To improve life in all its dimensions, we must make honest efforts to understand self with convictions as empowered human beings to play a role in society as consumers, producers, distributors, traders, and all relationships in the family, neighborhood, and the nation as global citizens.

We need extensive awareness of self in totality (state of mind that observe everything around)- different from concentration and action. We must understand our physical body as made of five elements (water, air, fire, earth, and sky). We have five organs for actions (hands, head, eyes, nose, and ears) with the mind. We can control our actions (deeds) with wisdom, patience, and faith in ourselves and God. We must perform our actions as duties more than rights and expectations.

All of us have our own nature of three kinds including Satvik (pious, righteous, pure, moral and truthful), Rajsik (stimulated, desire ridden and passionate) and Tamsik (lazy, sleepy, uncultured, arrogant and deceitful) as authenticated by my Guru Gita (the heart of Krishan). We have found elaborate descriptions of satvik, rajsik and tamsik kinds of persons in renunciation, knowledge, action, intelligence, determination, and happiness. It is pertinent to mention that at a point in time which one of the three is strongest for the actions (deeds) to be performed is dependent. We must make honest efforts for satvik actions.

 We must understand the different types of persons described in chapter 18 of the Gita:

1 Satvik Person

According to verses 18.9-12, 18.23 of the Gita, a satvik person performs the prescribed duty simply because it has to be performed, giving up attachment to fruit. Such a person neither hates inauspicious work nor is attached to auspicious work. One is intelligent enough to know that anyone possessing a body cannot give up action. One who renounces the fruit of action is called a person of renunciation. And those who do not work with renounced has three fold fruit of action- desirable, undesirable & mixed after death but those who work in renounced mode have no such result to suffer or enjoy.  Verse 18.20 explains that a satvik person sees the soul in everyone. Verse 18.26 reveals that satvik is not attached to the result of work, derives no ego satisfaction, is not distracted by failure or success & has patience. Such people do not care for results but always work to the best of their abilities. Verse 18.30 tells that the intellect of satvik understands what ought to be done and not to be done, what is to be feared and not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating. According to verse 18.33, the firmness of satvik is unbreakable and is sustained with steadfastness by Yoga practice and thus he controls the activities of the mind, life, and senses. Verse 18.37 says that in the pursuit of self-realization, satvik finds enjoyment & begins to drink the nectar of life after following many rules and regulations to control the mind on the self even though these procedures are very difficult, bitter like poison in the beginning.         

2 Rajsik Person

According to verse 18.8 of the Gita, a person of rajsik nature renounces the prescribed duties thinking of them as troublesome or out of fear of physical strain, and does not reap the fruit of renunciation.  Verse 18.21 tells that a rajsik person sees in everybody there is a different type of living entity i.e. a different body has a different type of Atman (soul).                        

According to verse 18.24, rajsik performs an action with great effort to gratify the desire as well as satisfy the ego. According to verse 18.31, a rajsik cannot distinguish between Dharma and Adharma, what ought to be done and what should not be done. According to verse 18.34, the firmness of a rajsik depends upon the reward for his action in religious or economic development, and his only desire is a sense of gratification. According to verse 18.38,    a rajsik derives happiness through his senses which come into contact with the objects which appear like nectar in the beginning but poison at the end.                    

3 Tamsik Person

According to Gita verses, 18.5-18.7, the acts of sacrifice, charity, and tapa (Penance) should never be given up. They must be performed as a matter of duty because these acts purify the souls. But a tamsik gives up these prescribed duties because of illusion or out of ignorance. According to verses 18.25 & 18.28, tamsik has a limited understanding of the self as their own individual world. Such a person acts without thought, without consideration of its effect on the ability to work, and without foresight. Tamsik does not work to the best of their ability, has no humility, and is lazy, uncultured, arrogant, and deceitful. One is inclined to rob others of their livelihood and does the work without thought, without care, without any planning or preparation. Tamsik very much desires results but does not care for work. According to verse 18.32, the intellect of a tamsik is always wrapped in ignorance, and he thinks even Adharma is Dharma and always strives in the wrong direction. Verse 18.35 says that tamsik is not firm, and does not give up sleep, fear, anxiety, and sorrow.  Verse 18.39 tells that tamsik feels pleasure in laziness, in sleep, and has no idea how to act and how not to act. In reality, there is no happiness from beginning to end.                

To sum up, a tamsik person does not work, has no interest in life and totally ignorant and eats tamsik food with cravings which makes one addicted.  Rajsik is desire ridden, passionate and stressed. Satvik is always in goodness mode, calm & cool, peaceful and attains glory as superior to rajsik and tamsik. The sense organs of a satvik person do not pull towards the object of craving for food which is taken for the purpose of gaining energy as needed consumption. We must learn to avoid ego, selfishness, and the sense of “I” and “mine” to live the need-lifestyle. We must be satvik to reach self-realization by devotion and dedication by understanding self. We must be aware, alert and awake for flowering the thoughts in all dimensions of life. We have to improve the mediocre quality of mind for using the capacities and gaining experience. Taking a cue from Swami Vivekananda we must have faith in ourselves and stick to our convictions of the consciousness of doing everything as an empowered and enlightened person.

Prof. M.M. Goel

Prof. Madan Mohan Goel, is the Founder of the Needonomics School of Thought, an experienced Vice-Chancellor in government and private universities of India, and a retired Professor at Kurukshetra University. (Opinion expressed here are that of the author)

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