svadharma for a human

[Guest guest]

namaste.

 

Lord Yama (the God of death and the teacher of AtmavidyA)

says in kaTha upanishad (II.3.5)

 

yathAdarshe tathAtmani yathA svapne tathA pitr^iloke

yathApsu parIva dadr^ishe tathA gandharvaloke

chAyAtapayoriva brahmaloke

 

(Brahman is realized through sAdhana) in one's own self

as (one sees oneself) in a mirror; in the world of pitr^is

(the spirits of the dead) as in a dream; in the world of

the gandharvA-s as reflected in water; and in the world

of Brahma as light and shade.

 

The constant exhortation of vedAnta is that brahman is to

be realized. Where and how can brahman be realized? The above

verse says It can be realized in human life form only.

 

Brahman realization is achieved in its most clear form in

human life-form, if the human mind is pure and clear. This

is just as one sees oneself in a mirror.

 

In the disembodied state, this vision (of brahman) is hazy

as in a dream, as a fleet remembrance only.

 

In the Gandharva loka, the vision of Brahman is like one's

reflection in water; if the water is trembling, the reflection

is multiple and moving.

 

In the Brahmaloka, the vision of brahman is near-perfect,

clearly demarcated as light and shade.

 

That is: only in bhUloka in the human form and in Brahmaloka,

brahman-realization is achieved; other intermediate planes

are unsatisfactory. Even in Brahmaloka, it is kramamukti,

whereas in bhUloka, in human form, it is brahman-realization,

here and now.

 

How can this brahman-realization in bhUloka be achieved? By

following swadharma; i.e., by not doing sinful acts and by

doing only nitya and naimittika karmA-s as stated in the

bhagavadgItA (please see below), and aspire to attain the

Knowledge (or get rid of ignorance). This is swadharma.

 

Lord Krishna says in BG 2.32

 

svadharmapi cA'vekshya na vikampitumarhasi

dharmyAddhi yuddhAccreyo'nyat kshatriyasya na vidyate

 

Arjuna, having regard for your own duty (as a kshatriya),

you should not waver; there exists no greater deed for a

kshatriya than a battle enjoined by duty.

 

and in BG 3.35

 

shreyAn svadharmo vigunaH paradharmAtsvanuSThitAt

svadharme nidhanaM shreyaH paradharmo bhayAvahaH

 

One's own duty, though imperfectly carried out, is superior

to another's duty well-performed. Death is better while engaged

in one's own duty; another's duty is always associated with

fear.

 

and in BG 3.23

 

yadi hyahaM na varteyaM jAtu karmaNyatandritaH

mama vartmA'nuvartante manuShyAH pArtha sarvashaH

 

pArthA, if anytime I do not continue vigilantly in action,

men will follow my path in every way.

 

i.e., Krishna is saying: although I do not have any use for any

action, if I do not perform any action, men will follow me and

not do their duties. If that happens, all these worlds will

be lost.

 

Further, Lord Krishna says in BG 9.27

 

.... tatkuruShva madarpaNam

 

whatever austerities you practise, do that as an offering to Me.

 

The essence of the above bhagavadgItA quotations is: without

any attachment to the fruit of the action, offering all action

to the Lord, if actions are performed that way, antaHkaraNa

will be dominated by sattva (rather than rajas or tamas) and

will be a very favorable ground for shravaNa, manana and

nidhidhyAsana. The shravaNa, manana, nidhidhyAsana lead to

jnAna and moksha.

 

As I understand that is svadharma.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

--------------------------------