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Chapter 3
Question:—How to know for certain, that death while performing one's own duty, leads only to salvation?
Answer:—The Gita is a gospel of Lord Krsna Himself. So, there should not arise any doubt, about His teaching. Secondly it is a matter of faith and belief, rather than reasoning, yet some aspects clarify the doubts:
- Whatever, is not known to us should be decided by the scriptures.[1]
It is mentioned in the scriptures, that he who protects righteousness, is protected by the righteous (Manusmrti 8/15) i.e., righteousness leads him to salvation. Therefore, the responsibility of salvation of a person, who follows righteousness falls on the righteous and the preachers of righteousness, such as God, the Vedas, the scriptures and the sages and ascetics. It is their power which leads one to salvation. In the scriptures, it is mentioned that a chaste woman, attains salvation. She does not attain salvation, because of the virtues of her husband and his power, but because of the power of the Lord, the Vedas and the scriptures etc., who have made this law (ordinance). There is no doubt about it.
- History also reveals the fact, that he who performs his duty with righteousness attains salvation. King Hariscandra did not deviate from truth, in the face of adversity, insult and dishonour. Consequently, he along with his subjects attained the Supreme Abode (Markandeya Purana, Devibhagavata etc.).
- Nowadays we come across many incidents of rebirth, which reveal that creatures take to higher or lower births according to their good or bad deedst.
- Not to speak of a believer, even a non-believer, by performing his duty scrupulously, without any selfish motive, gains peace or joy, which is a characteristic of the mode of goodness. This peace, is a signal for salvation or the supreme peace. Therefore, our own experience proves, that performance of one's duty while discarding forbidden actions, leads to salvation.
A Vital Fact
It is the real duty of a man (the self), being a fragment of the Lord, to attain salvation and to believe, that he is, only the Lord's and only the Lord is his. Even duty, according to one's - caste, stage of life and body etc., are not real duties because these are assumed, and are not of the self. In all of these, a man has to depend on others, while in one's own real duty, he is totally independent and without the least dependence, on anyone. Therefore, a striver himself may be a lover, a seeker of knowledge or a devotee, as he has not to depend on anyone else.
A lover, transmuted by love, becomes one with the Beloved; a seeker of knowledge, transmuted by knowledge, becomes one with Him Who is all Knowledge, and a servant changed by service, becomes one with the Master. Similarly a striver transformed by Sadhana, (Spiritual discipline) becomes one with God.
A striver having the aim of God-realization, does not hanker after riches, honour, praise, comforts and luxuries. He is not at all worried about these, nor is he pleased having acquired them, because his aim is only God-realization, rather than acquisition of riches, honour and praise etc. So all the worldly actions, arc performed scrupulously and solemnly, for the Lord's sake by him. As a businessman, takes a lot of trouble, to earn more and more money, and as a patient, undergoes an operation happily, in order to recover from a disease; a striver remains pleased and satisfied, even in defeat, loss and pain, in order to attain his aim of God-realization. For him, the desirable and the undesirable circumstances, are the means to practise spiritual discipline.
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