Performance of duties

We never fail to insist on our rights, but when it comes to the performance of duties, we are careless. But there can be no rights without duties, and even  our spiritual texts talk of three  types of duties: nitya, naimithika and kamya karmas, Gomatam Sampathkumarachariar said.  Nitya karmas are those that  have to be performed every day, so these are called daily duties.

The naimithika karmas are those that we are called upon to  perform occasionally. The kamya  karmas are optional, as for example, the performance of a  putrakamesti yaga for having  progeny. While the very definition ‘optional’ implies that one

need not necessarily perform kamya karmas, there is no exemption to the performance of the other two categories.

We all have different roles to play in life: the role of father,  mother, son, daughter, and so on. Each has its own responsibilities and duties.

 We also have duties that result from our occupation  in life. It is  important that  we perform these duties too, to  the best of our ability. There is  no profession that should be looked down upon. Diligence and sincerity in whatever we undertake is important. Lord  Krishna was the incarnation of  the Supreme One, yet He took on the role of charioteer to Arjuna. In this role, He did all that  any charioteer would have done.

He would bathe the horses and  brush them down. He would  feed them lovingly. What was  the need for Him to do this? He  could as well have deputed  someone else to do it. But the Lord demonstrated His adherence to duty by caring for the

horses Himself. He thus showed  us that we too must happily perform  our duties in life.

The Lord is merciful to those  who sin against Him in the  course of their duty. Chanura  and Mushtika were wrestlers to whom Kamsa assigned the task  of killing Lord Krishna. It was a  distasteful duty, but they knew  they had no alternative. If they  objected, Kamsa would kill  them. But they had the blessing  of dying at the Lord’s hands. Along with duty goes the quality  of obedience. Lord Rama was  a dutiful son. When his father  Dasaratha asked Him to go to the forest, He did not question  his wisdom in making such an  unkind request, but set forth  willingly.