There is one very important point. Other's rights on us, that alone is our duty. Just as doing something that is beneficial to others is our duty and it is the entitlement of others. To serve the mother and father, to give them happiness is the duty of the son, and is the entitlement (adhikaar) of the mother and father. Similarly, to provide for and to protect the son is the duty of the mother and father and the entitlement of the son. To serve the Guru, to follow through with his words is the duty of a disciple and it is the rights of a Guru. Similarly wiping out the disciple's ignorance, and to make him realize God is the duty of a Guru and the entitlement of a disciple. In other words, through the fulfillment of a man's duties, he must protect the rights of others. The man who looks at other people's duties and what he is entitled to receive, he strays away from his own duties. Therefore man has to give up his entitlements, and he has to perform his duties with all his might, for protection of fair rights of others. To see to other's duty and to hold on to our own rights is the main reason for fall in this life and beyond. The cause for lack of peace, quarrels (kalaha), conflicts (sangharsh) that are seen in the present times, is this alone, that men demand their rights, but they do not fulfill their duties. Therefore Gita says -
Karmanyavaadhikaara ste maa phaleshu kadaachanaa | (Gita 2/47)
You have the right to perform your duties only, and not to it's fruits.
In this world those that are considered eminent, pioneers, dominant leaders, masters, main educators, trainers, topmost speakers, chiefs, foremost in their particular field, there lies a great responsibility on them to educate others to see to the well-being and benefit of others. For them Gita says -
Yadyadaacharati shreshstattdevetaro janah |
sa yatpramaanam kurute lokastdanuvartate || (Gita 3/21)
Whatever is the conduct of great men, other men do just the same, and whatever he says, others do according to what he says."
In this verse, regarding the subject of a great man's conduct the words "yat yat" "tat tat" and "eva" these five words have come; but with respect to man's speech, only the following two words have been used "yat" and "tat". The point here is that man's conduct has five times (more) the impact on other men, and man's spoken words have two times the affect (significantly lesser). That man who himself does not do his duty, but only by his speech, advices and lectures others to follow his advice, does not have any significant impact or affect on others. Advice and lectures have an impact, an affect only when the one giving the lecture remains free of desires and his conduct is according to the scripttures and he remains within the established limits and boundaries (lok maryaadaa). Therefore Bhagwaan gives His own example that for him there is nothing to do, nor is there anything to acquire in the three worlds. He says - Even then, I fulfill my duties according to My manifestation on this earth. If I did not perform My duties carefully and with alertness and without any inertia, then those that have faith and belief in Me, they too will start to behave in the same manner. In other words, they too will act without much thought, without much cautiousness, neglecting their duties, and the end result of that will be their downfall (Gita 3/22-23)
