Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the difficulty of making an effort to break free from one's own bondages. He explains that remaining in bondage also requires effort, much like a prisoner in jail is made to work. One is not given rest even in jail. Therefore, a choice has to be made between two kinds of effort: the effort to remain in bondage and the effort to break free. Spirituality, he says, suggests that since you are already making an effort, you might as well make the effort to break the walls of the jail and escape. This act of breaking free will be considered a crime in the eyes of the jailers, which is analogous to society. If one is concerned about what the world or society will say, then there is no answer; it is a matter of one's own understanding. He then alludes to a song about a bird breaking its cage to fly away. In response to a follow-up question about why Shri Krishna tells Arjun his duty in the Gita, when the speaker himself says that duty cannot be told, Acharya Prashant clarifies the context. He states that if Arjun's decision to fight or not fight only affected Arjun's personal gain or loss, Shri Krishna would not have insisted so much. The principle is that for a disciple's liberation, it is necessary that they determine their own duty. The Guru's role is to shed light, to illuminate the darkness. Once there is light, it is the disciple's job to see the path and decide how to walk on it. However, Arjun's situation was an emergency; his actions would have a vast impact on many people. This is why Shri Krishna had to be so insistent and even push him. This kind of direct instruction is a form of micromanagement that a well-wisher would not normally engage in, but it becomes necessary in dire situations, like stopping someone from falling into a pit. Vedanta, he explains, emphasizes knowing. The focus is on knowing the situation, the facts, the reality of the world and the mind. Once you know, it becomes clear what needs to be done. The Guru's role is to instill a deep longing for liberation, not to provide a step-by-step manual for it.
