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Chapter 18
Link:- While discussing the nature of Tyaga{ the Lord declared, 'Abandonment of any duty, that ought to be done, is not right. Its abandonment through ignorance, is declared to be, of the nature of ignorance" [1]. "Ile who gives up duty for fear of physical suffering, performs Tyaga' of the 'Rajasika' land [2], while he who performs a prescribed duty, as a thing that ought to be done, abandoning attachment and the fruit—his Tyaga is regarded as, Sattvika" [3]. "In the Sankhyayoga, while explaining the five factors for accomplishment of actions, the Lord declared, 'An action which is obligatory, is performed without attachment, or hate, by one who seeks no reward, is said to be sattvika"[4]. The Lord, resumes the topic of obligatory actions (duties), allotted to members of four Varnas (Castes) - Brahma pa, Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, also of Bhaktiyoga.
brahmanaksatriyaviiam sudranam ca parantapa
karmani pravibhaktani svabhavaprabhavairgunaitt
Of Brabmanas; of Ksatriyas and Vaisyas, as also of Sudras, 0 conqueror of foes (Arjuna), their respective duties are allocated, in accordance with the modes (gums) born of their nature (svabhava). 41
Comment:-
Brahmanaksatriyaviiam sudranadr ca parantapa:- Here, the Brahmanas, the Ksatriyas and the Vaisyas are included, in one category, while the Sudras are put in a different category. The former three are Dvijas' (Twice born), as they are eligible for initiation, and so they wear a sacred thread, known as 'Yajnopavita', while the fourth, is not eligible to were the sacred thread. For the latter different duties have been allotted, according to their caste, as ordained by scriptures.
Karmani pravibhaktani svabhavaprabhavairgunaih:- Actions, which a man performs, leave their impressions in his mind, and these impressions, determine his nature. Thus nature which is formed by impressions of actions of innumerable life times, give birth to propensities, of the modes of goodness, of passion and of ignorance. The four castes—Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sidra, and their obligatory duties, have been allocated according to the propensities of those modes [5], because a man acts, according to propensities, of the mode he possesses.
An Important Fact
- Actions are of two kinds
- Those, that enable a being to be born, in high and low wombs @Those, which create desirable and undesirable circumstances, and which have been called, good, evil and mixed, i.e., the threefold fruit, of action, in the Gita [6].
A serious thought, reveals that all actions create desirable and undesirable circumstances. A man born in a high family, receives honour, while a man born in a low family, does not.</ref>.
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