India is a great country with rich heritage where since Vedic times doing one’s duty has been preached and practiced. In the Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Krishna stresses the performance of duty in the Karma Yoga. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in his commentary on the Geeta explains: “It is our duty to act but not to expect reward thereof. Expectation of fruit causes bondage. Action should, therefore, be performed without seeking the fruit, but it should not be forsaken. The former leads to salvation and the latter to sin, i.e., action must be performed as a duty without attachment.”
This philosophy of the Karma Yoga was pursued further when Niti Shastras were written. In Kautilya’s Arthshastra, non-performance of duties was made punishable under law. Kautilya championed the cause of civilized society and specifically laid stress on the concept of neighborhood. For instance, one of the duties for which he made laws was: “No one shall interfere in the affairs of a neighbor, without due cause. However, everyone has the duty to run to the help of a neighbor in distress.”
Our country achieved freedom after a long period of slavery. Therefore, the framers of our constitution thought it proper to grant certain fundamental rights to the citizens of India so that they might experience a sense of freedom. Some of the main rights given to the people are : the right to equality, to freedom, to life and individual freedom, to religious freedom, to cultural and educational freedom.
It is human nature to desire rights first and then to think of duties. That is to say, every individual wants only rights, not the fulfillment of his/her duties. It is because of this human tendency that after independence the people of our country became less and less devoted to their duties. They began neglecting their duties and started giving greater importance to their rights. So much so that some people began disregarding even our constitution, national unity and integrity and so on. When this tendency started asserting itself more and more, it was felt necessary to amend the constitution of India and specify the fundamental duties too.
1. How can you say that India is great?
2. Who has advocated for the performance of duty?
3. What is ‘Arthshastra’?
4. How, according to Kautilya, should one behave with his neighbor?
5. Write down the fundamental rights mentioned here.
6. Which human tendency of our citizens does the author criticize?
7.How does the Geeta explain Karma or action?
8. Locate from the passage the words which mean :
(i) the state of being saved from the power of evil
(ii) change a law to improve it.
