246. Once one understood, all understood


 

It is said that creation is just a Leela or play and some rules are framed to make it interesting. In the game of football, if the size of the goalpost is too small or too big, the interest in the game will diminish. Similarly, death follows birth; division or separation are some such interesting rules of this creation that helped in the evolution of complex life forms like us. The division is at an individual level as well as at the societal levels which are based on race, religion, caste, economic status etc. and were imprinted on us at an early stages of life. The game is to transcend them and the Bhagavad Gita is a guide to help us transcend these divisions.

One such technique is the devotion to swa-karma (one's deed or duty). In that context, Krishna says, "With devotion to swa-karma one attains siddhi (perfection or freedom) as this devotion is nothing but worshipping HIM from whom all beings rise and by whom all this is pervaded" (18.45-18.46). It's about continuously learning if we enjoy learning without getting distracted by the riches or power of others. If we enjoy service, then it is continuing the same without worrying about how others look at it.

Essentially, we should keep doing what we are doing to the best of our abilities. It should be done by dropping hatred; without getting trapped into the alluringly described karmas of others; without attachment to our past regrets and expectations from the future. This devotion to swa-karma is nothing but worshipping HIM. That's why Krishna in the oft-quoted verse (2.47) said that we have right over our karma but not on karma-phal (fruits of action) because each of our karma has the potential to make us attain siddhi.

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