Tuesday 3 March 2015

who impels action?

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||
Eknathji quotes from Gita :
Atha kena prayuktoyam papam charati purusha
Anichchannapi Varshneya baladiva niyojitah BG -III.36
"Oh son of Vrishnis, propelled by whom does the man perform a sin, even though reluctant, but commanded, as if, by force".


Its import need to be understood well.There are likes and dislikes with reference to every sense object and all one has to do is not to fall under their spell. It was also said that even though one's svadharma, what one must do, is not very pleasant, it is better to follow that than to follow something else that is more pleasing and convenient.

Hearing all of this in terms of Karma-yoga, Arjuna asked what it is that impels a person to perform an action that he or she knows is not proper. Some kind of pleasure may be there, but still the person knows that the action is not becoming and will produce sin, dukkha. If the person did not know, of course, it would be different and understandable.

Why does a person do a karma that he or she knows to be an improper action Impelled by whom or why does he or she do this action?
Arjuna described such a person as one who is as though impelled or pushed into performing improper actions by some force implying a devilish force. Further, the person is pushed into it, even though he or she does not want to do it. The person knows it is not right, anicchan, meaning that he or she does not have any real intellectual value for performing such action. But still, it is done. Why? Impelled by whom? This, was Arjuna's question.
    Duryodhana also said the similar things which Mananeeya Eknathji quotes. Duryodhana had said : 'in whichever way I am impelled by the one sitting in my heart, in that way I do'

Thus we find, both Arjuna and Duryodhana had the same question, 'Who or what is it that is sitting in the mind forcing the person to do what he or she knows to be wrong, even when the person does not want to do it?'

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