one’s prescribed duties! by Balaji P. Krishnammagaru
Dharma Explained
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः
sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah para-dharmo bhayavahah।।3.35।।
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
Dharma is simple . Extremely simple
For this, I will tell you how simple it is! You cant even believe how simple life is!
There was once a learned man in all Vedas and scriptures. While trying to find ways to moksha, his Guru asked him to take a simple oath , decided by himself and follow it diligently . Take it as his duty and follow come what may .
So , after some meditation and sadhana , the learned man comes to conclusion his Dharma as learned scholar is to tell Truth. Only truth .Then he goes to his Guru and informs him as he has learned Vedas and all scriptures diligently which Guru agrees, he henceforth will speak only truth. This way, can understands he can walk the path of Dharma
He retires to a Jungle , starts a small hermitage and gets involved in simple life and starts teaching what he knows and starts speaking only truth So , his Dharma (Duty in this case) is simple. Tell the truth what he knows. Simple.
One day , out of the blue two unknown people come running to his place and tells the Sadhu (the learned man) that they are being chased by some people and if they find, they will kill them. Asks Sadhu not to tell anything to people who are chasing him and not giving any time, they go inside the hermitage and hides there behind Sadhu.
After few mins, another 5 people come running and asks Sadhu if they have seen two people coming this way .
So , the question is simple now, the five people asks Sadhu to tell if he knows about two people who came running ?
Now that five people having sticks and other things in hands and its five : two ratio , if he tells truth, they may kill the two. If he lies and diverts the five people, the two people are saved . What should the Sadhu do ?
- First two people are MAY BE are innocent people and they are only two and five people having sticks and other things can kill them ? If Sadhu tells the truth , then two innocent people dies. Then he can accumulate equal bad karma for getting two innocent people killed . What should the Sadhu do ? Tell the truth or lie to save two people lives ?
2. The two people are bad people of many crimes and the five people are good people chasing the bad people so that they can catch them and stop the atrocities of the bad people? What should Sadhu do ? Tell the lie to save the people (thinking and looking at five people with sticks as he don’t know who are right and who are wrong) . Or tell the truth and get them caught . This may yield good Karma ?
Now all these happens in seconds and minutes and Sadhu has less time dont know who is good or bad. What should Sadhu do ? He has to take split second decision and tell what he decides ?
Two people who came first and Five people who came next are in to inter locking battle , they themselves dont know who are right and who are wrong . The two people don’t know next five people and due to confusion and misunderstanding , the five people came to kill two people. What should Sadhu do ? Tell the truth to get two people killed or lie to save two people. He has just seconds to take decision.
What is your answer ? what should Sadhu do in that situation ?
