Nitya Karma - Is it a sign post or a Goal in Itself

[Guest guest]

Anand in a recent posting raised a very interesting point. He alluded to the

performance of some of our daily duties (such as sandhya vandhanam, ekadashi

etc.,) as some kind of a sign-post or suggesting that they should be considered

only as a means to an end. This is not a correct view according to our

philosophy. I would like to attempt to clarify this as follows.

 

The quintessence of our philosophy is expressed in verses like Chitram

Chirukale .. (Andal's 29th pasuram) and Ozhivil Kalamellam ... (Nammalwar's

pasuram). According to our philosophy the means as well as the goal are Sriman

Narayana (prapya and prapaka/ Upaya and Upeya). There are no other means for a

prapanna. The purusharthha is eternal service to Him (here or hereafter). All

activities that fall into one's station in life is performed as a service to

Him. Even our official work can be sanctified, if done in a spirit of service

to God, vide a sloka from BG Ch. IX (Yat Karoshi... Kurushva Madarpanam) and

partaking the fruits of our action as a prasada from our Lord. Therefore, to

interpret our philosophy in its broadest terms, bhaghavt and bhaghavata

kaimkarya in whateverform is indeed our goal.

 

 

Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan