A father has got his sons and others to free him from his debts, but he has got none but himself to remove his bondage. (51)
Every human being has to fulfil the four purusharthas, dharma, artha, kama and moksha. So this is the duty; in fact, the intrinsic urge of every human being.
So artha and kama is the fulfilment of the needs of the lower personality. Just to have physical security and also physical pleasure or entertainment, every human being needs from the level of one personality.
And if a person grows higher, a little bit more; he no more happy with the near fulfilllment; he feels that he has to do something to the society, something to the other people, the need for fulfilllment of certain values.
These are all higher needs of an individual; they call need for self-esteem. I want to be a dharmic person; I want to tell the people that I have given so much money for the institution; these are the needs of the higher ego. The lower ego needs artha kama; the higher ego needs dharma. Everybody wants to present himself or herself as dharmic person.
And then still when you go to higher ego; there is the spiritual need which is called need for mōkṣa. They call it hierarchy of need. First security; then entertainment; then self-esteem; then self-actualisation; in our language, artha, kāma, dharma and moksha. Mokṣa is also a need in the sense that mōkṣa indicates the highest growth that a human being can achieve.
And this is also a need, because if you study any being in the creation, even a plant or animal, you find one thing common to all and what is that; everything is growing, growing.
A plant. You need not request a plant to grow; it is natural urge to grow. And if there is any obstruction like ceiling or something, if you keep the plant inside the house, it will go through the window and grow.
An animal also wants to grow. How much? maximum as much as it can grow. Therefore, growth is not something which you choose but growth is something which is intrinsically thought by all beings; it is a natural urge. But the only difference between animals and human beings is, in the case of animals, the growth is only physical.
But in the case of human being, the growth is not only physical but also emotional. By emotional growth I mean the capacity to love, care etc. for all the entire humanity. Love for all. Similarly, intellectual growth, i.e. knowing about everything.
That is why science cannot remain quiet because they want to know what is star. they want to know; ‘they’ means what? the entire humanity wants to know. Knowledge wise growth and spiritual growth. All these are the innate urge of every human being. And moksha represents the highest growth possible; that is purnatvam; the infinitude.
Dharma Artha kama needs can be fulfilled by ourselves and we can fulfill these needs helped by other people also. I can fulfill by myself or even if I do not have time or capacity to fulfill; the other people can fulfill my needs.
For example, any ritual can be taken up by son, if father is aged and is not able to sit and perform the ritual. Within the family, one can earn and feed the other.
Whereas when the question of moksa comes, there is difference. What is that? For the sake of the father, son cannot say I will get knowledge on behalf of you. When son gets knowledge, who will get moksha?; son will get moksha, father is not going to get moksha; and son cannot even hand over.
Therefore Sankara says your moksha need you alone have to fulfil; therefore never give a complaint, I have no time; do not say; you have to fulfil dharma artha kama; you have to do your duties due to your family. Your children; your wife; your husband. But never say I do not have time for moksha;
As they say, seven people can take a horse to the water front; but the horse alone has to drink. Similarly, children may be ready to provide all the conditions for knowledge, but the father alone has gain it; nobody else can do.
Therefore, Sankara says: bandamocanakarta; a person who releases one from bondage is svyam eva; oneself only; tasmat anyah kascana nasti; other than oneself nobody else can do that. And when we say nobody else can do; it includes even Bhagavan.
Even Bhagavan cannot give us mōkṣa. moksha is my very nature. God can give the condition for discovering this fact.
Easvara anugraha is manuṣyatvam; mumukṣutvam; and maha puruṣaḥ samsrayaḥ; moksha is purely the effort of the mumukshu sadhaka.
And therefore, you have to work for that. And whoever is working has to be congratulated.
Love