga, for instance, is performed through fighting for dharma, while Brahmanas and Vaishyas will perform yoga in different ways. Therefore, Krishna says, ‘tasmad yogaya yujyasva’—engage in yoga. When one is engaged in yoga, ‘yogah karmasu kausalam’—yoga is the art of all work. ‘Kausalam’ can be translated as expertise or art. Karma refers to action, so expertise in work is considered yoga.

Is expertise in playing the guitar, for example, considered yoga if it brings a spiritual experience? Or when a football player scores a goal, experiences absorption, and attains samadhi, is that yoga? Different people can be experts in different things, but merely being absorbed in something does not make it spiritual. What makes something spiritual is the connection with the supreme spiritual reality.

Yoga means connection with the Supreme Spiritual reality manifested as Krishna. ‘Yogah karmasu kausalam’ means expertise in working in a way that makes us spiritually conscious. Our work becomes Krishna conscious—that is true karmasu kausalam.

So how can we think about Krishna while performing our daily work? It is not easy, but it is possible through steady practice of devotional service. As we keep practicing, the remembrance of Krishna becomes easier, deeper, and more profound. That is how we grow. ‘Yogah karmasu kausalam’—yoga is the art of expertise in work. ‘Tasmad yogaya yujyasva’—Krishna is instructing us to practice yoga. ‘Buddhi-yukto’—engaging the intelligence. In the previous verse, Krishna also talked about ‘buddhi’—intelligence. If we work with intelligence, ‘ubhe sukrita-dushkrite’—both the good and bad results of our past actions will be abandoned. We will attain liberation. Krishna explicitly mentions this in the next verse. The important point is that Krishna uses the word ‘iha’—in this world, in this life itself. Liberation is attainable in this life if one practices devotional service sincerely. By diligently practicing yoga, one can become free from the bondage of both good and bad actions. ‘Jahatiha’—how is it done? Through ‘buddhi’—using the intelligence given by Krishna, understanding the philosophy, and living accordingly. By doing so, we can attain liberation. ‘Yogah karmasu kausalam’—yoga is the art of all work, and ‘buddhi-yukto jahatiha’—when we work according to our intelligence, we become liberated.