Is it our dharma to fulfil our parents' expectations?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on February 20, 2021, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Kum. Thrylokya asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! In worldly life (pravṛtti), it is our duty (dharma) to not hurt our parents and make them happy. But I realised that their expectations never end and some ignorant parents try to achieve their goals through their children. Their kids also undergo a lot of stress to fulfil their dreams, because they think that parents alone have true love for them. Is it our dharma to fulfil our parents’ expectations? Or is it enough to take care of their worldly needs and spiritual needs?]

Swāmi replied: It is certainly our fundamental duty to fulfil the aspirations of our parents because their aspirations are always for our welfare alone. Unless you are a Human Incarnation like Śaṅkara, who abandoned His mother for the sake of God’s work, it is better that you follow the expectations of your parents. Their expectations are always in the interest of your pravṛtti. But Śaṅkara says that God is greater than thousands of parents since in the field of nivṛtti, God is the ultimate love. As far as pravṛtti is concerned, parents are the highest.

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