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January 2025

जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृत्ति: !

By C. N. Vaze, Chartered Accountant
Reading Time 3 mins

This is a wonderful line adopted from Pandav Geeta (57). It is also incorporated in ‘Vidurniti’, i.e. the preaching by Vidur to his eldest brother Dhrutarashtra in Mahabharata. It is an all-time truth, experienced by and applicable to almost every person. One needs the courage to accept it.

In Pandav Geeta, Duryodhana says this, while in Vidurniti, it is said by Dhrutarashtra, Duryodhana’s father. I am presuming that the readers are aware of the basic story of Mahabharata.

All persons, even uneducated or illiterate, have a basic idea of what is good and what is bad. The problem is that despite this knowledge, one is not inclined to do good things, nor can one refrain from doing bad or undesirable things. He leaves everything to the diktats of his ‘God’ at the time of actual action. The literal meaning: -

जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृत्ति: ! I know what is good, i.e. what is as per ‘Dharma’ — norms of good behaviour. But, I am not always inclined or willing to act according to the Dharma.

जानाम्यधर्मम् न च मे निवृत्ति:! I also know what is bad or not

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