Faith - Endearing Qualities

Lord Krishna talks about performing duties in a disinterested

and detached manner. To be able to do this, one must

have certain qualities. The Lord elaborates on what they

are, in chapter 12, said Valayapet Ramachariar, in a discourse.

From verse 14 onwards, He spells out the qualities

that a person should possess, and if a person has these qualities,

the Lord assures us that such a person will be dear to

Him.

A person should be contented (santushtaH). He must believe

in the sanctity of the Vedas. He should surrender mind

and intellect to the Lord — arpita manO buddhih. He must

be sama dukhah sukhah — he does not react to sorrow or

happiness, but quietly accepts whatever is destined. The

Lord says that he should be adveshta — this means he must

not hate anyone. This includes even those who harm him.

The Lord goes one step further. It is not enough to be merely

free from malice, but one must be friendly with them. So, He

talks of maitrah.

A person must be unattached to his body and must not

think of anything as his — nirmamah. He should be nirahankArah

— that is he should know that the body is not the atma.

In the performance of his duties, he may come across

difficulties. He must bear with them (kshami) and not let

them hinder him in the tasks he must undertake. The Lord

says — satatam yogi — one should always be thinking only of

the atma and not the body. We cannot suddenly switch to

worship mode, if we have never learnt the art of concentration.

Only constant thinking in the right direction will train

the mind to be focused. The Lord uses the word madbhaktah,

to show that a devotee of the Lord, due to his bhakthi,

does all deeds as a form of worship.