The verses of the Bhagavad Gita offer profound insights into life's purpose

Let me start with verse # 3.8 of the Bhagavad Gita, which is, “You should always do your duty. Because action is superior to inaction. Maintenance of the body will also not be possible through inaction.” We all know what our duties are according to time, place and circumstances. We also know that neglecting our duties impacts our maintenance. For example, a student does not pay attention to his studies. What happens subsequently? He finds it hard to maintain himself. For whose benefit was this verse spoken?

Let me take another verse, which is very famous. I am referring to verse #2.47, which goes like this, “You have a right only in action, not ever in predetermining fruits. You should not speculate about the fruit of action; your attachment to inaction also should not be there.” For whose benefit was this verse spoken? Do we have any other right except to do our duties? And we must not neglect to do them. As regards the results of our actions, the right to decide them has been kept by God with Himself.

The third verse chosen by me is very telling, in which Lord Krishna promises, “People who worship Me with undivided attention, meditating on Me, for these regular practitioners of yoga, I help in getting what one does not have and provide security of what one has.” Verse after verse the Lord is cajoling us to do what will fulfil all our desires, which are according to dharma. God couldn’t be a party to anything against dharma. Could He? The fourth verse in this connection is: “Where there is yogeshwara Shri Krishna and where there is Arjuna (meaning us), there will be opulence, victory, wealth and morality.” (18.78) What are our desires generally? That we should succeed in our endeavours. We would if we were aiming for what is according to morality, i.e. dharma. The same is about wealth. Don’t we need enough resources for our maintenance? Not only wealth, there will be ‘saubhagya’ (good fortune). Who benefits from all these? We do; God doesn’t because He is complete in all respects. (3.22)

The next verse is about gaining peace and a perfect destination. Lord Krishna instructs, ‘In all respects, take My shelter only. By My mercy, you will achieve supreme peace and the eternal abode.’ What is it that we lack after gaining material needs, comforts, etc.? It is peace, which is what God is promising. Not only that, God is also assuring eternal abode, which is free from the defects of this material world. How nice it will be to not be subjected to repeated birth and death? God is prepared to grant this also.

God is always wanting to give. He has so much to give if we become deserving. Isn’t that fair? How do we become deserving? Lord Krishna describes, ‘Develop My consciousness; become My devotee; make sacrifices for Me; and offer obeisance to Me.’ (18.65) One may feel that all these activities relate to God. Yes, they do but do they benefit Him? No, far from it; they only purify our existence. And God had to set some conditions to qualify for His special favour. How else was He to reward anyone? Just focus on how easy they are to do.

I will take up one more verse, which is, ‘Having My consciousness, you will cross all impediments by My grace.’ (18.58) This is quite an amazing offer from God. Aren’t we all struggling with one problem or another throughout our lives? We do, but our ego comes in the way. We are not prepared to accept that somebody can be superior to us and to such an extent that we have to take His shelter and His alone. (18.66) We would rather suffer but won’t do as instructed by God. Do we realise that our acts will benefit the world if we obey God’s instructions? We will become better persons by following dharma – the rules for proper behaviour. We will fit in the System created by God, which is required for the creation to exist eternally.

(The writer is a spiritual teacher, views are personal)