The Philosophy of the Bhagavadgita - 6.3. Swami Krishnananda

-


-------------------------------------------

Sunday, August 09, , 2020. 4:44. PM.

Chapter 6: The Meaning of Duty -3.

---------------------------------------------

The other aspect is that we are an individual in a bodily encasement, and we have a duty towards ourselves, also. We cannot kill ourselves in the name of society, nor can we kill society for our own personal advantage. These are important things which one has to bear in mind in tackling any question. There are martyrs who destroy themselves in the name of something other than themselves. And there are others who convert society into a martyr to fulfil the demands of their own egoism. History is an example before us. Neither can we exploit society for ourselves, nor is the society expected to exploit us. We are not a stooge in the hands of social laws, we are not a puppet or a slave of human society, nor can we regard society as a slave or a means to our personal advantage or satisfaction. The role of importance that society plays in the rule of co-operative living, and the importance we too have in the context of this relationship, is all to be well considered.

But—a very important ‘but’ indeed—there is something more than all this. There is the universe which is not exhausted by human society. This world of Nature with its birds and beasts, rivers and mountains and the solar system is not unimportant. The adhibhautika jagat, or the world of Nature, externally visible to us, in which we are located, is not in any way less significant than human society or our own personal individuality. We are expected to co-operate and collaborate with the world of Nature in as efficient a manner and as dexterously as we are expected to perform the duty in respect of ourselves and human society.

There is a supreme duty that we owe to the Creator of the universe. The Atman within us is the symbol of the Absolute that is everywhere. So when people speak of Atma-sakshi and regard the innermost-self as the witness of all things, they bring God into the picture of the judgement of all things, He who sees everything with His millions of eyes. Just imagine how difficult it is to live in this world in a successful manner! All these aspects, of course, are to be borne in mind. These aspects mentioned are, as known in Sanskrit technical terminology, the adhiyajna level, the adhyatma level, the adhibhuta level and the adhidaiva level.

To be continued ...

===============================================================

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stabilising the Mind in God: The Twelfth Chapter of the Bhagavadgita-2. Swami Krishnananda

-
Image
======================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20/11/2019. (Spoken on June 26, 1983) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #Srimad Bhagavad Gita : Chpter-12. Slokam-s 8 to 11. ======================================================================= Mayya eva mana adhatsva mayi buddhim nivesaya, nivasshiayasi mayy eva ata urdhvahm na samsayah. - Slo-8. Aatha cittam samadhatum na saknoshi mayi sthiram, abhyasayogena tato mam ichaptum dhananjaya. - Slo-9. Abhyasepy asamarthosi matkarmaparamo bhava, madartham api karmani kurvan siddhim avapsyasi.-Slo-10. Athaitad apy asaktosi kartum madyogam asritah sarvakarmaphalatyagam tatah kuru yatatmavan. - Slo-11. ======================================================================== So the first
Read more

The Teachings of the Bhagavadgita - 8.1. Swami Krishnananda.

-
Image
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, March 21, 2021. 07:57. AM. Chapter 8: Creation and Life After Death -1. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bhagavadgita is a moksha-shastra, a scripture on the science of the liberation of the spirit. Thus it follows the course of the return process along the same lines as the evolutionary process of the descent of the soul from the Supreme Being. The first six chapters may be said to be engaged in an exposition of self-discipline from the individual point of view, the integration of the human personality and the preparation of the whole man for the greater task which is yet to come – namely, the at-one-ment of the individual with the set-up of the universe. Some of the interpreters and commentators on the Bhagavadgita hold that the first six chapters have a relevance to the significance of the term 'twam' in the famous Upanishadic p
Read more

Gita : Ch-7. Slo-26.

-
Image
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : Chapter-7. ( Jnana-vijnana-yogam ) Slokam-26- ( O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.) vedaham     samatitani    vartamanani    carjuna, bhavishyani    ca    bhutani    mam   tu   veda   na   kascana. Arjuna!   samatitani   =   hey    Arjuna!    equally     past; vartamanani   ca   =   and   the   present; bhavishyani    ca    bhutani    =   and    also    all   future    living   entities; aham    veda   =  I   know; mam   tu   kascana   na    veda   =   but   no   one   knows    Me. Lord Krishna emphasises by the words mam tu veda na kascam which means that no one is able to know Him and because He is the controller of all, anywhere that He is not veiled is only by His express directive for His veiling is not for His devotees but for those who are
Read more