Your karma is to just do your duty

While explaining the nuances of duty (Karma Yoga) as narrated in the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Do your duty without expecting returns.” The willingness to sacrifice oneself is the hallmark of performing one’s duty, but with the application of a balanced mind. 

There are basically three characteristics that define a man, namely, rajo, tamas and satva. A satvic man is one who always nurtures good thoughts and has a balanced temperament, the best example of which is Lord Rama. However, people often mistake the wood for the trees. For example, there once lived a snake in a village whose ferocity created unbridled fear among the villagers and none dared go near the snake’s abode. When a wandering sadhu tried to go down the road where it lived, the villagers warned him. Disregarding their advice, he walked on. The snake tried to bite him but his good nature got the better of it. The sadhu adviced the snake to refrain from biting the people who fed it milk. 

The snake took his advice and became completely docile. Over a period of time, it became so soft -natured that boys began hurling stones into its pit and teasing it . It still held on to its vow of a peaceful existence. When the sadhu returned a few months later and walked down the same path, the snake accosted him and said, “You told me not to bite and I followed your advice. But, see how people have treated me,” it complained, showing the wounds. The sadhu said, “I only asked you to stop biting, I never said ‘don’t frighten people,’ Your duty is to frighten,” he said. The snake understood its karma and continued to show ferocity but refrained from biting people. 

The way to a better life is to balance out all three characteristics so that one can be rid of self-desire. People say it’s easy to lecture, but hard to practice the same. It is not very difficult to lead a life given to duty. What is required if a focused mind and going easy on wanting things. Sometimes, the simplest of people are the ones who appear to have mastered this art. There is the famous story by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When he was delivering a series of lectures on Bhagavad Gita, a farmer would attend the discourse dailyand tears would run down his cheeks during each lecture. Thinking his speeches had moved the man, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu called him on the final day and told him, “You seem to be moved by my lecture. I hope you found it useful.” The man looked at him completely puzzled. He then smiled a little and said, “Prabhu, behind the pillar where I stood all these days, there is this huge etching of Gitobadesam. I was looking at the etching and was feeling for Lord Krishna. Look at Him, he is burdened by the chariot reins because he is holding the horses. His head is at an angle, which means his neck is under tremendous pressure as He turns to Arjuna in an effort to motivate him to just do his job. How much of physical discomfort that must have caused Him and yet he taught Arjuna his sense of duty? I’m sorry, I did not hear a word you said, but was feeling for Krishna, imaging how it must have been on the battlefield to make a reluctant person perform.” Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu then said, “This humble farmer’s thoughts were way above my level. He was a true karma yogi.”