Acharya Prashant addresses a question regarding the virtues of a seeker as described in the Uttar Gita, specifically the virtue of serving one's parents. The questioner is conflicted because while the scriptures equate serving parents with other high virtues, parents' wishes can sometimes oppose the path to liberation, leading to social criticism if one disobeys them. Acharya Prashant clarifies that the real problem is not the parents' demands but the seeker's own lack of internal clarity, which makes them vulnerable to external opinions. He explains that all the virtues mentioned in the scripture, including service to parents, must be understood harmoniously, without any internal contradiction. If there is confusion about one virtue, it should be interpreted in the light of all the others mentioned. The true meaning of serving parents, he explains, is to bring all the other virtues—such as charity, celibacy, control of the senses, peace, compassion, and non-violence—into their lives. Service (seva) means doing what is genuinely beneficial for another's well-being. Since parents are also human beings with their own pains and bondages, the child's duty is to first discover what is right and meaningful for their own life and then extend that same truth to their parents. This is the real service. He describes the situation as a contest between the parents trying to impose their bondages and the seeker trying to share their liberation. He warns that often, falsehood and bondage win because the seeker lacks conviction and strength. While the motto is "Truth alone triumphs," our lives often prove otherwise. He concludes that making truth win is a difficult task that requires great caution. This struggle to bring truth to them is the highest service one can render to their parents.
