Svadharma, our own unique calling in life - Bhagavad Gita Verses 2.30&2.31

Dear Chithra
Several interesting questions have been raised about svadharma and the esoteric replies thereto are quite engaging. But I find a basic confusion between svadharma and aptitude in some of the questions. Svadharma is not as individualistic as aptitude. The mental conflict that Arjuna had in the battlefield of Kurukshetra was unbecoming of a thoroughbred Kshatriya like him and the Lord talks about svadharma to ease his mind. Svadharma has to be understood in a much larger context than in relation to our various roles in life.
Basically all human conduct has to be within the framework of ‘maanusham’ which differentiates humans from other living beings. Similarly asuras follow a code of conduct that is different from humans. The animals have their own code. Only when every living being confines itself to its respective code of conduct or svadharma, there will be total synchrony of all lives. If a human being behaves like an animal or displays subhuman qualities, there will be chaos. Having said this, there have been cases of spiritual quest in every species of life. Prahlad was born of an Asura but instead of binding himself to the svadharma of his tribe, he went on a spiritual quest which ended in the Lord manifesting Himself to protect him. And so was the case of Vibeeshana and Anjaneya. Among humans too, there have been numerous instances of men and women attaining Divine status by their spiritual quest.
Ultimately, it is the goal of every life form to elevate itself from the characteristics that essentially bind it to its species. Following svadharma helps in living a righteous life which is the first step in a spiritual quest but that alone can not lead us to salvation.
Sri Aurobindo defines spirituality as follows: “Spirituality is in its essence an awakening to the inner reality of our being, to a spirit, self, soul which is other than our mind, life and body, an inner aspiration to know, to feel, to be that, to enter into contact with the greater Reality beyond and pervading the universe which inhabits also our own being, to be in communion with It and union with It, and a turning, a conversion, a transformation of our whole being as a result of the aspiration, the contact, the union, a growth or waking into a new becoming or new being, a new self, a new nature.”
Prahlad may have appeared a bad asura among his tribe for not complying with the svadharma of the Asuras but it has to be understood in the context of his spiritual quest. While seeking the inner reality, one may appear non-compliant with his svadharma. Adi Sankara leaving his widowed mother all by herself in his spiritual quest is not the same as someone leaving his aged mother in an old age home!
Sri