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(गीता-17) ये क्या हालत बना ली है, ये ज़िम्मेदारी कहाँ से उठा ली?|| आचार्य प्रशांत, भगवद् गीता (2023)
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2 years ago
Karma
Duty (Kartavya)
Desire (Kaamana)
Compassion (Karuna)
Duality (Dvaita)
Non-duality (Advaita)
Shri Krishna
Bhagavad Gita
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that as long as the body exists, motion and the stream of action (karma) will inevitably continue. One cannot say that the body exists but there will be no action; even the forceful attempt to not act is an action in itself. Since action is certain, there will also be duty (kartavya). The speaker distinguishes between two types of duty. When your duty arises from your desire (kaamana), your state is one of restlessness, and you become violent towards the world, viewing it as something to be exploited to fulfill your desires. All our duties arise from our desires, which is why, in the midst of our duties, we find ourselves distressed. We perceive the world as either our enemy or our prey. If we encounter someone weaker, we become the hunter and the world our prey. If we meet someone stronger, we become the prey and the world our hunter. In both scenarios, the relationship is one of violence. This is the natural, dualistic philosophy we are born with, where the self is seen as separate from the world, leading to a feeling of incompleteness and restlessness. This drives us to seek fulfillment from the world, which is a path of sorrow. In contrast, there is duty born of compassion (karuna-kartavya), exemplified by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna states that he has no prescribed duty in any of the three worlds, nor does he need to obtain anything, yet he is constantly engaged in action. This is because his actions do not arise from desire or a sense of lack. His philosophy is non-dual (Advaita), where he is not separate from the world. He has nothing to gain from the world because the world is not separate from him. Therefore, Krishna's actions, or 'compassion-duty', stem from a state of bliss and completeness. One who is already blissful acts out of that joy or out of compassion for others. The sign of having received is the eagerness to distribute. Unlike most people who act because they are unhappy, Krishna acts because he is not unhappy. This is the secret of his actions: they are for the sake of others, out of compassion, because for himself, there is nothing left to gain.