235. Renunciation and Prescribed Actions
Some of the common threads in the Bhagavad Gita are easy to understand but difficult to inculcate. On the other hand, some of them are very difficult to even comprehend. One such issue is ' Niyat Karma ' (prescribed or obligatory action). The questions like what are our prescribed, obligatory duties; what should be tolerated and what shouldn't be -are always intriguing. Books and preachings of various enlightened masters add to the confusion as they outwardly look contradictory. Even our own understanding keeps changing with our age and experiences. Eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty are natural niyat karma . But life is complex and presents many catch-22 situations. That's why Krishna earlier said that this issue is an intricate one and even the wise are confounded about the subtleties of karma and akarma (inaction) (4.16). He further says that the nature of karma is very difficult to know. Certainly, in order to fully understand the nature of right and ...