MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 361

13th April 2026

Who is an intellect?

What is the definition of intellect? This is a curious question always. Who is deemed an intellect? #BhagavadGita sloka 18.30 gives the answers.

प्रवृत्तिंच निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये | बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्तिबुद्धि: सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी || Bhagavad Gita 18.30||

The intellect is said to be in the nature of goodness, O Parth, when it understands what is proper action and improper action, what is duty and non-duty, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating.

Intellect is the power of differentiation

Intellect is all about making the right choices. To make proper choices, a developed faculty of discrimination is required. The Bhagavad Gita itself was spoken to Arjun to equip him with the power of discrimination. Intellect gives the ability to distinguish between proper action and improper actions, understand which is duty and which is not duty, when do you need to be fearful and when courageous and the difference between binding and liberation.

At the outset, Arjun was confused at the start of Kurukshetra war.

1.     His inordinate attachment to his relatives had bewildered his judgment regarding proper and improper action. He got confused to make the right decisions

2.     Did not understand his duties and instead worried about actions which are not his duties

3.     Afraid of things which are to be shunned such as the fear of outcome of the war, possibilities of earning displeasure, etc

4.     He was getting attached to things such as relatives, elders, etc.

Feeling weak and fearful, and in utter confusion, he had surrendered to the Lord and requested him to enlighten him regarding his duty. Through the divine song of wisdom, Lord Krishna helped Arjun develop his power of discrimination.

This problem is not unique to that of Arjuna. We also face such confusions in our life many a times, because these four cannot be avoided in life and it is difficult to define rules for these. A choice has to be made based on the situation using the intellect. Why has Lord Krishna focused on these four?  Because they are highly important for our life and are difficult to understand:

1.     Actions are essential in our life. We can never stop our actions. At the same time, we have to avoid improper actions and pursue with courage and determination what we deem proper. Intellect gives the strength to make the differentiation and right choice.

2.     Our duties change depending on the situations. When multiple duties compete for your time, what to do? Intellect will help to understand the competition and make right  choices.

Fear is good!

3.     As already explained in an earlier episode of #MondayMusings, fear is not bad always. We cannot lead our life by completely avoiding fear. Fear is essential for our survival and protection. Fear is bad when it limits our abilities, when it turns into irrational phobias. Intellect helps us to understand the difference between good fear and bad fear.

4.     Attachment is one of the six enemies in our life, but we cannot avoid attachments completely in our life. Attachment is also good at times, when?

Difference between attachment and passion

When people think about non-attachment they often make the mistake of thinking that it must mean being somehow distant and not involved in life. They think of the ascetic, hermit, or the renunciate monk who has given up everything. Indian scriptures never promote that everyone should become a hermit, not attached to life.

Passionate engagement with life while pursuing non-attachment is the solution. Not just compassionate, but one filled with passion, pleasure and emotion.

The fundamental difference between attachment and passion in life lies in their source and impact: passion is a proactive, joyful, and liberating expression of love for an activity or person, while attachment is a reactive, fear-based, and controlling need for security. Passion is focused on giving and the present moment, whereas attachment is focused on receiving and is haunted by the fear of loss. Attachment is desire while Passion is pure acceptance. Desire brings with it the fear of non achievement, but Passion has no fear.

Passion is good and attachment is to be avoided.

Mira’s passion for Krishna was not a desire for Krishna but a Pure Passion. It was not an attachment to Krishna but a love so pure and passionate that she was one with Krishna. Passion is universal and flows consistently and is limitless,

Is it possible to practice non-attachment and still maintain a passionate involvement with life? Yes.

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#PositiveNewsPage

This week’s positive news is also about the launch of my new book #SelectAndDelete. This book was a three+ years ‘labour of love’ for me. I am very passionate about this book but not attached to it!!

At the end of the day, this is another fiction, a crime fiction. But this is not yet another fiction. What is unique about this book?

This is not a uni-dimensional crime story. These are crimes that connect IT, Healthcare and Politics. Read to unravel the crime and the connection. The story spans over a period of roughly 40 years of IT developments as the backdrop, from mainframe computing to Artificial Intelligence.

What starts as an innocuous systems audit at a leading hospital in 1995 reveals unexplained mysteries. The smart, suave IT entrepreneur Vasudevan actively pursues the trail, but suddenly puts it into cold storage for 28 years, only to reopen it in 2024. Why? The circumstances that forced him to drop the pursuit in 1995 change in 2024. He passed the clues to the mystery to his daughter at his deathbed. The daughter along with her friend starts the pursuit all over again.. Do not SELECT & READ. READ in one go to find out if the daughter and her friend manage to unravel the crime mystery.

LOOK FORWARD TO THE BOOK LAUNCH ON 22nd April 2026. Avail 30% discount and book your copies now.

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Conceived, compiled and posted as a newsletter MONDAY MUSINGS by Jaganathan (www.authorjaganathan.com) so that the readers can start their work week in a positive note

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PROMOTIONS