Sutra 62. Na tat Siddhau lokavyavahaaro heya kin tu phalatyagastat saadhanancha kaaryameva.
[Till Bhakti is developed one
must not neglect to observe social customs and ceremonies. One should surely
perform them but only the fruits of all social activities are to be surrendered
to the Lord.]
Tat Siddhau: for attaining
it, in the development of devotion
Lokavyavahaarah: social life,
social custom and usage;
Na: not
Heyah: to be neglected
Kintu: but
Phala-tyaaga: renunciation of
the fruits of actions
Tat- saadhanam : means helpful
to it, its performance
Cha: and
Kaaryam: must be performed
Eva: certainly.
The essence of this Sutra has been covered elaborately in the previous verse itself.
So long as one is practicing to cultivate and develop devotion the highest level, worldly activities including our duties towards family, society and the nation should not be given up and one must continue the dynamic life of activities fulfilling one's duties and responsibilities.
Each one is expected to pursue his / her life in the field where the LORD has placed them, because the Omniscient Lord knows exactly what is needed for our own inner unfoldment.
It is for the exhaustion of our existing vasanas that we have been placed in a particular environment, to carry on certain types of responsibilities and in the process, enjoy or suffer, as per our Karmic balance.
To protest over it, to weep over what life is giving to us, is useless. It is for the doctor to decide if one should be admitted in the hospital, whether the patient should go to a normal medical ward or a surgical ward, whether the patient should go through a normal medical procedure or undergo a severe procedure which may be really painful!!! It is futile for the patient to weep over what he has to undergo. The only hope for the patient is - after all the hardship / sufferings / surgery / post surgery pain etc., he will return home one day, relieved of all the pain, all the agony!!!!.
In a Sadhaka's life, all the sufferings explained above are the ones which he has to undergo while being in the society, while discharging his role as a father, as a mother, as a husband / wife, son / daughter, as a Manager / Subordinate, as a friend etc. The hope explained above is the hope that one day, in his evolvement as a Bhakta, he will return home, the home of the Lord, the abode of peace, prashanti, where there is only Peace, there is only Love!!!!!
So, what is the way to lead this life sojourn as a householder on one hand and internally, as a devotee??
We have to continue to live this life, doing every bit of our assigned role and simultaneously, we have to cultivate and expand our Love for the Lord, whose expression is there in the entire world around us.
We will then, continue to go to our fields of activity with more and more new found Joy within us.
We are nearing him more and more, surrendering our work / actions and its fruit spontaneously and naturally to him (which is explained in the previous post clearly) and where there is no appointment (expectations a particular outcome for our action / our sacrifice etc), there can be no disappointment (that we did not get what we wanted out of our actions / sacrifice, because, we have stopped wanting, we have stopped seeking appointment)!!!
So, the whole field of work itself is considered as LORD Himself, at the peak of one's evolvement as a true Bhakta!!!
It is here that Sadhana is not separate and the life apart from our hours of Sadhana are not different. our Life itself becomes our Sadhana.
Such a life lead by a true devotee, in itself, becomes a source of motivation for all others whom look up to such a great devotee!!. For a novice spiritual aspirant, this devotee's life, his actions, his silence, his every walk in life is equivalent to Scripture. The novice devotee learnt every day in the company of such a great devotee, the Mahatma!!!
Love.
