The Gita according to Gandhi 128

The Gita according to Gandhi -Mahadev Desai

INDIVIDUAL ETHICS (Discourses 16 and 17) The Lord now sums up the whole teaching: 'Make shastra thy sole guide of conduct for he who forsakes the shastra comes to grief' (XVI. 23-24). This Shastra (science) is none other than the yogashastra taught in the Gita, the science of selflessness or detachment, considered in terms of devotion, worshipping the One Lord of all beings. ‘But' asks Arjuna in the opening verse of the seventeenth discourse, 'this shastra that thou hast expounded may not be understood by all, may not be acceptable to all. Would it do if they shaped their conduct according to their faith or belief in the scripture? Thou hast also before mentioned people worshipping gods, hosts, manes and other beings (IX.25). They must be doing so according to their belief in the scripture. How wouldst thou characterize their attitude sattvika, rajasa, or tamasa ?' (XVII. 1).