Karma Yoga, one of the paths towards union with the divine outlined in the Bhagavad Gita, involves a lot more than just Nishkama Karma or 'desireless action'. Karma Yoga is action that is inspired from within by devotion, universal love, surrender to the divine, and the highest knowledge and wisdom.
Nishkama Karma is not necessarily any of these. Nishkama Karma is selfless action or desireless action. Nishkama karma can be a path towards Karma Yoga provided one is guided by one's own wisdom or by another wise person (e.g., a guru). But Nishkama Karma without the guidance of wisdom can even be destructive and non-righteous. Gurcharan Das in his book '"The Difficulty of being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma” mentions the example of some people who worked in concentration camps who did their jobs in a selfless manner without any desire (for killing or otherwise). They were simply doing their duty.
Selfless action is not necessarily inspired action. In the book 'Child Man - Selfless Narcissist', Child Man, is “a part of us which neither listens to the voice of reason, nor easily submits to social and moral conventions. Like a child, it relentlessly pursues whatever catches its fancy and keeps playing with fire. The author Ashok Malhotra calls Duryodhana a 'selfless narcissist'. This is because Duryodhana's actions are mostly not governed by his self-interest. If Duryodhana knew what was good for him, he would not have taken a path that would lead to certain destruction of the entire clan. Now just because an action is not selfish or not in one's self interest, it does not mean that it is inspired, creative or wise. If an action is not based on desire or if the action is not selfish, it does not mean that it is for the welfare of the world, or even that it is righteous.
Karma Yoga is inspired action that is righteous, and that is for the welfare of the world. A Karma Yogi is also a Jnana Yogi because only a wise and truly knowledgeable person can discern righteous action from mere selfless action, non-selfish action, or desireless action.One who sees action in inaction and inaction in action, is wise.
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