In plain words
But in ancient times there was no room for such schemes or for crooked schemes. Theirs were natural dispositions, handed from heart to heart. That is why they went on turning their whole lives into histories. All those histories went on becoming sacred. But the ideals of the people of today have not taken shape as histories. Even if we search in them, we do not find purity. When will we gain this purity. Making the two, individual character and national character, one, we must experience the principle of the Ātma within it. That alone is the broad principle. In every task we do we must recognise the principle of these two and act. We must enquire, "By this task, will any harm come to my individual character, or will it stand in the way of national character in any way?", and then enter into that work. We must follow the path that does not stand in the way of our religion at all and does not stand in the way of the country's welfare at all. Many great souls sacrificed even their lives so that their land might take shape as a free land. Even to this day they are still fighting for it. We may call this national character. What concerns our education is national character and individual character; when we keep these two in view, we can shine in any business, in any job, in any field of whatever kind. We can achieve victory. On the whole, we must foster individual character. Whether in vision, in mind or in actions, we must not be at odds with our individual character. Even if there is no other strength in the world, we must take this individual character as the chief strength, the strength that is our support.
We may consider here the feeling between Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. Free of Ahaṅkāra, full of Ānanda, selflessness in form, pure of citta, the one who strove to carry out his duty and to achieve the work was Vasiṣṭha. Once he told Daśaratha Mahārāja, "Sir, Daśaratha Mahārāja, we are men who have given up every attachment, endowed with every power; there is nothing we want. Then what is the reason for my staying with you as your purohita? In your line Śrī Rāmacandra is about to be born. I have been appointed this purohita out of nothing but the longing to enjoy the presence, the treasure, of such a form of God. Not with the thought that you are kings and will give us something grand, not out of greed or out of desire, have we entered into this." That is, keeping the goal fixed on God. To keep the vision fixed on God and to go on carrying out one's duties: this is the natural mark of Vasiṣṭha. Viśvāmitra was not like that. He was one who could not bear to see the goodness of others, or any good in them. Recognising the worth of Jamadagni, recognising the worth of that Kāmadhenu too, he said, "That Kāmadhenu should be with a king, not with ṛṣis," and carried the Kāmadhenu off by force.