All of us are distinct individuals. Given our differences,
no material formula can work uniformly for everyone, just as one shoe can’t fit
all people.
Acknowledging such individual distinctiveness, Gita wisdom
endorses varnashrama, a social system that offers people vocations according to
their inclinations. Each vocation has its rewards and challenges. For those
inclined to a particular vocation, its rewards outweigh its challenges. Thus
for a person with kshatriya inclination, the fulfillment in using one’s talents
to head a state competently is greater than the anxiety coming from such a
demanding political position. A brahmana, on the other hand, would find that
anxiety a burdensome distraction from the brahmincial inclination to study. And
conversely, a kshatriya would find a brahmana’s life too simple to be
palatable.
For those inclined to a particular vocation, its rewards
outweigh its challenges.
Yet during phases of acute trouble in one’s vocation, one
may find another’s vocation alluring; the grass on the other side might seem
greener. That’s what happened to Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield when he
had to fight against his loved ones – he felt tempted to adopt the nonviolent
brahminical vocation.
The Bhagavad-gita (03.35) firmly disapproves such whimsical
changing of vocations because it would require repressing one’s nature (03.33)
– something that is unsustainable and undesirable.
If Arjuna adopted a brahmana’s vocation, then in the course
of life when he would be disrespected, his kshatriya nature would spring up and
he would raise weapons to retaliate against the offender. Engaging in such
violence while he was professing to be a brahmana would be karmically culpable,
because brahmanas are dharmically enjoined to nonviolence (18.42). Instead of
courting adharma thus, if he gallantly stuck to his natural vocation even
amidst duress, he would gain dharmic credits for his long-term benefit.
In addition to its varnashrama-specific application, this
verse speaks to us today: don’t imitate others, be true to yourself.
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