History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.192

v7.c91.192

This central doctrine of the Gītā of what is called '*niṣkāma-karma*' was accepted by the Purāṇas. The Viṣṇu II. 3. 25 adopts it. The Agnipurāṇa in chapter 381 gives a summary of the Gītā in 58 verses which are mostly made up of passages from the Gītā. It winds up the summary with the verse quoted in note 1575 and emphasizes bhakti in the last verse.¹⁵⁷⁶ The Garuḍa-purāṇa summarises the Gītā in 28 verses (I. 237–238). The Padma (in VI. 171–188) contains the *māhātmya* of each of the 18 chapters of the Gītā interspersed with legends about the fruit of reading each Gītā chapter (1005 verses in all). A few further examples may be cited. The Kūrma says¹⁵⁷⁷ 'therefore even a man not possessed of (high) wisdom should perform all his duties (or actions) abandoning with all efforts the fruit (or reward) of actions, he obtains (high) abode after some time'; 'actions done after offering them to me do not tend to bind down the doer but tend to *mukti* (liberation)'. The Mārkaṇḍeya also refers to '*niṣkāma-karma*'. The Bhāgavata-purāṇa provides 'a man performing (the rites) prescribed by the Veda but without attachment (not caring for the reward) and surrendering them to God secures freedom from the bondage of *karma* and the declaration of the reward (in the Veda) is only meant for stimulating effort.'