Doing One's Duty

Mind versus intellect

- Smt. Priyamvada Waghmare

The “duty shloka” from the Bhagavad Gita is typically considered to be an apt explanation of the duty idea! “कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन. (Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana), which translates as, “You have the right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action." Chapter 2, Verse 47.

This month, in our Couples Class, we had with us a profound spiritual leader and speaker, an authority on Vedanta and Bhagavad Gita, Smt. Jaya Row.

The definition of duty says that it is a moral or legal obligation, a responsibility. It is a task or action that someone is required to perform. Our natural duty flows to us when the mind is quiet. In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna emphatically says, “Nityam kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hyakarmanaha - Perform your prescribed duty; action is better than inaction”

Why does Krishna say so? Because he knows that we don't fulfil our natural duties. We know about duties but obstacles in the form of our desires, likes/dislikes and selfish interests come in the way. We opt to do desire-driven activity. For example, one needs to be at home and transact homely duties, but is lured into going to the movies because a friend is going. On return, one has a sense of guilt.