Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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CHAPTER XII
THE STATE AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SIDDHA (PERFECT)
The same is the deep meaning underlying the advice given by Yajnavalkya to Maitreyi in the words ' atma va are drastavyah ' ( ' see first who the Atman is ' Trans.). The philosophy of Karma-Yoga, which has been, based on the foundation of the Knowledge of the Supreme Self, advises every one not to limit the extent of the Atman by saying "atma vai putranamasi"; and says that one should, realise the inherent comprehensiveness of the Atman by feeling that, "loko vai ayam atma", (i. e., "your Atman is the whole universe"— Trans.), and that every one should regulate one's activities, believing that " udaracaritanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam" , i. e,, "the whole universe is the family of noble-minded persons". And I am confident that, in this- matter, our philosophy of Karma-Yoga will not only be not inferior to any other ancient philosophy of Karma-Yoga, but will even embrace all such philosophies like the Paramesvara, Who has embraced everything and has remained over to the extent of of ' ten fingers '. But, even to this position an objection is raised by some that : when a man has by this Self-identification acquired the comprehensive Vedantic vision of "vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (i. e., 'the universe is the family' — Trans.), not only will virtues like pride of one's country, or of one's family or clan, or of one's religion etc., as a result of which some nations have now been fully advanced, he totally destroyed, but even if some one comes to kill us or to harm us, it will become our duty not to kill him in return with a harmful intent, having regard to the words of the Gita : "nirvairah sarvabhutesu" [1] (i. e., non-inimical towards all created beings — Trans.), [2] ; and as a result of evil-doers being unchecked, good persons will run the risk of being the victims of evil deeds ; and, as a result of the preponderance of evil- doers, the entire society or even a country will be destroyed. It is clearly stated in the Mahabharata itself that "na pape pratipapah syat sadhur eva sada bhavet" [3], i. e., "do not become an evil-doer in dealing with evil-doers, but behave towards them like a saint"; because, "enmity is never done away with by enmity or by evil-doing" "na capi vairam vairena kesava vyupasamyati' ; that, on the other hand, the man whom we defeat, being inherently evil-minded, becomes more evil-minded as a result of the defeat, and is only waiting for the chance of revenging himself again — "jayo vairam prasrjati' ; and that, therefore, it is proper to circumvent evil-doers by peace [4]. And these very stanzas in the Bharata have been copied in the Buddhistic treatises [5] ; and even Christ has repeated the same principle by saying: "Love your enemies" [6], and, "but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" [7], or "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other" [8]. |
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