8ImportantEthicsWeLearnFromBhagavadGita

ArticlesharedbyPragatiGhosh
TheEthicsofGitaisperfectionist.Itarrangesforandorganizestheproperdevelopmentofallaspectsof
man.Initdevotionisalsoassimilatedinknowledgeandaction.
Extremeimportantisthequalityofselfsubmission(atmasamarpana)intheGita.Allsinsaredestroyedif
mantakesrefugewithGodafterrelinquishingeverything.Satyaisaccessibleonlyafterpurificationtoone
whohasfaithinknowledge(IV39).
GitahaspreachedthissamedoctrineofcompleteselfsubmissionanddevotiontoGodinanumberof
waysamongtheothercharacteristicoftheGita,themajoronesarethefollowing:

(1)Synthesisofthegoodofsocietyandindividual:
Gitasethicshassynthesizedbothsocialandindividualinterests.Theindividualisnotinconsiderablebut
hissoulandtheuniversalsoularenottwoseparateentities.Alldistinctionsaretheresultofignorance.

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Theultimateendisabsoluteperfectionoftheindividualbutthisperfectioncanbeattainedonlythrough
consolidationofsocietyandGodrealization

(2)Theoryofdivisionoflabour:
Gitasconceptionofthevarnasystemisnotonlytheequivalentofthemodernscientificdivisionoflabour
butitissuperiorinsomerespectbecausemandoesnotbecomeentangledhiactionsbecausehefulfilshis
dutywiththeintentionofGodrealization.Inthisway,Gitahasalsoachievedamagnificentsynthesisof
spiritualismandsocialwelfare.

(3)Synthesisofenjoymentandausterity:
GitastheoryofniskamaKarmayogaisthesuprememeansnotonlyfromthespiritualviewpointbutalso
fromthepracticalandworldlyviewpoints.Ithashiitselfanexpertsynthesisofactionandabstinence,
enjoymentandasceticism.
Niskamakarmadoesnotadmitofanyprobabilityofbeingdeflectedfromonespathandsuppliesthe
uninterruptedpowerforstayingdutybound

(4)Divinizationofpassion:
InspiteoftheidealofdetachmentGitaspathisnaturalandintegral.ItpreachestheDivinizationand
transformationofpassionsandnottheirrepression,aswasKantscontention.

(5)Directiveofdailyduties:
InviewofthefactthattheGitacontainsalongdescriptionofdutiesconcurringtoanumberofdifferent
naturesofman,itmustbeadmittedthatitaffordsassistanceintheunderstandingofdailyduties.

(6)Basedonsoundmetaphysics:
TheethicsofGitaisbasedonsoundmetaphysics.Althoughitistheistic,itdoesnotencourageblindfaith
inanyinstance.

(7)Synthesisofdeterminismandfreedomofwill:
Gitahassynthesizeddeterminismandfreedomofwill.ItisGodwhocontrolstheresultofactionandthe
orderoftheworldbutinordertobecomeadynamicinstrumentofdivineactionafterunderstandingthis
orderandcompleteselfsubmissiontoGod,itisessentialtoactwithdetermination.
Becomingtheinstrumentofdivineconsciousnessimpliesactionaccordingtotheinternalconsciousness
becausefundamentallythesoulandGodareidentical.Thustrueindependenceliesindivine
transformation.
True,selfrealizationisinselfsurrender.Theonewayoffreeingthesoulfromitsvariouslimitationsis
socialserviceanddevotiontoGod.

(8)UniversalmessageoftheGita:
ThemessageofGitaisuniversallycomprehensiveandeverlasting.Intodaysatomicagewhenhuman
societyisgrievouslyendangeredbyexcessivematerialismsomeofthemessagesoftheGita,likeniskama
karmayogahaveassumedanevergreaterimportance.

Gitatreasureselementswhichcanfaithfullyserveasmotivetomenofanysocietyandanyage.InIndia
fromancientscholarslikeSamkaraandRamanujamenlikeGandhi,TilakandSriAurobindohavebeen
inspiredbyit.