Concept of Rita (Rta)

Concept of Rita (Rta)
The investigation of the principles of conduct began in the Vedas as the ‘Concept of Rita. The duties
and disciplines of immense humanity have been seriously formulated in it. What duties for whom, what is non-
duty, what is admissible, what is inadmissible, what is worth knowing, what is enjoyable, what is avoidable ?
The Vedas have clear instructions of all these things.
The concept of Rita is a preceding form of the theory of karma (action) approved in the Indian philoso-
-phy. Indiscriptions of gods in the Vedas the words like ‘Ritasya Gopta (protector of rita)’ and ‘Ritayu’ have
frequently been used. Initially these words have been used in sense of ‘uniformity of nature’ and ‘systematic
order of the incidents’. Thus, this word denotes a ‘global system’ in the Vedic mantras. It means all sorts of
rules. The system found in each and every substance in this world, is due to Rita only.
In addition to the global system, Rita has been used in sense of moral system. It is also the rule of right
conducts and monkhood. This rule of the physical world is known the Dharma in the world of moral conducts.
Even gods are not supposed to violate it. It symbolizes the development from materialism to spiritualism in
concept of the Rita. The original meaning of Rita in vedas is the regular paths of world, sun, moon, constellation
(nakshatra), dawn, evening, day and night. In course of the time, it became a symbol of moral code of con-
-ducts, code of conducts for monks and even gods are bound to follow them. The sunrise follows the path of
Rita. Whole world or cosmos depends on Rita and moves remaining within it. Now instead of being full of
messy and casual elements, the world has begun to appear to be functioning consistently with a purpose.
The name of God Varuna comes in the Veda with concept of Rita. Varuna is called the protector of Rita
(Ritasya Gopah). It not only maintains order of the world but also protects moral order too. Worship of
Varuna, who is protector of Rita, has brought the Polytheism too close to Monism. Again, in the course of time,
the concept of Rita has given birth to Karmavada (The doctrine that salvation is by works).
Karma Yoga
As a means of self welfare in the Gita, the means of Karma Yoga has also been propounded. The
‘Karma Yoga is made of two words Karma and Yoga. The word Karma is used in several senses. One of them
is duty or action. Another meaning of the word ‘karma’ is ‘Yagna’ too. This sense of it is applied in Brahman
texts. The word ‘karma’ is sometimes used in the ‘worship of God.
In the Gita, the word ‘karma’ has been used for another sense too. This word has been used in the
meaning of the duties which traditionally got relevant with different sections of the people. These are called
‘Swadharma (one’s own duty)’ or ‘Varna Dharma (professional duties). Infact , the same meaning of the word
‘karma’ is desired in the Gita.
The Gita focuses on the naturality of tendency of action. Infact, performing action is innate nature of
man and the Gita suggests that any philosophy of life which neglects this fact, cannot be interesting and popular.
The Gita accepts it everywhere that none can give up action even for a moment. No person ever attains non-
doing (Naishyakarmya) and cannot attain liberation by sheer shunning of action.
The Gita regards action (karma) superior to inaction (akarma) because in lack of action even mainte-
-nance of the body is impossible. If all people give up to act then cycle of creation will cease.
The Karma Yoga of the Gita is selfless (nishkam) Karma Yoga. Nishkam Karma Yoga implies we
should always see the action as a goal, it should never be accepted as a means. Though we should do action yet
we should escape from having inclination for reward of the action. We should avoid the thought of reward of
the action before and during performing the action. According to the Gita, the actions performed with the spirit
of longing of their rewards are biding and the actions performed shunning the longing for reward are not
binding and lead to liberation. In fact being desirous of reward for action is binding and lacking desire for
Philosophy
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reward of action leads to liberation. Performing action with the Sakaam (selfish) feeling creates attachment
(Aasakti) which gives birth to desire or longing. Desire or longing in its turn gives birth to anger and anger
creates enchantment (moh) which results into the loss of losing memory (smriti). Loss of memory results into
desturction of intellect.
Krishna clearly said to Arjun, ‘ O Arjun, you are entitled for action only, not its reward. You should not be the
cause of the reward of action and you should not get inclined to inaction either.’
Swadharma
The theory of Swadharma is very important in the Gita. It is related to religious and social order of the society.
It has spiritual base. Indian thinkers have a broad meaning of ‘religion’. Instead of being any supernatural faith
for them, the religion is a system of life. Religion is something which is adopted and it is emergence and lack
of troubles. There are two forms of the religion (dharma) prevailing in Indian outlook – General and Particular.
General religion is ‘ the human religion which includes the principles related to general conduct of human being.
The Particular religion is related to the social system which includes Varna Dharma, Ashram Dharma, Kual
Dharma, Yug Dharma, Raj Dharma, Aapad Dharma and Swadharma. Thus, the Swadharma approved in the
Gita is the particular religion in which an effort has been made to regulate the human conducts.
Swadharma means people’s respective faiths or duties. This is the action which should be suitable to the law
of one’s spirit. In the Gita, the the social duties, mainly the duties which are taken as means to bring unity in
the society or to or to maintain it, are called the Swadharma. Its only objective is to maintain the social
system so that the public welfare may go on unobstructively. Thus, Swadharma is an external law of the
social system and it has psychological and spiritual basis too. This universe is the God’s’s creation in which
divine system prevails everywhere. In this divine sytem everyone has some duties for the society and it is
necessary for him to carry them out.
The principle of Swadharma of the Gita is the principle of the class system which has the power of
separation as its basis. The Gita upholds the social system of four classes (varnas) (Brahman, Kshatriya,
Vaishya and Shudra and demands every person to perform their class based action (karma). The Gita
provides divine basis to the classs system. The God has been regarded as creator of the Varna Dharma
(duties of the classes). Moreover, He incarnates frequently to systematize the class system in every age. It
may be noted here that the class system expounded in the Gita is subjected to quality and action not
subjected to the birth. Sri Krishna clearly says to Arjuna that I have created all the four classes in accor-
dance to the quality and action. Further, he says that the duties of the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and
Shudras are have been divided on the basis of their innate qualities. Thus, it is a clear belief of the Gita that a
person’s category as the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra depends on his quality and action. A
person cannot belong to a particular class by sheer being born in it. The Gita approves that instead of the
birth, a person’s social status is determined on the basis of his ability and performance of action.
The Gita again emphasizes that a person who abides by the Swadharma with equanimiy or one who
performs his action as per his nature, can never be destined to sin. At the same time, a person who gives up
the his Swardharma is a sinner and spoils his glory. According to the Gita abidance of Swadharma removes
the duality of the credit and duty too. When the duty is performed believing it as Swadharma, it becomes
credit. In the word ‘swadharma’, swa means self (spirit) and ‘Dharma’ means coordination. It is worth
noting here that the credit (shreya) is also related to the spirit. Thus, the action performed for the credit of
self (spirit) is Swadharma.
The Gita also clears the spiritual value of performing the Swadharma. According to it a human being
attains Siddhis (attainment of supernatural powers) and gets entitled to liberation.
Concept of Sthitpragya
The concept of Sthitpragya in the Gita is very important. In the Gita, the person who has had
realization of the real self or attained God, is called Sthitpragya. Several paths of attaining God have been
told in the Gita – Gyan Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Nishkam Karma Yoga and Prapattimarga. The Gita clearly says
that following any of the paths one can attain self realization , thought it believes Nishkam Karma Yoga to be
above all to serve the purpose because making a comparative valuation of various paths of self realization,
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the Gita clearly says, ‘ Try to know me. If you cannot reflect on me, then practice Yoga. If it is not suitable
to you then offer all your actions (karmas) to me. If it also appears difficult to you abide by your duties
without being concerned for the reward.
In the Gita both Sthitpragya and Samadhisth have same meaning. Sthitpragya is one whose intelli-
-gence (pragya) is stable. It is a samadhi in waking state in which an uninterrupted relation is established with
the infinite and one feels the sense of being not a doer inspite of performing all works. It is a state of dwelling
in the Brahman. Sthitpragya attains perfection in this every life. The person attaining this state attains position
of the God and get rid of the cycle of rebirth. The state of the sthitpragya is different from samadhi and sleep
as it is the state of the intellect being established in the God even in the waking state. Following are the
characteristics of the Sthitpragya in the Gita –
– All longings and desires get shunned in Sthirpragya. It include shunning of both pure and impure desires.
– Sthitpragya remains in unpurturbed mental state in sorrow and detached in happiness. Since purturbation
results out of attachment, fear and anger and attachment, fear and anger are born out of desire.
– Sthitpragya remains unconcerned in all situations whether auspicious or inauspicious, favourable or
infavourable, because he understands that all these situations are subjected to the God’s will. Therefore,
he does not get happy to have an auspicious or favourable situation and does not get sorrowful when any
inausipicous or unwanted situations come. He is the winner of the senses (jitendriya).
The Sthitpragya of the Gita is an ideal person. He is the blend of all three knowledge, devotion and
Karma. He performs action with a detached mentality, therefore, he is a Karmayogi. With his mind and
intellect established in the God, he offers everything of his to the God, hence he is a devotee. He acts with
equanimiy in happiness and sorrow, hence, he is in possession of knowledge (gyani).
The Gita does not think it necessary for the Sthitpragya to perform action. All long as the liberated
soul is alive, he has to do something or the other. Sthitpragya works for welfare of the masses but these
actions are not binding on him. The Gita regards action to be in a high state. It does not believe an overall
shunning of action in any situation. It regards non-action as bas as wrong action.