Guest guest Posted September 29, 2000 Report Share Posted September 29, 2000 As we are studying 4th chapter one verse is hard to understand. swadharme nidhanam shreyah paradharmah bhayawahah. I have read many explanations but still have not understood it.can anyone define dharma swadharma and paradharma? nirmala Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2000 Report Share Posted October 1, 2000 One answer to the question is given in Sri Vishnu Sahsranama. Yudhisthira asks , "Ko Dharma sarva dharmanam bhavathaha paramo mathaha. Kim japan muchyate jantuhu janma samsara bandhanaat." The entire Vishnu Sahasranaama is an answer to this question. Our spiritual sadhana is molded regularly in accordance to pur swadharma (as we see it) till at last the only swadharma we have is to abide in God. Regards, Anand ---- you wrote: > As we are studying 4th chapter one verse is hard to understand. > swadharme nidhanam shreyah paradharmah bhayawahah. > I have read many explanations but still have not understood it.can anyone > define dharma swadharma and paradharma? > nirmala > ------------------ Get free personalized email at http://www.iname.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2000 Report Share Posted October 31, 2000 Shubhaji - I am going to give my understanding. Swadharma - as the word implies - ones own dharma. Ones dharma depends on what one thinks one is and what one wants one to be. When Krishna's says 'swadharme nidhanam shreyaH' it is an advice universally applicable independent of time and place. It is following ones own vasaana-s , raaga and dveshaa or likes and dislikes, ones value system which depends on ones conditioning - the society, culture, tradition, family values etc with which one has grown up. Swadharma is of two-fold: one in relation to myself and the other in relation to my surroundings To understand this fully - There are temporal relationships and there is universal and absolute relationship. I am student, son, daughter, brother, sister, father, employee etc which are temporal - When I am studying I am a student. In relation to my parents I am a son or daughter. In relation to my children, I am a father or mother. In relation to employer, I am an employee. But there is another relationship - in relation to God, I am a devotee. When I go to temple, I remove all other relationships outside like chapels, and enter the sanctorum as a devotee. But unlike the other relationships - devotee relationship is not temporal - because as I understand, God is not just in the temple but everywhere. Hence in every set-up, in every environment His presence is there. Hence as a devotee, my relationship is fundamental and eternal independent of time and space. So when I meet my wife - there are two relationships that come into picture. One with reference to my wife, I am a husband, but also with reference to the set-up involving my wife, me and the environment, I am a devotee since Lord is there too. Hence I am - a husband + a devotee = that equation just becomes a devoted husband. A son + a devotee - becomes a devoted son, similarly a devoted wife, a devoted brother, a devoted sister, devoted employee, a devoted neighbor, a devoted citizen, a devoted human being. All temporal relation ships takes a different twist once I bring the Lord into picture. As a student or a wife or as a husband - I have student duties, wife's duties or husband duties - employee duties - dictated by the value system that I grow up with as well as what is expected of me in each set up but when I do it well with devotion so that - I have no regrets of my action. That is what following one swadharma and in the process one neutralizes ones likes and dislikes because devotion has that effect since Iswara is brought in. Hence Krishna statement - swadharme nidhanam shreyaH - In the process Vasanaa-s get eliminated and mind becomes free. In following ones swadharma there is no internal conflicts or agitations, which is same as saying one does not commit any sins. Ultimately what is your dharma is what your conscious dictates - It is not just what one feels like doing but one feels what is right thing to do. With education, culture and value system change and nithya and anitya vastu viveka or discrimination of what is right and what is wrong and what is eternal and what is ephemeral also grows. The study of scriptures, shravaNa, manana and nidhydhyaasana would help in developing that viveka - In the process ones swadharma shifts to what is sanaatanadharma. Hence what is your swadharma - You know it more than anyone else can tell you. If not a teacher who has nothing to gain from you or whom you can trust can teach you provided you are ready to listen. That is what Krishna does to Arjuna only after he surrenders to Him. - It took 700 slokas before Arjuna could say: 'karishhye vacanam tava'. VarNa, aashrama etc have all roles in shaping up your value system - but ultimately your value system what makes you what you are dictate you swadharma. Even if you commit errors in the process, your intellect will learn fast and in the process your value system gets modified. It is better than just doing blindly what others say one should do. Hari Om! Sadananda >Shri Vaidya and respected members of this list, > >On the topic of Svadharma, I have yet another qn that I request >you to clarify: > >What is the svadharma for women? Do the scriptures explicitly >prescribe an entirely different code of conduct for women of >each varna or is it something that has been modified and ad- >libbed along the way based on convenience and circumstances? > >The reason I ask is while I've read and heard much abt the >various ashram's like Brahmachari, Grihastha etc. with respect >to what's expected of a man, nowhere have I heard mentioned >what the women are expected to do. What little knowledge I have >is based on what I've internalized growing up in India and >seeing the example the ladies in my family set - respect >father, husband and son, in that order, unquestioningly and >obediently always. No exceptions. Is this truly what the >scriptures say? > >Can someone please refer me to books/websites where I can learn >more? Thank you! > >Respectfully, >Shuba _______________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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