"chatur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukritino ’rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi
jnani cha bharatarsabha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 16)
"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the inquisitive, the desirer of wealth, and the one who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."
Krishna dictates that there are four types people who come before him:
1) Arta - the distressed. They are driven by their emotions and are thus vulnerable emotionally. They are loving, caring and kind in nature.
2) Jignasu - the curious. They believe in carefully planning everything and cannot comply to anything without proper justifications. They have a sharp mind and are very calculating.
3) Artharthi - the ones wishing fame and fortune. They are hard workers, focused on their goal and have a strong will power.
4) Jnani - the knowledgeable. They are well versed, intelligent and have a strong sense of right and wrong.
It goes without saying that all these personalities come with their own flaws. These flaws make us fall prey to the extremities of our personalities, and thus hold us back from attaining a balance in life. More about what these flaws are and how to overcome them in the next post!!
Dr. Deepa Hegde
BAMS, MD (Yoga)