Do Your Duty, without Attachment and Desire for Fruit

Gist: One should not abandon one's duty, but should internally abandon attachment to it and also it's fruit which lead to bondage. The consequences of doing so are significant and it will lead to chaos in the world.

Do Your Duty, without Attachment and Desire for Fruit

"Niyatasya tu sanyaasah karmano nopapadyate
Mohaattasya parityaagastaamasah parikeertitah. " (Gita 18:7)

"Verily, it is improper to renounce any duty that is prescribed. Its abandonment (tyaaga) through delusion (ignorance), is declared to be taamasika (of the mode of ignorance).

Lord Krishna by explaining the threefold relinquishment wanted to warn Arjuna and other human beings, that one should not abandon one's duty, but should abandon attachment to it and also it's fruit. This type of renunciation is called sattvika (mode of purity), which leads one to freedom from worldly bondage. Internal abandonment of attachment and desire is real renunciation, which frees a man from bondage.

A man is more responsible to discharge his prescribed duty than to perform actions sanctioned by the scriptures. (All actions sanctioned by the scriptures may not be possible for a man, because there is mention of several fasts on all dates and days. If he observes all these fasts, when will he have a meal?)

On the other hand, acts like guarding by a security man is called his "niyata karma", which is his special responsibility. There is greater sin in giving up your dutiful responsibilities (niyata karma). If he abandons this duty, it is improper and will lead to chaos. Therefore, whether he is paid more or less for his dutiest, whether it provides him more comfort or less, a person must never abandon his duty. In these days there is disorder in the society because people don't discharge their duty. If a person does not discharge his assigned duty, the consequences are significant. If the duty is abandoned out of delusion, it is "tamasa" abandonment and the person sinks downwards to lower births and lower regions - "adho gacchanti taamasaah." (Gita 14:18).

If duty is discharged by renouncing the fruit and attachment to it, it is sattvika (mode of purity) renunciation. A sattvika person discharges his duty carefully without expecting any reward. He also abandons his affinity with actions and their fruit. Real renunciation is in abandoning attachment and desire which lead to bondage (Gita 13:21).

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