Miscellaneous - Religion   

Discharge duty

CHENNAI: Dharma is the basis of human life and all the struggle that an individual undergoes is directly or indirectly to remain anchored in Dharma. The very opening verse of the Bhagavad Gita refers to Kurukshetra where the great Mahabharata war was fought as `Dharmakshetra' to emphasise that it was a battle to establish Dharma in the world. Metaphorically the Gita describes the human predicament in the world as a conflict between Dharma and Adharma within each individual. Arjuna thus is the archetypal man who likes to run away when faced with problems in life.

In his discourse, Sri K.Srinivasan said Lord Krishna's teaching of the truth in the Gita revolved round the need to face life situations squarely without seeking the easy way out. Arjuna wanted to follow the path of knowledge (Jnana yoga) by renouncing action (Karma) as he threw down his bow and arrows refusing to fight, which was his duty. Arjuna took refuge in the fact that Jnana was superior to Karma and thus by renouncing action he could avoid the bloodshed in which his kinsmen and elders would die. Krishna removed his confusion saying that one could not choose the path to suit one's convenience: "Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof. Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction."

When Arjuna refused to fight, the Lord had at the outset pointed out that he was grieving over those who should not be grieved for and yet was speaking to Him like the learned and that the wise did not sorrow over the dead or the living, because the Self (Atman) was eternal. So the eligibility for renunciation is different. It is only after pursuing Karma yoga (action performed as duty without attachment to the result) that one will become eligible for Jnana yoga, as the mind would have become purified (Chittasuddhi) to grasp Self-knowledge. The human personality (body-mind-intellect) is the result of Karma acquired in previous lives. Human birth is like the cards dealt to a person in a game; whether he will win depends on how he plays. So also, Self-realisation is winning the game of life.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

CARTOONSCAPE
The Hindu Crossword 8855
Solution to Puzzle 8854
Discharge duty
dated March 8, 1957: Political faith
dated March 8, 1957: Candidature of TTK
dated March 8, 1957: Navigation in Suez Canal
Weather

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu