Vishal Puri, 13th March 2015
Hare Krishna Devotees,
Dandavats Pranam.
Can devotees help me explain the sloka 2.47 “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.”
Before doing anything I think a lot about the results, that I become so lost and I don’t perform the my daily duties. So can you please help, how can I perform my daily duties without thinking to much.
Hare Krishna.
Premananda das, 13th March 2015
Hare krishna prabhu
If you analyse the verse 2.47 carefully .Krishna says to perform prescribed duty and not capricious or inaction.You can analyse yourself what activities you are performing .
Prescribed duties are of 3 types routine work ,emergency and desired work.
Routine work enjoined as per scriptures without desires in the mode of goodness should be performed as it will lead to liberation.
But work with desires will lead to bondage .
Following 2.48 verse Krishna tells Arjuna to be equiposed while performing prescribed duty and not be attached to success and failure.As it is Krishna’s concern what result to give you .
In fact Yoge means to concentrate the mind up in Supreme by controlling the ever disturbing senses.By krishna consciousness only one can give up the sense of proprietorship .
One has to become servant of Krishna or servant of servant of Krishna .
That is the right way of discharge duty in Krishna consciousness Which alone can help one in yoga.
If you can’ t beat them join them.
So rather than being attached to the results it’s better to follow Krishna’s instruction by being a servant of the servant of Krishna .Chanting the holy names and eating krishna prasadam are essential.
You can also pray to Krishna sincerely .
your servant
Premananda das
Bhakta Sunil, 13th March 2015
Hare Krishna dear Vishal ji
Hope you are in good mood and good health
One should do daily duties with a mindset of giving pleasure to the Lord , but not for personal selfish enjoyment
If duties are done with motive to give pleasure and not receive pleasure , then automatically one would not be anxious about results
Engage in duties which are favorable to Krishna Consciousness ( chanting , reading Prabhupada’s boolk , Darshan , Eating only Prasadam ) and avoid activities which are not favorable to Krishna Consciousness ( cinemas , mundane magazines , gossip about sports politics )
For example , if one is habituated to gossip about politics , this activity cannot be done for pleasure of Lord and so naturally one would be anxious about results to defeat one mundane argument with another mundane argument
Prescribed duties means work or occupation which suits your mode of nature or natural inclination. For example , the occupation or profession may be according to one’s abilities and talents or your hobbies. Such duties or activities are helpful to keep you fit enough to be engaged in devotional service.
One should not avoid duties due to laziness or artificialy renunciating
“Work with results becomes the cause of bondage; therefore such work is not auspicious” – Gita As It Is , 2.47 Purport
Non-participation or not doing work , is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation. Any attachment, positive or negative, is cause for bondage. Inaction is sinful. Therefore, doing work as duty to keep fit and in activities to help serve the Lord is best , as fighting as a matter of duty was the only auspicious path of salvation for Arjuna.
Sincerely,
Bhakta Sunil
Nawneet Kumar, 13th March 2015
Hi Vishal,
As per our upbringing, this is a common way of thinking…We always are concerned about the results, we are motivated by results rather than the efforts …it is conditioned in that way. To come out of this pattern, need is to create a new pattern, which is more powerful. Try to find out what can be the first thing to create a new pattern, where putting efforts is more important, focus only to put our best effort and keep some rewards for doing the effort rather than the results. Hope this helps…
Chanting “Hare Krishna” mantra would definitely help.
Best regards,
Nawneet
Shreyas, 24th March 2015
Hare Krishna Vishal!
Reading all the answers above concludes the all perfection in essence. Before writing my conclusion I re-read all replies and its already stated by all together, just that Krishna has now blessed me to understand with what motive each has written each single line.
All have concluded to the same point at least – The problem why we are so attached is because since time immemorial we have been running after material pleasures and now our mind has been embossed with myriad material desires. This desire is a result of ” I am God” desire. So as long as we have this desire to – be the centre of all enjoyments – problem will remain.
Throwing up all garbage like newspapers, mundane movies, mundane gossips are surely cutting the source of nonsense but still within devotional service itself we will be troubled with the enjoying tendency due to attachment to results as long as we have to engage with material world. This will be manifested when we mess up in some service and our ego is bashed completely out of embarrassment. What is the solution?
As already concluded firstly by Bhakta Premal – a person who knows – “I am a complete basket case! Full of imperfections! Insignificant servant of Krishna! Immature neophyte, etc….” won’t be agitated by failures. Will he/she be? If one knows that it’s no big deal for me to commit mistakes and be offensive or egoistic or embarrassing because Srila Prabhupada and Vaishnavas already state what it means to be a conditioned soul, and I am being pointed here. If one knows that he/she is full of imperfections and immaturity and aspiring to improve sincerely, one won’t be embarrassed by failures or mistakes. Only those who are under illusion considering oneself to be a elevated God-like personality would be hurt upon failures.
So a genuine Vaishnava, the spiritual master, a pure devotee of Krishna will understand this and I must therefore take shelter of such Vaishnava, who will take compassion on my conditioned state of mind, my neophyte stage and help me rise by giving me love of Krishna. Let me search that Vaishnava and personally serve him and please him to his fullest and accept his corrections.
Of course by rising in perfection still makes one realize in reality and practicality how one is lower than even the stool on road although such devotees are worth having association of. So the ultimate question should be – “How shall I practically realize that I am servant of Krishna besides theoretical conclusion?” This inquiry will help one in ones journey towards Back to Godhead. It’s all centred on detaching mind from material sense enjoyment. This is possible only by voluntarily taking austerities in Krishna’s service under a constant senior supervision. Devotional Service is unlike ordinary service. Here Krishna corrects and guides as per our sincerity.
Lastly, the attitude of an imperfect conditioned soul has to be well applied in professional life. With constant engagement in Krishna’s service all intelligence is gradually provided as stated in BG 10.10. So the sum and substance, lets look out for constant engagement in Krishna’s service under a senior guidance and be sold to Krishna by body, mind and words.
And when we will succeed, we shall meditate not on how nicely we did but how without this Vaishnava’s mercy I would have kept weeping with my misdirected struggles due to material attachments.
All Glories to this Vaishnava! In this way in failure or success we can remain Krishna Conscious, in other words equipoised.
your servant
Bhakta Shreyas
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