Gita Rahasya -Tilak 129

Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak

CHAPTER V THE CONSIDERATION OF HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS (SUKHA-DUHKHA-VIVEKA) The Path of Karma-Yoga has- been independently followed from times immemorial, side by side with the Path of Renunciation, aocording to the Vedic religion; and the promulgators of this path have very satisfactorily expounded the science of Karma-Yoga, without departing from the elementary principles of Vedanta. The Bhagavadgoita is a work pertaining to this Path of Karma- Yoga. But, leaving aside the Gita for the moment, it will be seen that the system of expounding the science of the doable and the not-doable from the Metaphysical point of view was started, even in England itself, by writers like Green, and long before him, in Germany. However much one may consider the visible world, so long as one has not properly understood who is the HE who sees this visible world, or who performs these Actions, the consideration of the highest duty of man in this world will always remain incomplete from the philosophical point of view. Therefore, the advice of Yajnavalkya: "atma va are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah ", is literally applicable to the present case. If even after the examination of the external world, one ultimately comes to basic principles like philanthropy, then, "we must say that by such examination, the importance of the science of the Highest Self (adhyatma) is not in any way belittled, but that this is one more proof of there being only one Atman in all created things. If Materialistic philosophers cannot transcend the limitations which they have placed on themselves, there is no help for it. Our philosophers have extended their sight far beyond that, and have fully justified the science of Karma- Yoga on the basis of Metaphysics. But, in as much as it is necessary to consider another contrary view (purva-paksa), which deals with the subject of Right Action and Wrong Action or Non-Action, I shall deal with that view before explaining how that justification has been made.