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work well, it will be in the spirit of the Gītā, if this four-fold division is discarded in order to bring a new social set up for the good of mankind and new duties are brought into being.
Finally, I may argue that the aim of the Gitā is not to provoke wars. Its aim is to encourage the healthiest development of the individual and the perfect welfare of society. This tendency can be clearly witnessed when the Gītā speaks in terms of divine and demoniac qualities.24 The demoniac nature of man is to be shaken of and the divine nature is to be fostered and nourished. Now Karmayogi is a man with divine virtues. What are the divine virtues of a Karma-yogi? They are many, but I shall mention only those which are relevant. The two are non-violence (Ahimsā) and compassion for living beings (Dayā Sarva Bhūteșu).
In the Gītā these two seem to be very important. The Gita decries himsă in unequivocal terms by saying that the action which is undertaken without regard to consequences, to loss and injury (himsā) is said to be tamas.25 Ahimsā is eulogised in the Gītā when it is said that the ideal man regards all living beings as of equal value and that he is just and compassionate to all living beings.26 Besides, he sees with an equal eye, a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant or even a dog or an outcast.27 When such is the preaching of the Gītā, a question naturally arises: How should we reconcile war with this attitude of Gītā? No doubt Ahimsā is very dear to the Gitā but when this principle is incapable of bringing about the welfare of society. in exceptional circumstances it may be violated in the interest of the good of society. The conviction of the Gītā seems to be that no principle is absolutely always right or wrong just as our action of speaking the truth is not absolutely always . right, since we are required to tell a lie to enemies and robbers. So the Gītā is allowing war in exceptional circumstances in the interest of social welfare, when all the methods of peaceful negotiations fail. This stand of the Gītā is intelligible. This can be so only when the Gītā accepts teleological theory of action. In the de-ontological theory of action exception to a principle can not be allowed, whatever the consequences may be. Thus the Gītā allows breaking of
Jaina Mysticism and other essays
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