Informative

What Is Dharma According to Bhagvad Gita?

The war was about to begin and Arjuna was full of questions. He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing by killing all these men. Was it right to destroy their families by destroying them? Will it not be against the code of conduct? How could he kill all these people? They were his own blood after all. His own brothers and extended family. No, he couldn’t kill them.   

The war we are referring to is the epic Mahabharata. Arjuna was one of the great warriors. In this war, he had to fight the army of his own brothers along with his extended family. This is when a thousand doubts came in his mind about his actions and he asked them to Lord Krishna. This conversation between them was recorded in a scripture called the Bhagvad Gita which has been passed over generations and has been translated in various languages to ease understanding.   

The Bhagvad Geeta contains in it about 700 verses and in this blog, we explain one of them which explains Dharma –   

  

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |  

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: || 35||  

  

sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmat svanusthitat  

 sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah para-dharmo bhayavahah  

  

Translation –   

It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged with faults than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In fact, it is preferable to die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow the path of another, which is fraught with danger.  

 This is the 35th Verse from the third chapter of the Bhagvad Gita.   

Dharma (one’s Duty), here is “responsibilities, duties, thoughts and actions that are appropriate for us”.   

Let’s understand this with an example. Say your mom is a lawyer and your dad is a doctor. You are born and raised under tremendous pressure to either be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. However, since you were a kid, you have loved literature and you want to be an editor, a writer, or a journalist. Here, your natural prescribed duty is to be a writer and the another’s (your parents’) prescribed duty is to be a lawyer, a doctor, or an engineer. No matter how many pre-med or pre-law classes you take, you won’t love it and hence not be happy.   

When you try to speak to your parents about it though and pursue literature, you might face ups and downs, but you will still be following your Dharma which will protect you and eventually make you successful. This is what performing one’s natural prescribed duty means.   

The verse further goes on to add that even if you die while performing your duty, it’s preferable instead of following another path which might seem lucrative at first but has dangerous implications on your Karmic records.   

The next question arises when one understands this and how do you know what your natural prescribed duty is? The answer is that you will know. You will be the happiest doing it and you will excel in it. Yes, you might face the pressure or the society and your folks when you try to pursue it, but eventually, you will know what you are happiest doing.    

Here, it is important to understand that Dharma doesn’t prescribe one to revolt and rebel without a cause. What it does prescribe is to follow the natural order of things and to not be afraid to follow one’s duty, no matter what it costs. Hence it is called the cosmic law.     

In the animal kingdom, this can be understood by observing a tiger who hunts for prey, kills it, and eats it. That is the tiger’s Dharma. A deer’s Dharma is to protect itself and its family and run from the lion. Both perform their Dharma and what happens, as a result, is the natural order. A tiger here can’t be bound with morals and values and not go hunting because that will starve him and be against his Dharma. Similarly, a deer can’t stop running till its legs give up because that will be against its Dharma.   

Here, it is also important to understand that it is not necessary you will find your calling or Dharma as soon as you are born. Some people find their calling well in their thirties, forties, or fifties. As per Hindu Mythology, it is also because most of us are reborn and we are bearing the fruits of our past life Karma for almost 30-35 years. Only when we have cleared those, do we find our calling. J.K. Rowling, for instance, was 36 when the Harry Potter books were published.  

What do we do then? Till we find our natural calling? Well, you do what feels right. You follow what you feel is the right thing for you to follow. If you feel it’s right for you to go to law school, then go to law school. For all you know, you might become a law-fiction writer later.   

In conclusion, follow what naturally feels right and learn to separate your emotions and morals from your duty.   

We hope this blog helps you with identifying and following your Dharma. In case of any queries or doubts, write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com