Jagat

After all the talk about character, now comes the last section about Fate and Karma. Bhartrihari does not let you off the hook, even though he admits the omnipotence of destiny. For instance, after declaring Fate to determine our fortunes, in the next verse he immediately tells us that sloth is our greatest enemy. One still has to act and think (v. 90); for Destiny is nothing other than the unseen consequences of previous acts. This is an apparent contradiction that cannot be escaped. The point is that one has to act without attachment to the results because those are not fully under our control. So, this is the last of the Niti-sataka. Links to the other instalments: Niti-sataka 1 :: The Fool Niti-sataka 2:: In praise of learning and the learned Niti-sataka 3 :: The greatness of the hero and the duties ofthe king. Niti-sataka 4: The dependent and the wicked Niti-sataka 5 :: The qualities of the virtuous and resolute bhagnāśasya karaṇḍa-piṇḍita-tanor mlānendriyas...

Sorry for the interruption in posting the rest of Nīti-śataka . There will be one more segment after this. These are really pretty nice verses and all seem to be without any contradiction to the principles of good character that are at the basis of all religious temperament, including that of the Vaishnava. It is when fanaticism leads one to ignore these principles that religion becomes debased. It is interesting to me that so many of the verses are confirmations of my feelings about the turmoil of the last few weeks, even though it may be said with justification that I failed to act with true virtue. The virtuous vāñchā sajjana-saṅgame para-guṇe prītir gurau namratā vidyāyāṁ vyasanaṁ sva-yoṣiti ratir lokāpavādād bhayam | bhaktiḥ śūlini śaktir ātma-damane saṁsarga-muktiḥ khale yeṣv ete nivasanti nirmala-guṇās tebhyo narebhyo namaḥ ||62|| I bow my head respectfully to those in whom dwell these qualities: the desire for the company of the pious, an appreciation of the virt...

A few weeks ago, I believe I mentioned that I had started rereading Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life , a collection of readings in ethics edited by Fred and Christina Sommers (Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997). I have been finding almost every single article to be useful to some degree or another. It seems that a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita taking into account all the various moral philosophers would make an interesting text. After all, the essential question of all ethics is, like Arjuna asked, "What should I do?" Arjuna's situation is meant to illustrate a most fundamental ethical quandary and a particular solution is offered, one that would be interesting to examine, verse by verse, in the light of developments in philosophical ethics. No doubt, someone has done it. The latest article I have gone through is an excerpt from Alasdair Macintyre's After Virtue (University of Notre Dame Press, 1984). The article comes in chapter four, titled "Virt...

A few weeks ago, I believe I mentioned that I had started rereading Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life , a collection of readings in ethics edited by Fred and Christina Sommers (Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997). I have been finding almost every single article to be useful to some degree or another. It seems that a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita taking into account all the various moral philosophers would make an interesting text. After all, the essential question of all ethics is, like Arjuna asked, "What should I do?" Arjuna's situation is meant to illustrate a most fundamental ethical quandary and a particular solution is offered, one that would be interesting to examine, verse by verse, in the light of developments in philosophical ethics. No doubt, someone has done it. The latest article I have gone through is an excerpt from Alasdair Macintyre's After Virtue (University of Notre Dame Press, 1984). The article comes in chapter four, titled "Virt...