In the previous episode, we’ve come across a very important point from Bhagawan Krishna as He explains how the path of “Karma Yoga” might be tough and long, but still it is the one which is feasible for normal people like us. Rather than taking the “Gnyaana Yoga” path to reach the “Atma-Saakshaakaaram”, wherein this path might be a shortcut, but is like walking on a thin knife-edge, the “Karma Yoga” path is still better to take, even if it is circuitous. In modern-day leadership and management context, this translates to putting the due effort to succeed in whatever task we undertake, rather than finding out shortcuts to succeed. This has become the talk of the town today, as we witness many people in our society around us trying to find easier ways of making money and a good living. Of course, on one hand we have people like us who are qualified enough to work with a good organization and earn money, whereas, on the other hand we have some crude and uneducated people like our listless politicians whose only job is to loot others and make money and a luxurious living! The ultimate motive of such listless and useless people is to somehow make money, find loopholes in the law and cheat others to score personal brownie points. If these people have to earn money through legitimate ways and means, they are totally unqualified and unfit for the same and such people are a real burden to this Mother Earth, isn’t it? Hence, the point here is very simple – There’s no shortcut to success! We’ve to put in the effort, perform our duty meticulously with complete surrender to Bhagawan, and results would automatically come with His divine “Anugraha”! As ardent followers of our “Sanaatana Dharma”, this should be our strategy moving forward!
Moreover, Bhagawan Krishna continues to ask some tough questions to Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! Look at this irony of life – If you’ve to become a “Gnyaana Yogi”, you’ve to sit and meditate, isn’t it? You’ve to bring your mind under focus and control. For this, you need a “Deham” (Physical body)! If you’ve to meditate properly with complete focus, your “Deham” should also co-operate equally. For this, you’ve to nourish and maintain your “Deham” properly, and for this you need wealth. Now, you’ve to again earn wealth to sustain your living, isn’t it? Earning wealth for your sustenance again becomes part of your “Karma Yoga”! Hence, Arjuna! Look at this irony – Even for a “Gnyaana Yogi” to succeed in his pursuit, he needs to go through the “Karma Yoga”! Hence, please understand one thing very clearly – You cannot escape from your duty, come what may! You’ve to perform your duty and with this effort, you may try to go through the “Gnyaana Yoga” path later on!”
Saying thus, Bhagawan continues further thus, “Oh Arjuna! It is for this main reason that I’ve created this entire world! All the “Jeevatmas” in this world, including you, have a role to play in this world. By performing your duty in this world, you’re participating for the betterment of this world. Your contribution is very important. Just like yours, the participation and contribution of every “Jeevatma” in this world is important! This is the setup that exists and you’re also part of this setup only. You cannot escape this at any cost!”
Now this is an important point that Bhagawan is stressing here – To understand this better, let me give a simpler example. Let us imagine that our country is entering into a recession or a downward economic cycle. What will the government do to spurt the economy again? The first focus would be to increase spending on developing infrastructure like highways, airports, building bridges, flyovers, etc. thereby improving connectivity. We might wonder what is the connection between addressing a recession / economic downturn and developing infrastructure and connectivity across the country. If such projects are taken up on a massive scale, the government is pumping in a lot of money into these projects, which would give an opportunity for people to get employment to earn a living. For instance, if there’s a highway project being executed, many thousands of people will get jobs in construction and other associated activities, isn’t it? Thus with this, people will get money in hand, which contributes directly to disposable income. With this income, people’s purchasing power will increase and they will go and start buying a lot of items. With this, the production of goods and services will increase, thereby, resulting in the revival of the economy, isn’t it? Similarly, when infrastructure projects like highways, bridges, airports, etc. are taken up, demand for construction items like steel, cement, bricks, sand, etc. will start growing, isn’t it? Hence, the manufacturing sector gets a big boost in terms of demand for their products, isn’t it? This is how the government runs the economy and this is exactly how Bhagawan also runs the world! He has created this world with all of us in it, and each of us have a role to play in terms of betterment of this world. This forms part of our “Karma” and if we do it selflessly, we realize the “Atma-Saakshaakaram”!
So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we shall take it further for discussion! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 