Unless you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, or as ordered by Kṛṣṇa, or God, then you become bound up by the reaction.
- yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra
- loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
- tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya
- mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
- (BG 3.9)
"Therefore, My dear Arjuna," Kṛṣṇa instructing Arjuna that, "you simply act for Kṛṣṇa, or God," tad-artham, "not for any other purpose." Don't create your action. Simply act according to the direction of the Lord. Mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara. Then you will be freed from the reaction of your act.
There are many examples. Just like a soldier, when he is killing in the battlefield on the higher authorities of government and commander-in-chief, he is not liable for killing. He is, rather, rewarded. The same man, if he kills on his own account somebody, he is hanged. Immediately he becomes liable to the law.
Therefore the whole life should be so modeled that we shall simply act for God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities are called bhakti, devotional service. And how they are discharged, that is very nicely explained in many Vedic literatures, Bhagavad-gītā also. Especially in Nārada Pañcarātra it is stated:
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.12, CC Madhya 19.170)
One has to become freed from all designations. Freed from all designation. What is the designation? "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Brahmin," "I am Kṣatriya," "I am this," "I am that." These are all designations. Actually, I am spirit soul.