Bhagavadgita
Major Sections
Books By Rajaji

INHERITED PROPENSITIES

The Lord dwells in, the hearts of all beings, and through the forces of Affray causes all beings to move like puppets on a revolving machine.

XVIII-61

Maya is here material nature constituted by the Gunas. The lesson of the above slokas is that the qualities with which men start on their life-journeys determine their activities. We should not be invoked to anger or contempt if any one commits what we deem to be wrong, nor pride our- selves upon our own good actions.

The slokas are not to be interpreted as if men were absolved from responsibility. The Gita makes it clear that it is only by personal effort and by the practice of self-control that we may be delivered of the character-load with which we begin. That men are moved by congenital. qualities born of previous Karma, which defeat all efforts at ignoring them, is a teaching to cultivate charity towards others and serenity in ourselves, and not a doctrine of irresponsibility.

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About Inherited Propensities
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