On YouTube
सच सुनने के लायक हो? || आचार्य प्रशांत (2021)
21.7K views
4 years ago
Eligibility (Paatrata)
Knowledge
Discretion
Inner Development
Punishment
Truth
Shri Krishna
Bhagavad Gita
Description

Acharya Prashant responds to a questioner who gets angry when people do not listen to her correct advice on worldly matters. He begins by calling her naive, explaining that it is not enough to say the right things; it is crucial to say them to the right people. He identifies two kinds of mistakes: saying the wrong thing, and saying the right thing to the wrong person, with the latter being a bigger, perhaps even greater, mistake. He elaborates that many people have not reached a stage of inner development where they can be taught through knowledge and discretion. For such individuals, methods like fear, greed, and punishment are the only ones that work. This may sound unpleasant, but it is a practical reality. He draws an analogy with the necessity of governments, laws, police, and armies in society. These institutions are needed because if they were not present, and if police were not on the streets, a gathering like this could not happen peacefully. The authority of the traffic police, for instance, comes from their power to issue fines. The work that a ₹200 fine can accomplish, a ₹200 copy of the Bhagavad Gita cannot for these people. A skilled but rude driver might not be affected by being given the Gita, but will immediately straighten up and become respectful upon seeing a traffic cop. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that one must not use the wrong method in the wrong place. Truth is only for those who have the eligibility (paatrata) for it, for those who place truth above all else, including money. Someone who is unwilling to spend even a little money for the sake of truth is not worthy of hearing it. He recounts past experiences from camps with an open-door policy, where people who were not serious caused disturbances, preventing him from speaking with the depth he could with a more dedicated audience. He quotes Shri Krishna's final words to Arjun in the 18th chapter of the Gita, instructing him not to share this knowledge with anyone who lacks faith. The Gita is not for everyone. For the well-being of some, their betterment comes through fear and punishment, not knowledge. He concludes by asking the questioner why she is surrounded by people unworthy of the Gita and what her vested interest is in remaining among them, warning that while they will not be reformed by her words, she might end up abandoning the Gita herself.