[ Krishna in Bhagavad Gita gives several unique concepts and one such concept is ‘Swadharma’.
In the second chapter he brings about this by telling this to Arjuna, the Kshatriya or warrior and
as a leader of an army, He also makes subsequent references to this concept where he makes it
much more elaborate. Let us try to unravel this in this article. ]
PART – 1
Swami Vivekananda quotes the Upanishad concept“Each soul is potentially divine and the goal is to manifest this divinity internally and externally …”Here he meant that we may look to be different individuals outside but deep inside we have the same divinity, but it is in an un-manifest way and each of us has to find out our own unique way to manifest this. This process in short is the “Swa + Dharma or Swadharma” way of life. Krishna further emphasises that nobody else’s Swadharma or the path, or journey or methodology can be our Swadharma. He further cautions that following others methodology is frightening. In a general observation it looks strange. For example, we see someone swimming and we learn swimming, we learn singing by imitating others singing. What is wrong in it? But Krishna condemns this in strong words, and if he has to use such a strong objection, it must carry deep meaning. One can brush aside Krishna’s words but we can also choose to probe into it. Let us take the second option and try to explore it.
BRAHMAN IS ANANTHA
Brahman is normally explained as infinite-Anantha, not having any limit or not governed by boundaries. It is in un-manifest-form or formless. But it can also be form as well as formless! When it is in the form, Brahman can be in infinite variety of unique forms and these forms can be happening in unlimited time. Therefore Brahman has two different expressions one being infinite and other being ‘infinitely growing’. The first expression indicates the ‘BEING’ aspect and the second one indicates the ‘DOING’ aspect. One is ‘static’ aspect and the other is ‘dynamic’ aspect. The static aspect is the un-manifest and the dynamic aspect is the manifest reality. We are all participants of this manifest reality. Since the manifest reality is also infinite,each one of us is very original yet very unique.
Consider ourselves as rivers carving a path to reach the ocean. Though there may be several intermediate achievements like negotiating small little hurdles and bends, the final fulfillment of the journey of the river, is that "moment"when it merges in to the ocean and there is no-more river-ness left! Similarly we need to find our own unique journey. It is interesting to note that each river has its own path and they do not follow other's journey. That makes each river unique and special. River Gangawould not try to be like Brahamaputra or a Yamuna . In the process of imitating or blind followingeach river could lose its identity and its journey may lack purpose. With this example we can understand that each individual have their own path-Swadharma.
DHARMA IS PURITY
Dharma itself means "quality or property". Dharma of water is to wet, dharma of fire is to burn and etc. In water and fire it becomes very simple but when it comes to the case of human being it is very much complicated because human being is a very complex individual. Even in case of a rose plant it can only give rose flower. It cannot give a lily or lotus, even if you want it or demand it. It not only applies to us but for everyone. Especially when we advise others, we need not expect them to do things as we wanted or somebody wanted. In this way we respect “swadharma” .
We cannot depend on the rose plant to give some other flower because the journey of the rose has started much before. It is also not its own journey but it carries a legacy. It has a lot of ancestry, therefore gives an ambience.It will manifest itself in full bloom bringing forth a delight.It would fulfill the journey of all its inherent potential.
The journey in case of human beings can be traced to the beginning of the journey of the whole creation. If a Rose plant does not bloom its own flower then it does not bloom, but it will also exhaust its energy in a futile exercise of bringing forth a lotus.
This would be paradharma for rose. paradharma is leaving one’s own swadharma. A flower does not come just from the stem (though it appears like that) but from the depth of the intelligence of the seed.Interestingly this seed has derived intelligence from its previous generations. The flower that appears is actually the fulfillment of the seed from past generations!!!
PARADHARMA IS A WELL LAID ROAD!
We cannot depend on the rose plant to give some other flower because the journey of the rose has started much before. It is also not its own journey but it carries a legacy. It has a lot of ancestry, therefore gives an ambience.It will manifest itself in full bloom bringing forth a delight.It would fulfill the journey of all its inherent potential.
The journey in case of human beings can be traced to the beginning of the journey of the whole creation. If a Rose plant does not bloom its own flower then it does not bloom, but it will also exhaust its energy in a futile exercise of bringing forth a lotus.
This would be paradharma for rose. paradharma is leaving one’s own swadharma. A flower does not come just from the stem (though it appears like that) but from the depth of the intelligence of the seed.Interestingly this seed has derived intelligence from its previous generations. The flower that appears is actually the fulfillment of the seed from past generations!!!
PARADHARMA IS A WELL LAID ROAD!
Swadharma is like the flower hidden inside the seed, whereas paradharma is like the expression in a fully blown flower. It also appears that we have a choice to pick up between a model which is evidenced based or trying our own new path where we are not guaranteed of success or failure. Simple logic says "if someone else can reach the end point of this life efficiently and successfullywithout having to reinvent a wheel, I could also reach that place. I can even improve it because I don’t have to go through all the struggle the other has gone through"! A tiny lesson here-Somebody else's swadharma cannot be ours and our swadharma cannot be that of anybody else.
The path of swadharma is not a beaten track but it is unchartered.We are not even aware of our own swadharma because it is like the seed which does not know how the flower is going to be. Most of us do not know our swadharma and the whole life goes on for a majority of the population without even having slight hint or clue of it.
Paradharma is like a paved tested concrete road on the other hand swadharma is like a path in the space with no clue available. The problem with a well laid clear concrete road with less hurdles is that we might not be mindful as the journey is well laid anyway.Our awareness, focus and determination slowly shifts or decreases.
So Paradharma is like a fully laid road in our journey without the key ingredient "Awareness".But the main ingredient for a spiritual journey, is the presence of awareness. It is this awareness which takes us inwards. Krishna calls this key ingredient as Prajna and in the spiritual path this helps us to move deeper until a stage comes when we ourselves become "awareness" just like the sun is light only.
Lord Krishna emphasises that we easily drift away from manifesting our potential divinity and tend to move away from our swadharma and follow others( Paradharma), very often without even realizing it. By being "aware" at each and every step in our journey we can stop from drifting away from this path.
One valid question here- why do we tend to follow others?
In the whole life journey we always learn things and develop all our talents by imitating others.Right from the time of birth till present,we have believed that it is the only way to grow. Children observe and imitate their parents and imbibe their habits,way of speaking, dressing,sometimes their beliefs too. In fact scientists have researched that we learn more by observation than from instructions.
Adults try to compare their child with others children indirectly conveying to them that it is good to follow that path which would be successful rather than choosing their own path. Children grow up with the belief that they need to follow the same path as their role models as that would help in achieving their dreams.
The yard stick for anything in this world is the visible "Outside achievement" .Unfortunately we fail to see the invisible factor here- effort which has gone in for reaching this height. Success of others is always impressive and many times it appears that path as a bed of roses. This does not imply that we need not recognise the success of others. We can indeed listen to their true success stories and get inspired.However we need not imitate or follow that same path to weave the same story in our life. We can truly appreciate their life stories but we can "Choose" our own path by our own strategies.
A seed is not aware of what it will grow to.It just follows its own path and sprouts and it vanishes. Then the journey of the sprout begins which later grows to a tree or a shrub.Imagine an apple seed following the path of a papaya seed. The inherent potential of the apple seed gets lost somewhere. Now we can very well say after reading through the entire post- Should the apple seed follow the path of "Paradharma" or its unique path of "Swadharma".
It is time that we introspect and follow the path which is close to our heart and gives us absolute joy and contentment. Do understand that our own growth is directly proportional to the path we follow.
- N.V. Raghuram
The path of swadharma is not a beaten track but it is unchartered.We are not even aware of our own swadharma because it is like the seed which does not know how the flower is going to be. Most of us do not know our swadharma and the whole life goes on for a majority of the population without even having slight hint or clue of it.
Paradharma is like a paved tested concrete road on the other hand swadharma is like a path in the space with no clue available. The problem with a well laid clear concrete road with less hurdles is that we might not be mindful as the journey is well laid anyway.Our awareness, focus and determination slowly shifts or decreases.
So Paradharma is like a fully laid road in our journey without the key ingredient "Awareness".But the main ingredient for a spiritual journey, is the presence of awareness. It is this awareness which takes us inwards. Krishna calls this key ingredient as Prajna and in the spiritual path this helps us to move deeper until a stage comes when we ourselves become "awareness" just like the sun is light only.
Lord Krishna emphasises that we easily drift away from manifesting our potential divinity and tend to move away from our swadharma and follow others( Paradharma), very often without even realizing it. By being "aware" at each and every step in our journey we can stop from drifting away from this path.
One valid question here- why do we tend to follow others?
In the whole life journey we always learn things and develop all our talents by imitating others.Right from the time of birth till present,we have believed that it is the only way to grow. Children observe and imitate their parents and imbibe their habits,way of speaking, dressing,sometimes their beliefs too. In fact scientists have researched that we learn more by observation than from instructions.
Adults try to compare their child with others children indirectly conveying to them that it is good to follow that path which would be successful rather than choosing their own path. Children grow up with the belief that they need to follow the same path as their role models as that would help in achieving their dreams.
The yard stick for anything in this world is the visible "Outside achievement" .Unfortunately we fail to see the invisible factor here- effort which has gone in for reaching this height. Success of others is always impressive and many times it appears that path as a bed of roses. This does not imply that we need not recognise the success of others. We can indeed listen to their true success stories and get inspired.However we need not imitate or follow that same path to weave the same story in our life. We can truly appreciate their life stories but we can "Choose" our own path by our own strategies.
A seed is not aware of what it will grow to.It just follows its own path and sprouts and it vanishes. Then the journey of the sprout begins which later grows to a tree or a shrub.Imagine an apple seed following the path of a papaya seed. The inherent potential of the apple seed gets lost somewhere. Now we can very well say after reading through the entire post- Should the apple seed follow the path of "Paradharma" or its unique path of "Swadharma".
It is time that we introspect and follow the path which is close to our heart and gives us absolute joy and contentment. Do understand that our own growth is directly proportional to the path we follow.
- N.V. Raghuram