Gita Rahasya -Tilak 734

Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak

CHAPTER 3 SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA श्रेयान्स्वधर्मों विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: ॥35॥ Translation:-(35) Even if it may be easier to follow the religion of another, yet, one's own religion (that is, according to the religion of the four castes) is more meritorious, though it might be 'viguna' (that is, full of faults); though death results (while acting) according to one's own religion, there is bliss in that ; (but) the religion of another is risky ! Description:-['One's own religion' means the ' code of duties prescribed for every one by the Sastras according to the arrangement of the four castes laid down by the writers of the Smrtis '; it does not mean the science of Release. As the arrangement of the four castes, made by the writers of the Sastras by allocating activities consistently with the special qualities of each, is for the benefit of everybody, the welfare of Brahmins and Ksatriyas and the welfare of the entire society, lies in their respectively performing their own duties, notwithstanding that they become Jnanins (sages) ; and it is not proper for them to meddle with that arrangement every now and then. This is what the Blessed Lord says. There is a Gujarati proverb in vogue which has the same meaning namely, "jenum kama tenathi thaya I bijo kare to gotham Khaya ". Anybody will admit that, even where the four-caste arrangement is not in vogue, it is in the best interests of everybody, that the man who has spent the whole of his life in the army should, when the occasion arises, do the business of a fighting-soldier, rather than that of a tailor ; and the same argument applies to the four-caste arrangement. The question whether the four-caste arrangement is good or bad, is a different question altogether, and does not arise here. It is an unquestionable fact that other forms of activity are as necessary for the proper maintenance and protection of society as agriculture or other similarly harmless and gentle occupations. This stanza means that whatever occupation one may have once adopted, whether according to the four-caste arrangement, or of one's own free will, it becomes one's 'religion', and it is not proper to find fault with it when occasion arises and to forsake one's duty; and if necessary, one must die in the performance of one's own duty in life. Whatever occupation is considered, some fault or other can certainly be found with it. But it is not proper that one should, on that account, give up one's prescribed duty. This very principle has been enunciated in the Brahmana-Hunter dialogue and Tuladhara-Jajali dialogue in the Mahabharata; and the first half of the 35th stanza is to be found in the Manu-Smrti, and also later on again in the Gita. With reference to the statement, "one cannot carry out one's determination to kill the senses " in the 33rd stanza, Arjuna. "now asks why that should be so, and why a man is pulled towards evil deeds, against his will.]