The role of material duties (Taittiriya Upanisad 1.9)

As long as we are not prepared for renounced life, we should practice the principles of the Bhagavad-gita, by performing our material duties as an offering to Krsna.

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Section 9: The role of material duties

At the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna wanted to abandon his duties to go to meditate in the forest, but Krsna disagreed, arguing that he would not be able to escape his nature. Instead, Krsna said he should stay and perform his duties as an offering to Him, in devotional service. There is an appropriate time for everything in life. One who is old enough and advanced enough may accept a renounced life, but as long as we are not prepared for it, we should practice the principles of the Bhagavad-gita, by performing our material duties as an offering to Krsna.

Text 1.9.1

ṛtam ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , satyam ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca
tapaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , damaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca
śamaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , agnayaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca
agni-hotram ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , atithayaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca
mānuṣam ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , prajā ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca
prajanaś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca , prajātiś ca svādhyāya-pravacane ca

One should practice righteousness (ṛtam) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should practice truthfulness and equal vision (satyam) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should practice austerity (tapaḥ) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should practice control of the senses (damaḥ) while studying and teaching the Vedas.

One should develop peacefulness (śamaḥ) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should perform his household duties (agnayaḥ) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should perform fire sacrifices (agni-hotram) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should properly receive guests (atithayaś) while studying and teaching the Vedas.

One should worship the Lord (mānuṣam) while studying and teaching the Vedas. One should also benefit the future generations (prajā) by approaching his wife (prajanaḥ) and generating good children (prajātiḥ) while studying and teaching the Vedas.

Commentary: It's understood that a person who accepts the renounced order of life to exclusively serve the Lord has no more material duties to perform. However, as long as one is in family life, one should execute the appropriate duties as part of his or her spiritual practice. The duties may be different according to one's social and spiritual position, but one should not try to abandon his duties before the appropriate time.

We can see that at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna wanted to abandon his duties to go to meditate in the forest, but Krsna disagreed, arguing that he would not be able to escape his nature. Instead, Krsna said he should stay and perform his duties as an offering to Him, in devotional service. As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita 6.3: "For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who is already elevated in yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means."

There is an appropriate time for everything in life. One who is old enough and advanced enough may accept renounced life, but as long as we are not prepared for it, we should practice the principles of the Bhagavad-gita, by performing our material duties as an offering to Krsna. As He Himself says on SB 11.20.9: "As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by śravaṇam kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions."

Another meaning of this verse is that we should not discard moral principles, such as righteousness, truthfulness, etc. These principles are not only important for our spiritual practice, but also essential parts of our prachar, or broadcast of Krsna Consciousness. The best form of presenting Krsna Consciousness to others is by our own example, and this verse from the Taittiriya Upanisad teaches us about that.

The duties for different social classes and spiritual orders according to the Vārṇāśrama system are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam both in the teachings of Prahlada Maharaja (chapters 7.10 to 7.15) and in the Uddhava Gita (chapters 11.17 and 11.18).

For example, in verses 11.17.16-21, Krsna describes the four duties for the different social classes:

"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to Me, mercy and truthfulness are the natural qualities of the brāhmaṇas.

Dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brāhmaṇas and leadership are the natural qualities of the kṣatriyas.

Faith in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the brāhmaṇas and perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities of the vaiśyas.

Service without duplicity to the brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods and other worshipable personalities, and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the natural qualities of śūdras.

Dirtiness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger and hankering constitute the nature of those in the lowest position outside the varṇāśrama system.

Nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and freedom from lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of society."

As we can notice, the description of the varnasrama system offered by the Lord is based on a universal set of qualities that should be cultivated by everyone, regardless of one's varna or asrama, and complemented by specific sets of qualities specific to each social group.

The basic essence of the varnasrama system is service to the Lord, and the universal qualities of nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others, as well as freedom from lust, anger, and greed are essential for manifesting this service. From this baseline, we may gradually try to develop the specific qualities of the higher classes.

When these basic qualities are not cultivated, however, the defects of dirtiness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger, and hankering appear, and we manifest the same basic problems as any materialistic society. This means we are still on the lowest platform, as mlecchas, outside of what the Vedas call civilized society. As long as we are on this platform, it is very difficult to form any kind of progressive community.

Text 1.9.2

satyam iti satya-vacā rāthītaraḥ
tapa iti taponityaḥ pauruśiṣṭhiḥ
svādhyāya-pravacane eveti nāko maudgalyaḥ
tad dhi tapas tad dhi tapaḥ

The sage Rāthītara, who always spoke the truth, believed that truth is the highest principle. The sage Paurśiṣṭhi, who performed great austerities, thought that practicing austerities was the most important. The sage Naka, the son of Maudgalya, considered studying and teaching the Vedas the most important. True austerity is the combination of all of that.

Commentary: Some passages of the scriptures say that Lord Śiva is the greatest devotee, while others say that Narada Muni is the greatest devotee, or that Prahlada is the greatest devotee. Which reference should we take as correct? All of them together. All pure devotees are the greatest devotees because they are all in the absolute platform, and thus it is not possible to distinguish between them based on material calculations. Similarly, when some passages of the scriptures recommend the study of the Vedas, while others recommend austerities, and so on, these passages should not be taken as contradictory, but as complementary. Study of the Vedas is good, austerity is good, control of the mind is good, and if one can achieve all of them together, that is the best.

It is natural that one will emphasize one aspect or the other in his or her spiritual practice, and even great teachers tend to emphasize one factor or another according to what they see as more beneficial to their students, what they are personally practicing, or what is appropriate according to time place and circumstance, but it doesn't mean other principles are not important or should not be practiced. If they were not important at all, they would not be mentioned in the scriptures.

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