Geethartha Chinthane 33: Natural is Dharma, Unnatural is Adharma

Another message of the Gita is that the world created by God operates according to its own natural order. What is natural is Dharma, and what is unnatural is Adharma. This is also a core principle of Hinduism. As stated in “Sahajam Karma Kaunteya…”, humans should behave naturally. A thief behaving like a thief causes less harm than a thief pretending to be honorable. God does not hate the wicked. It is not wrong for a tiger to eat meat, as that is natural for it. For the tiger, meat is sattvic (pure) food. However, if humans eat meat meant for tigers, it becomes tamasic (impure) and unnatural.

For humans, a sattvic diet is vegetarian. Animals that are physically adapted to vegetarianism only consume plant-based food. These animals do not deviate from their natural diet unless they are misguided by humans. Similarly, using petrol in a petrol car is natural, but using kerosene is not only unnatural but also causes problems. If all motorists follow the law and drive in their designated lanes, there would be no accidents. All of these examples emphasize the importance of swakarma—one’s own natural duty or actions.

~ Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji of Paryaya Sri Puthige Sri Krishna Matha

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