Srimad Bhagavatam – day 428
Janārdhanāya namah
Maharishi Nārada continues to explain the rules and duties of righteousness.
“For a woman, her husband is God. Serving her husband, behaving in a pleasing manner with him, serving his relations, protecting the disciplines of her husband are the duties of a woman.
A chaste woman should mop the house and ensure it is kept clean. She should sprinkle perfumed water all over the house and ensure its purity. The front yard of the house should be decorated with beautiful rangoli designs. She should dress well and ensure that all the objects in the house are tidy and clean. With humility, she should fulfil all desires of her husband. She should serve her husband with absolute sense-control, with truthful, pleasing words uttered in according to the situation. She should not develop too much attachments. She should be content with whatever is obtained righteously. She should not pressurize her husband to provide her comforts that are far beyond their means”.
‘The neighbour lady has bought costly furniture. How is it that her husband can afford them? Why can’t you? Why can’t you accept bribes?’ – There are women who encourage the husband to take bribes and satisfy their desires. The woman who has excessive desires takes her husband towards ruin. For this reason, emphasis is laid on contentment.
“A woman should be content with her possessions and should be well-versed in dharmic rules. In a very pleasing manner she should speak the truth or listen to truth. She should exercise vigilance at all times. She should maintain both inner and outer purity. If her husband is not fallen, she should serve him lovingly. That lady who considers her husband as God and who serves him exactly as Goddess Lakshmi serves Lord Srihari will obtain Vaikunṭha where, similar to Goddess Lakshmi, she will live happily with her husband.
Now speaking about the members of Sankara caste, who live away from civilized towns and cities, who are not thieves and who do not indulge in sinful deeds. Their duties of life will be dependent upon the occupation they follow.
In every Yuga, supremely accomplished Maharishis who are exponents in Mantra, preach applicable different dharmas to suit the different natures of different people. They were decisively mentioned in the Smṛtis. Those who abide by such dharma enjoy comforts not just in this world but also in the next worlds.
While completing the professional duties, allotted to him in tune with his nature, the human being should diligently abide by his own dharma (swadharma). This is a noteworthy point. While diligently abiding by his swadharma, he should gradually give up even those actions and then reaching a state wherein he is devoid of any attributes (nirguna), he should get liberated”.
While abiding by the duties assigned to us by the Lord, as well as the disciplines that have been passed down to us due to our birth in a particular clan, we should strive to obtain liberation. Considering these dharmic duties to be the spiritual practices we should complete them with devotion. We should consider the profession destined for us as our God. With discipline and absolute concentration, we should complete the task. Along with this prescribed duty, we are free to choose other professions. But we should never forget these professions that had been handed over by our ancestors. At least 10% of such duties we should follow.
What is the logic behind jumping from one profession to another all the time? Due to this instability in any one field, the person loses faith in all professions. Ultimately he loses confidence in himself as well as in Srihari. Hence great caution should be exercised when switching from one profession to another. Analyse the pros and cons of this action deeply. ‘My grandfather would trade in animal skins. However due to ban on killing animals I am unable to take up this profession’ – there is no need to lament. Bhagavatam explicitly clarifies that such persons can take up any other occupation which is suitable for them.
That which is forbidden, we want to pursue. That which is wrong, we want to see. That which is harmful, we want to speak. Such obstinacy is unhealthy. When it is said that we should give up that which is not within our reach, we should simply obey. Then peace of mind can be obtained.
A person who is unemployed can open a saloon for his sustenance, is it not? It is better than looting and cheating for livelihood. In foreign countries, many well-educated persons who were unemployed have happily opened saloons and are prospering.
To summarize, there is no harm in taking up another occupation for livelihood. However never disrespect the original occupation followed by the elders.
Based on the nature, the stars at the time of birth, based on the intelligence and aptitude of the person, Maharishis have decided the occupational duties for people of different castes. I am against addressing some people as śudras. They are truly very hard-working people. Have they not come from the same Supreme Lord? Doesn’t the Puruśa sooktam of Vedas declare this? People of all castes have arisen from the same Lord. But in recent times we have strengthened these divisions and disparities. On what basis does a person declare that only people of his clan and caste should get preferential treatment? After all, everyone is a human being. Hence all are equal.
Hrishikeshaya namah