Gita Rahasya -Tilak 136

Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak

CHAPTER VI THE INTUITIONIST SCHOOL AND THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BODY AND THE ATMAN (ADHIDAIVATA-PAKSA AND KSETRA-KSETRAJNA-VICARA) An excellent marksman easily shoots and kills birds on the wing; but mo one, on that account, says that there is soma independent deity of marksmanship. Not only that, but no one, on that account, considers the science of marksmanship or of calculating the speed of flying birds or other scientific calculations as unnecessary. There is a story told of Napoleon Buonaparte, that as soon as he stood on the battle-field and cast only one glance all round, he could immediately find out the weakest point of the enemy. But, on that account, nobody said that the science of warfare is an independent deity, and that it is in no way connected with other mental faculties. It may be that one man has a greater aptitude for a particular thing than another. But on that account, we do not say that the two have two different kinds of intelligence. Besides, it is not that the decision on questions of doability or non-doability, or of righteousness or unrighteousness is made instantaneously on all occasions. Because, if such were the case, there would never have been any doubt as to whether ' a parti- cular thing ought to be done or ought not to be done '.Not only is such doubt occasionally experienced by every one, but, what is more, the decisions given by different persons as to the doability or non-doability of the same Action are different. If there is only one self -created deity in the form of 'Conscience', why should there be this difference ? Therefore, we have to say ,- that a man comes to a decision on any particular matter, . according as his mind is evolved or educated. There are many : aboriginal tribes who do not consider murder a crime, but even ' eat human flesh with pleasure ! But if we for a moment leave aside the case of uncivilised human beings, yet, according to the customs of different countries, something which is considered objectionable in one country is wholly acceptable in another country. Marrying a second wife when the first one is alive, is considered a crime in England ; but nobody thinks much of it in India. Indians would feel ashamed of sitting in an assembly without their turbans on ; but in England people consider taking off one's hat as a sign of respect ! If it were true that one feels ashamed of a wrong act as a result only of God-given or inherent Conscience, should not every one feel equally ashamed of the same act ? Even marauders consider it disgraceful to draw a sword against a, person whose food they have eaten ; but, even powerful civilised nations in the West consider it a sign of patriotism to murder people who are subjects of a neighbouring nation ! !. If there is only one deity in the shape of Conscience, why should there be this difference ? And if one admits different kinds of Conscience, according to- civilization or according to the customs of countries, then the self-created immutability of Conscience itself suffers. As man leaves the uncivilised state and is gradually more and more civilised, so also are his Mind and Reason developed;, and when in this way, the Reason has developed, man becomes capable of spontaneously conceiving such ideas as he would have been incapable of conceiving in his former uncivilised condition.