Finding Ikigai & Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyah- Bhagavad Gita - 3.35

I was always intrigued by this shloka from Bhagavad Gita. How to find "Swadharma" was my unsettled question.

Chapter 3 Karmayoga Verse 35 Sri Krishna says that it is better to do things that define you as a person than do things that define others. 

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

ಶ್ರೇಯಾನ್ ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮೋ ವಿಗುಣಃ ಪರಧರ್ಮಾತ್ ಸ್ವನುಷ್ಠಿತಾತ್ ।
ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮೇ ನಿಧನಂ ಶ್ರೇಯಃ ಪರಧರ್ಮೋ ಭಯಾವಹಃ ॥೩೫॥

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: || 35||

I got a beautiful explanation for this in the Gita Class. 

My Guru put it very well as saying it is the Aptitude that defines your Innate Dharma. We should get into a work that suits our Aptitude, which is enjoyable, gives us Happiness and while performing such work we feel Timelessness. We will get in a sense of Flow.

Though it may have some glitches, it is always better to be in your own path as the other's path which how much every  beneficial, proven, and faultless may create Fear in us.

The dharma a person follows gives Meaning and Purpose to Life

I could so well draw parallels with the recently popular concept Ikigai. 

Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to having a direction or purpose in life, providing a sense of fulfillment and towards which the person may take actions, giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning.

Ikigai is finding that sweet spot that intersects with 

What you are Good at 

What you Love

What you can be paid for

and

What the World Needs 

Here again, the important thing is you.. (Swadharma)! 

3.35 is one of my all time favourite Shloka..

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप - Bhagavad Gita 2.3

The second Chapter is the starting point of the Life Transformation process for Arjuna. In reality, Arjuna is a representative of all humans. Hence it is a transformation journey for all of us. 

Arjuna laments and defends his decision of not fighting in the Kurukshetra war for multiple reasons and in about 18.5 verses.!

All through this Lord Krishna does not speak a word and listens to him as he is a great listener. After all this - Srikrishna with a firm voice says - Get up to fight Arjuna, don't show weakness!

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गम: पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते | 

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप || 3||

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayyupapadyate

kṣhudraṁ hṛidaya-daurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣhṭha parantapa|| 3||

ಕ್ಲೈಬ್ಯಂ ಮಾಸ್ಮಗಮಃ ಪಾರ್ಥ ನೈತತ್ ತ್ವಯ್ಯುಪಪದ್ಯತೇ ।

ಕ್ಷುದ್ರಂ ಹೃದಯದೌರ್ಬಲ್ಯಂ ತ್ಯಕ್ತ್ವೋತ್ತಿಷ್ಠ ಪರಂತಪ ॥೩॥

This sounds similar to what Vivekananda said :

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached!

Q&A - The Beauty of Bhagavad Gita

Bhagvat Gita can be called a Personality Development Program which gives us guidelines to Lead a Fulfilling Life and to reach Paripoornate(ಪರಿಪೂರ್ಣತೆ).

Gita also stands apart due to the format in which it's given to us:  Q&A - Question & Answer.

During training, presentations, and other sessions, I have experienced that if there is no Q&A, then the involvement from the listeners will reduce drastically. The takeaway will be really less. While if there are a couple of questions from the crowd and if there is a good response from the presenter, many more people from the crowd get involved and engaged.

I have also seen that if the sessions get more interesting based on the questions that are asked. Also, more ofter it is others questions than my own from which I have learned more!

In a similar way, Arjuna while in a session with Sri Krishna asks beautiful, interesting, leading, and probing questions. The answer to these questions forms Lord Krishna's words and the Bhagvat Gita in 575 Shlokas or verses.

Probing Question - Chapter 4, Verse 4 (4.4)

अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: |

कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति || 4||

aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ

katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti|| 4||

ಅಪರಂ ಭವತೋ ಜನ್ಮ ಪರಂ ಜನ್ಮ ವಿವಸ್ವತಃ ।

ಕಥಮೇತದ್ ವಿಜಾನೀಯಾಂ ತ್ವಮಾದೌ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ತವಾನಿತಿ ॥೪॥

In 4.4, Arjuna probes Sri Krisha who says that he had initiated Bhagwan Surya, Sun God with the yogic knowledge during the creation of the Universe. This makes Arjun ask - you are almost of my age, how should I know that you taught Sun?

Question for to understand more- Chapter 3, Verse 36 (3.36)

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: |

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: || 36||

atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ

anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ|| 36||

ಅಥ ಕೇನ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತೋsಯಂ ಪಾಪಂ ಚರತಿ ಪೂರುಷಃ ।

ಅನಿಚ್ಛನ್ನಪಿ ವಾರ್ಷ್ಣೇಯ ಬಲಾದಿವ ನಿಯೋಜಿತಃ ॥೩೬॥

In 3.36 - Arjuna asks Lord Krishna why does a man make mistakes unwillingly when he knows it is not correct and he does anyway as if by force.  

Question for Clarity - Chapter 3, Verse 1 & 2 (3.1 & 3.2)

ಜ್ಯಾಯಸೀ ಚೇತ್ ಕರ್ಮಣಸ್ತೇ ಮತಾ ಬುದ್ಧಿರ್ಜನಾರ್ದನ ।

ತತ್ ಕಿಂ ಕರ್ಮಣಿ ಘೋರೇ ಮಾಂ ನಿಯೋಜಯಸಿ ಕೇಶವ ॥೧॥

ವ್ಯಾಮಿಶ್ರೇಣ್ಯೇವ ವಾಕ್ಯೇನ ಬುದ್ಧಿಂ ಮೋಹಯಸೀವ ಮೇ ।

ತದೇಕಂ ವದ ನಿಶ್ಚಿತ್ಯ ಯೇನ ಶ್ರೇಯೋsಹಮಾಪ್ನುಯಾಮ್ ॥೨॥

jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana

tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava

vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me

tad ekaṁ vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन |

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव || 1||

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे |

तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् || 2||

After Sankya Yoga, where Lord emphasizes the importance of Gnana Yoga but asks Arjuna to do his Action(Karma). Arjuna gets confused and says two ways are confusing and just give me one simple answer!

Bhagavad Gita Dhyanam - ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ ಧ್ಯಾನ ಶ್ಲೋಕ

Here is my recitation of Bhagavad Gita Dhyanam!

अथ ध्यानम्

ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयं व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् ।

अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीम्- अष्टादशाध्यायिनीम् अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्- गीते भवद्वेषिणीम् ॥ १

नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र ।

येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥ २॥

प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये ।

ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥ ३॥

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपाल नन्दनः ।

पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥ ४॥

वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् ।

देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥ ५॥

भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोत्पला शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला ।

अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी सोत्तीर्णा खलु पाण्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः ॥ ६॥

पाराशर्यवचः सरोजममलं गीतार्थगन्धोत्कटं नानाख्यानककेसरं हरिकथा- सम्बोधनाबोधितम् ।

लोके सज्जनषट्पदैरहरहः पेपीयमानं मुदा भूयाद्भारतपङ्कजं कलिमल- प्रध्वंसिनः श्रेयसे ॥ ७॥

मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् ।

यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥ ८॥

यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिव्यैः स्तवैः वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैः गायन्ति यं सामगाः ।

ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनः यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणाः देवाय तस्मै नमः ॥ ९॥

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं

विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।

लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं

वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥

Bhagavad Gita - ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ - Chapter 1 - Arjuna Vishada Yoga

Chapter 1 is setting the context. Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya about happenings at Kurukshetra and Sanjaya narrates beginning with Dhuryodhana approaching Guru Dronacharya and addressing him. 

It is all Dhuryodhana's words from Verse 2 to Verse 11 after which Bhishma takes up his conch(ಶಂಖ) and blows it with vigor.

Sanjaya tells Dhritarashtra about how other warriors geared up for the war also blew their conches to set the mood for the war.

Soon after this, Arjuna gets an idea to get a bird's eye view of the entire enemy army to figure out who he should fight with.

That's the trigger for Arjuna to ask Lord Sri Krishna to take the chariot in between the armies. 

In Chapter 1, the only time Krishna speaks is in verse 1.25 which is in an indirect speech - which Sanjaya tells to Dritharastra.

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखत: सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् |

उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति || 25||

bhīṣhma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣhāṁ cha mahī-kṣhitām
uvācha pārtha paśhyaitān samavetān kurūn iti || 25||

ಭೀಷ್ಮದ್ರೋಣಪ್ರಮುಖತಃ ಸರ್ವೇಷಾಂ ಚ ಮಹೀಕ್ಷಿತಾಮ್ ।
ಉವಾಚ ಪಾರ್ಥ ಪಶ್ಯೈತಾನ್ ಸಮವೇತಾನ್ ಕುರೂನಿತಿ ॥೨೫॥

As soon as Arjuna sees Kauravas - Bheeshma and Drona and others he suddenly gets depressed thinking about killing them, killing his Great Grandfather and Guru, cousins, etc. He comes out with various reasons and arguments about why he should not fight in this war. 

He throws his weapons and falls down on his seat in the chariot in complete desperation. 

Sri Bhagavad Gita was given to us as a result of Arjuna's despair which is why we should be thankful to Arjuna.