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Right action for you depends on your conditioning || Acharya Prashant, on Bhagvad Gita (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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2 years ago
Swadharma
Dharma
Liberation
Conditioning
Kshatriya
Bhagavad Gita
Infamy
Truth
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that liberation is the ultimate goal of Dharma, which can be visualized as returning to the origin point (0,0) on a graph. While Dharma represents the universal destination of liberation, Swadharma refers to the specific path an individual must take based on their current coordinates of conditioning. Since everyone is situated at different points due to their physical, social, and temporal circumstances, their routes to liberation must differ. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that Shri Krishna addresses Arjun as a Kshatriya because that is Arjun's current identity and conditioning; to guide him to the origin, Shri Krishna must start from where Arjun practically stands. Swadharma is thus the application of Dharma according to one's specific excellence and situation, such as Arjun fighting a righteous war using his skills as a warrior. Regarding the mention of infamy and fame in the Bhagavad Gita, Acharya Prashant clarifies that Shri Krishna is being practical rather than suggesting that fame has absolute spiritual value. Because Arjun is not yet a liberated being and is still influenced by worldly concerns like social standing and family bonds, Shri Krishna uses Arjun's own weaknesses—such as his fear of dishonor—to motivate him toward the right action. Acharya Prashant warns that while this strategy works because Arjun is in the hands of a wise guide like Shri Krishna, harboring a desire for fame is generally a dangerous weakness that can be exploited by others. He concludes that a seeker of truth should maintain a healthy disregard for public opinion, valuing others only in the context of the truth they bring rather than for ego gratification or social validation.