Our Duty

Duties may be described as a set of actions that one must perform according to certain rules and regulations mostly on a daily basis and some of them on an occasional basis. Krishna has divided the society into four classes according to the qualities one is born with and the work associated with those qualities, as stated in verse 4.13 of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna says – ‘cāturvar nyaḿ mayā srstaḿ guna-karma-vibhāgaśah’-‘ according to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me’

We already know that we are given a certain type of body by the Supreme according to the debits and credits we have accumulated over many births. And depending on our birth in a particular environment we have certain natural tendencies whether it be in the mode of goodness-Sattva, mode of passion-Rajas, mode of ignorance-Tamas or a mixture of more than one quality. Therefore each one of us has certain duties allocated to us by Krishna according to our basic personalities. And that can be termed as Prescribed Duties. More details of the said classification and the associated duties thereof are detailed in the eighteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

Now, Krishna says when it comes to performing those duties we must keep the following in mind:

Verse 2.47

karmany evādhikāras te

mā phalesu kadācana

mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr

mā te sańgo'stvakarmani

Translation

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

 Since this sounds like a very difficult proposition for all of us materially oriented people, let us try to understand how this can be achieved. The result of every action we perform is influenced by two factors - our efforts and the Supreme sanction as no effort can be completed without the Supreme Will.  The efforts that we put into any activity should not be motivated by the results as that is not in our control. This may force some of us to think-given that the result, whether desirable or undesirable, no matter what I do, is out of my control, I may as well put in a little effort or no effort towards the completion of that activity.  But the point is, without activity nothing can be achieved and we cannot remain inactive even for a moment. Krishna states in verse 3.5 of the Bhagavad Gita -‘na hi kaścit ksanam api jātu tisthaty akarma-krt’ – no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment. The same is also confirmed in verse 6.1.53 of the Srimad Bhagavatam - na hi kaścit ksanam api jātu tisthaty akarma-krt.

Let us look at an example – if you walk into a job interview without any preparation thinking that there is no use preparing as I may not get the job, then very likely you will not get  the job. We usually don’t do that right? We prepare really well regardless of whether the job is going to be awarded to us or not. Another example on a material plane could be getting a bonus at our workplace. Being awarded a bonus is a combination of our efforts and the Manager’s sanction. Whilst being awarded a bonus is entirely up to the manager, doing our duty with 100% efficiency is up to the individual. The manager might provide the facilities in which one can work well but the responsibility of working efficiently with those facilities lies with the employee.

Likewise, Krishna is the Supreme maintainer of all living entities and he has provided all the necessary facilities in which to do our duties properly. And by doing so, we will suitably be rewarded as we surrender everything we do unto the Lord as stated in Verse 4.11 - ye yathā māḿ prapadyante tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham - As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. We have to do it and do it well without expectation or attachment to the results thereof. Krishna explains this further in the following verse.

Verse 3.9

yajñārthāt karmano 'nyatra

loko'yaḿ karma-bandhanaḥ

tad-arthaḿ karma kaunteya

mukta-sańgah samācara

Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.

Lord Krishna reiterates this fact yet again in verse 9.27

yat karosi yad aśnāsi

yaj juhosi dadāsi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

tat kurusva mad-arpanam

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.

                                                                                                                                                          

A duty therefore, must be performed by giving up all sense of proprietorship and without attachment to its results and most important of all surrendering all works to Krishna – Bhagavad Gita verse 3.30. Krishna also warns us not to stray away from doing our duty in order to escape the consequences, because it is a general human tendency to avoid an action if the result is not going to be desirable. Therefore, not performing our duty is not an option at all.

Therefore let us just do our duty the way the Supreme Master has instructed us to do for doing so will free us from this material bondage. All living entities are doing their duty in some way or the other but we who have been awarded this very special human body have an opportunity to do our duty as an offering to the Lord and that will get us out of this material cycle.

 Hare Krishna