5. Svabhava (duties relative to one’s psychological make-up)

In personal life varna is based upon the twin ideals of psychological and social aspects of the same phenomena. The social duties are relative to his psychological make-up. Each one should follow his own psychological make-up, since by that alone he can make his contribution to the social whole. Thus within the person svabhava is the guiding principle. One who acts on svabhava acts spontaneously. Spontaneity is the result of totality. The term “svabhava” and “prakrti” also are used in the sense of “natural dispositions” and “natural tendencies”. Svadharma means one’s duties in society. These duties should not be imposed from outside. In order to be natural, and spontaneous the duties must be based on svabhava. Thus svabhava and svadharma should be identical. Svabhava should decide svadharma. The Gita repeatedly stresses that man rise or fall in this world according to the preponderance of three gunas in their nature (xiv,4-18). Even a man of knowledge acts accordance with his own nature (iii,33). This verse seems to suggest the omnipotence of nature over the soul and requires us to act according to our nature, the law of our being. It does not follow that we should indulge in every impulse. It is a call to find out our true being and give expression to it. It is no use of employing our minds in tasks which are alien to our nature. In each of us lies the principle of becoming, an idea of divine self-expression. It is our real nature, svabhava, finding partial expression in our various activities. By following its guidance in our thought, aspiration and endeavour, we progressively realize the intention of the spirit for us.