The Bhagavad Gita (“Gita”) is a Hindu scripture encompassing
powerful spiritual messages. The concept of dharma, bhakti and the yogic ideals
of moksha are reiterated throughout the Gita.
Whilst Prince Arjuna’s duty asa warrior was to fight the
righteous war between the Pandavas and Kauravas, Lord Krishna is his charioteer
and spiritual guidehelping him to fulfil his dharma. He supported Prince Arjunaby
providing him with divine knowledge on the battlefield.
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Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna |
One significant principle Lord Krishna expressed to Prince
Arjuna was, “No one should abandon their duties because he sees defects in them. Every action, every
activity, is surrounded by defects as a fire is surrounded by smoke.” As
humans, we often aim for perfection and expect life to be one easy ride. When we
face challenges or obstacles, we struggle to think of the different ways we can
overcome them. We fail to realise that every act may have positive and negative
outcomes or the outcome may not even be clear during the early stages. For
example, a doctor may fear to treat a patient if, during the process the
patient may experience severe pain or if there is a low success rate. If doctors
neglect their duty to provide medical care, doctors will not be pursuing their
own dharma. Each and every individual has a different purpose and duty to
fulfil. There may be doubts and challenging situations to face on the way.
However, it is imperative to embrace your duties and accept that every act and
result is likely to have consequences, which we must be able to handle with a
positive outlook in order to move forward.
Lord
Krishna also told Prince Arjuna, “All work fetters, as all fire gives smoke.
Only selfless duty saves. Surrender all deeds to me. All problems will be
solved by my grace. Pride will lead only to your moral ruin.” The part of this
quote which caught my eye the most was ‘only selfless duty saves’. As a Youth Wing,
we have tried to demonstrate selfless duty in many different ways i.e. volunteering
in the community. As humans we should seek to help others without expecting
something in return. Small examples of this in day to day life include giving
up your seat for others or donating clothes to charity. Furthermore, we should
not allow pride to ‘ruin us’. Although pride may be considered as a positive
emotion which helps individuals work harder to achieve greater success, it can
turn into something abhorrent. Therefore we should keep our self-esteems
limited.
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The Bhagavad Gita book |
