No duty

Expressions researched:
"no duty"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 3.17, Translation: But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the self only, fully satiated -- for him there is no duty.

Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform

BG 3.22, Purport: Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet Lord Krsna is engaged on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the regulations of the revealed scriptures, He does not do anything that violates the revealed scriptures.

BG 6.1, Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty.

SB Canto 9

The Lord has no duty to perform to oblige anyone

SB 9.11.20, Purport: The Lord has nothing to do (na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate); whatever He does is His pastime. The Lord has no duty to perform to oblige anyone. Nonetheless, He appears to act to protect His devotees or kill His enemies. Of course, no one can be the Lord's enemy, since who could be more powerful than the Lord? There is actually no question of anyone's being His enemy, but when the Lord wants to take pleasure in pastimes, He comes down to this material world and acts like a human being, thus showing His wonderful, glorious activities to please the devotees. His devotees always want to see the Lord victorious in varied activities, and therefore, to please Himself and them, the Lord sometimes agrees to act as a human being and perform wonderful, uncommon pastimes for the satisfaction of the devotees.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 15.166, Translation: Whatever a pure devotee wants from his master, Lord Krsna doubtlessly grants because He has no duty other than to fulfill the desire of His devotee.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So he practically has no duty, but to show example to the general mass of people, he has got so many duties. Even Kṛṣṇa

Introduction to Gitopanisad: Another thing, one should not think "Because I am in Krsna consciousness, therefore oh, I shall not rise early in the morning." This is prescribed duty for one who is... No. You have to do that. Loka-sangraha. So he practically has no duty, but to show example to the general mass of people, he has got so many duties. Even Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was also going to a school to study. He accepted spiritual master. He was offering respect to His elderly brother in relationship. So he does not... A self-realized person is always engaged in Krsna consciousness, but he does not deviate with the prescribed duties also, because others will follow. Others will also, "Oh, I am also self-realized." Therefore one has to do.

If God is giving you bread daily, so you have no duty to return. God will give you bread, either you want it or not want it

Introduction to Gitopanisad: If God is giving you bread daily, so you have no duty to return. God will give you bread, either you want it or not want it. He is giving bread to the cats and dogs and ants and so many animals. So why not to you, human beings? Oh, that He will give. Don't bother about that. Don't bother about that. Your bread will come, wherever you may be. Either you may remain in America or in Europe or in India, wherever. Your bread is already there.

Because these rascals, they give up religion and become animals and fight between themselves and make the whole world a confusion and chaos, therefore it is required that Kṛṣṇa comes. This is His duty. He has no duty, but it is His mercy that He comes

Introduction to Gitopanisad: Human life means religion. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. The cats and dogs, they have no religion. But if the human being has no religion, then he is no better than the cat and dog. Therefore all over the world, either he's a European or American or Indian or Canadian or Russian, everyone has got some religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Muslimism or Christianism. Because human society without religious conception -- religious conception means to understand God -- he's animal. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. So gradually, the whole world is becoming animal because they are rejecting religion. They are rejecting religion. Therefore Krsna says, dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. Because these rascals, they give up religion and become animals and fight between themselves and make the whole world a confusion and chaos, therefore it is required that Krsna comes. Dharma-samsthapanarthaya. This is His duty. He has no duty, but it is His mercy that He comes. Dharma-samsthapanarthaya.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So Krsna hasn't got to do anything. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has no duty

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972: So He hasn't got to do anything. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. He has no duty. He hasn't got to go to office, fifty miles off, with a motorcar, running at seventy miles speed, and there is some accident, finished. He hasn't got to do like that, although He runs quicker than anyone. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that,

patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahrtam

asnami prayatatmanah

[Bg. 9.26]

So Krsna is situated in the spiritual world, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. But we are trying to offer Him some foodstuff, as far as possible with devotion and faith; Krsna is eating, although He's far away. So this is God's position. At least, He hasn't got to work, He hasn't got to take the trouble to come. He's already here, although goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah, although He's in the Goloka. It is not that Krsna has gone somewhere, taken incarnation, therefore Goloka is vacant. No. In Goloka also, He's there, and He's everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. So this is God.

They create their duty, and wherever he goes, "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" The monkey's duty is no duty. A man must know what is duty, and he should execute

Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975: What is your duty? That is the first thing. Do you know what is your duty? You manufacture your duty, but you do not know what is your duty. Duty is: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is your duty. Anything you manufacture duty, that is not duty; That is cheating. (applause) First of all, you learn what is your duty; then talk of duty. In your office if you go, if you say, "Anything I do, it is my duty," no. You must know the particular work you are advised to act by the superintendent or the director, not that you can manufacture your duty. If you execute that duty, then you are dutiful. Otherwise, you are simply creating trouble. Just like a monkey. They create their duty, and wherever he goes, "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" The monkey's duty is no duty. A man must know what is duty, and he should execute. That is duty.

Philosophy Discussions

Responsible, if somebody gives you duties, and if you feel responsible to discharge that duty, then you are responsible. But there is no duty, nobody is to see above you, then where is your responsibility

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre::

Hayagriva: That since he's not responsible to God, he's responsible for himself.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hayagriva: Or to himself.

Prabhupada: What does he mean, "responsible"? Responsible, if somebody gives you duties, and if you feel responsible to discharge that duty, then you are responsible. But there is no duty, nobody is to see above you, then where is your responsibility?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

The Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇava has no duty except serving Kṛṣṇa. That's all

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: These are all, I mean, ordained to perform sraddha, all Vaisnavas.

Prabhupada: Yes. No, Vaisnavas do not do so.

Dr. Patel: We are... We, all are, all of us, are we not doing...

Prabhupada: No.

Dr. Patel: Sraddha ceremony...

Prabhupada: The Vaisnava, Vaisnava has no duty except serving Krsna. That's all.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

But one who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any reservation, he has no duty

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1975, Paris (with French translator):

Prabhupada: He cannot. He has all the duties. But one who has taken to Krsna consciousness without any reservation, he has no duty. He has no respons...

devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam

nayam rni na kinkaro rajan

sarvatmana ye saranam saranyam

gato mukundam parihrtya kartam

[SB 11.5.41]

This is the statement. As soon as we take birth, we have got so many responsibilities. We are responsible to perform sacrifices for all the demigods. You are taking light from the sun. You have got responsibility. Otherwise how you are getting so much light? If you don't pay the electric bill, the next day it will be disconnected. And you are taking so much light from the sun. You have no responsibility? You have. "No, there is no responsibility. You are taking light, air, water. So many things you are taking, supplied by the different demigods. Deva, rsi, rsi, great... Just like Vyasadeva or many other rsis, they have given you knowledge, and you have no responsibility? You have responsibility.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

And therefore we are coming to the level of animals. Because the cats and dogs, they have no duty-animal. But human being has an obligation, a duty to understand God and to satisfy Him

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.: Especially at the present moment, they do not know who is Hari and they do not know how to please Him. That is the defect of the modern civilization, that they do not care to know who is God and how to satisfy Him. That is the defect. The life is meant for, human life, for satisfying God. That is going on under religious system, and the Vedic civilization is called varnasrama-dharma. Dharma is not a kind of faith, religion is not a kind of faith, but it is a duty, varnasrama-dharma. So that duty we are forgetting. And therefore we are coming to the level of animals. Because the cats and dogs, they have no duty-animal. But human being has an obligation, a duty to understand God and to satisfy Him. That is human life. Without this knowledge, without this performance of duty, human life is on the level of animals. There are many other verses in this connection. Where are others? They are not present here?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, first of all you understand this. Then bring second thing. That you have no duty. Your only duty is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupada: No, first of all you understand this. Then bring second thing. That you have no duty. Your only duty is to surrender to Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. That is your only duty. But because you are under the mental platform, you are creating duties, so but that also must be finished after certain age. That is compulsory, that "You are very good, responsible man. All right, do your duty up to this. No more duty. No more duty." So this "duty, no duty," this is our creation. We are under fully control of the nature. But we have created our mental concoction: "This is duty. This is good. This is bad." That is our mano-dharma. Real dharma is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. And everything is mano-dharma, mental creation. Therefore the Bhagavata in the beginning it is said that dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "This false dharma is rejected." These are all false dharmas. Real dharma is to surrender to Krsna. But it takes time. Therefore sat-sanga is required. But actually real dharma is to become Krsna conscious and do everything... Anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. What Krsna wants, we must know it and do it. And this is real dharma.