The Science of Karma
© Vishal Agarwal (vishalsagarwal@yahoo.com)
These notes were compiled as a result of the author’s personal study. Permission is granted to reproduce them for non-commercial purposes and for promoting an understanding of Hindu Dharma from an
insider’s perspective. Popularly and normatively held views are emphasized. To let the Hindu tradition speak for itself, works by modern Indologists and outsiders to the tradition are largely ignored because they are often non-insightful, agenda-driven and inaccurate.
Rev. A: 20 August 2022
The Science of Karma
Table of Contents
1.0 Basic Precepts of the Hindu Principle of Karma .............................................................................. 9
2.0 Karma Mīmāmsa or the Science of Karma ........................................................................................... 10
2.1 Is Life Fair? ....................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2 Definition and Modes of Karma ....................................................................................................... 11
2.3 The Law of Karma ............................................................................................................................ 13
2.4 Evil and Pious Karma: A Basic Checklist ........................................................................................ 15
2.5 Inviolability of the Law of Karma .................................................................................................... 16
2.6 Types of Karma based on the Role of the Doer ................................................................................ 18
2.7 Karma and Intent ............................................................................................................................... 18
2.8 Intent and Knowledge ....................................................................................................................... 20
2.9 Karma and Shraddhā ......................................................................................................................... 21
2.10 Ability of the Doer .......................................................................................................................... 22
2.11 The Scriptures of the Science of Karma ......................................................................................... 23
3.0 The Complexity of Karma .................................................................................................................... 24
3.1 Action, Inaction and Wrong Action .................................................................................................. 24
3.2 Inapplicability of Lists of Good and Bad Karma .............................................................................. 24
3.3 External Modifiers of Karma ............................................................................................................ 25
3.4 Law of Karma as a General Guideline .............................................................................................. 26
3.5 Necessity of a Perfect Judge of Our Actions .................................................................................... 27
4.0 Who implements the Law of Karma? ................................................................................................... 28
4.1 Law of Karma versus Omnipotent Īshvara Paradox ......................................................................... 30
4.2 Īshvara and the Problem of Evil and Suffering ................................................................................. 31
4.3 The Divine as a Doer and Reaper of Fruit of His Karma .................................................................. 32
4.4 Divine Grace and Karmaphala .......................................................................................................... 33
5.0 Voluntary (Puruṣhakāra) and Involuntary (Bhogabhūta) Karma .......................................................... 36
5.1 Puruṣhakāra (Voluntary) Karma ....................................................................................................... 36
5.2 Bhogabhūta (Involuntary) Karma ..................................................................................................... 36
6.0 Who is the Karttā or the Doer of Puruṣhakāra Karma .......................................................................... 37
6.1 Five Enabling Causes of all Actions ................................................................................................. 37
6.2 Who is the Real Doer? ...................................................................................................................... 38
6.2.1 Ahaṃkāra or Ego ....................................................................................................................... 38
6.2.2 The Ātmā is the Doer ................................................................................................................. 38
6.2.3 The Divine Lord is the Doer ...................................................................................................... 41
6.3 The Types of Doer – According to Guṇas ........................................................................................ 43
6.4 Buddhi – the Primary Instrument of Action ...................................................................................... 43
6.5 The Five Karmayonis – Five Motivators and Incubators of Actions ................................................ 44
6.5.1 Dhṛti Karmayoni ........................................................................................................................ 44
6.5.2 Sukhā Karmayoni ....................................................................................................................... 46
6.5.3 Shraddhā Karmayoni.................................................................................................................. 46
6.5.4 Vividiṣhā Karmayoni ................................................................................................................. 48
6.5.5 Avividiṣhā Karmayoni ............................................................................................................... 49
7.0 The Mechanics of Voluntary Karma (Puruṣhakāra Karma) ................................................................. 50
8.0 Classification of Puruṣhakāra Karma: A Time Perspective .................................................................. 53
8.1 Sañchita (‘accumulated’) Karma ...................................................................................................... 54
8.2 Prārabdha (‘set into motion’) Karma ................................................................................................ 54
8.3 Āgāmi Karma .................................................................................................................................... 56
8.4 Analogies to explain the Relationship between Sanchita, Prārabdha and Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karmas
................................................................................................................................................................ 56
9.0 Types of Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karma ...................................................................................................... 58
9.1 Nitya Karma ...................................................................................................................................... 58
9.1.1 Shārīra Karma ............................................................................................................................ 58
9.1.2 Sādhāraṇa Dharma or Sanātana Dharma.................................................................................... 58
9.1.3 Panchamahāyajnas ..................................................................................................................... 58
9.2 Naimittika Karma .............................................................................................................................. 60
9.2.1 Shrauta or other Ceremonial Actions ......................................................................................... 60
9.2.2 The Smārtta or Varṇāshrama Dharma........................................................................................ 60
9.2.3 Paurāṇic Karma .......................................................................................................................... 61
9.3 Kāmya Karma ................................................................................................................................... 62
9.4 Vikarma or Pratishiddha Karma (Evil and Prohibited Karma) ......................................................... 62
9.5 Prāyaschitta Karma ........................................................................................................................... 63
9.6 Akarma .............................................................................................................................................. 63
9.7 Niṣhkarma or Karmayoga ................................................................................................................. 65
10.0 Time Lag between Action and Result: Karmavipāka or the ‘Ripening of Karma’ ............................. 67
10.1 Drishta Phala and Adritsha Phala.................................................................................................... 68
10.2 Karma and Punarjanma (Rebirth) ................................................................................................... 70
11.0 From Karma to Karmaphala: Saṃskāra-s or Intermediate Subtle Effects of Karma .......................... 72
11.1 How is Puruṣhakāra Karma converted into its Fruit? Samskāra, Vāsanā/Karmāshaya .................. 72
11.1.1 Samskāras ................................................................................................................................ 72
11.1.2 Karmāshaya Saṃskāra ............................................................................................................. 73
11.1.3 Vāsanā-s ................................................................................................................................... 73
11.2 Interaction of Karmāshaya and Vāsanā .......................................................................................... 76
11.3 Karmāshaya and Rebirth ................................................................................................................. 77
11.4 Vāsanās and Rebirth ....................................................................................................................... 78
11.5 Vāsanā Samskāras and Svabhāva ................................................................................................... 78
11.6 Pre-Natal Samskāras ....................................................................................................................... 78
11.7 The Role of Meditation in destroying the Samskāras ..................................................................... 79
12.0 Karma-Phala or Bhoga: The fruit of our Purushakāra ........................................................................ 80
12.1 Spiritual Effects - The Cycle of Rebirths ........................................................................................ 81
12.2 Mental Effects: Svabhāva ............................................................................................................... 82
12.3 Trivipāka – Karmāshaya and Prārabdha ......................................................................................... 85
12.3.1 Species or Genus at Birth ......................................................................................................... 85
12.3.2 Lifespan .................................................................................................................................... 88
12.3.3 Pleasure and Pain ..................................................................................................................... 90
12.4 Mapping Specific Karma to Corresponding Results ....................................................................... 91
13.0 Fate Versus Effort (Prārabdha/Daiva and Purushārtha) ...................................................................... 93
13.1 What is ‘Fate’? ................................................................................................................................ 93
13.2 Fate versus Effort/Free Will ............................................................................................................ 94
13.3 Overcoming Adverse Fate through Effort, Wisdom and Self-Awareness ...................................... 94
13.4 Reliance on Fate is an Alibi for Laziness, Cowardice and Weakness ............................................ 95
13.5 ‘God Helps Those Who Help Themselves’ .................................................................................... 96
14.0 Sharing and Transference of Karmaphala between Individuals/Groups ............................................. 98
14.1 No Transfer of Karma Possible ....................................................................................................... 98
14.2 Transfer of Karma to Descendants ................................................................................................ 100
14.3 Sharing of Karma between Husband and Wife ............................................................................. 101
14.4 Transfer of Karma between the Ruler and the Subjects ................................................................ 101
14.5 Karma performed for the Departed ............................................................................................... 101
14.6 Transference of Karma from the Purohit to the Yajamāna ........................................................... 102
14.7 Voluntary Transfer of Good Karma (Puṇyadāna) ......................................................................... 102
14.8 Involuntary Transfer of Sanchit Karma to Others ......................................................................... 103
14.9 Automatic Transfer of Sanchit Karma of the Brahmajnānī to Others........................................... 104
14.10 Voluntary Transfer of Bad Karma from Shiṣhyas to Guru ......................................................... 104
14.11 Transferring Another’s Bad Karma to Oneself ........................................................................... 105
14.12 Individual and Group Karma ...................................................................................................... 105
14.13 Offering Karmaphala to Bhagavān ............................................................................................. 106
15.0 Reducing Bad Karma and Adding Good Karma............................................................................... 106
15.1 Pāpa/Demerit and Puṇya/Merit ..................................................................................................... 107
15.2 Internal and External Purity .......................................................................................................... 107
15.3 Mutual Cancellation of Good and Evil Karma ............................................................................. 108
15.4 Augmenting Good Karma ............................................................................................................. 109
15.4.1 Virtuous Conduct ................................................................................................................... 111
15.4.2 Practicing Yama-s and Niyama-s ........................................................................................... 111
15.4.3 Iṣhta and Pūrtta....................................................................................................................... 112
15.4.4 Rites of Passage (Saṃskāra-s) ............................................................................................... 112
15.4.5 Vrata or Religious Vows ........................................................................................................ 113
15.4.6 Pilgrimage .............................................................................................................................. 113
15.4.7 Pure Food and Environment .................................................................................................. 114
15.4.8 Spiritual Music ....................................................................................................................... 115
15.4.9 Satsanga ................................................................................................................................. 116
15.5 Lessening Evil Karma ................................................................................................................... 116
15.5.1 Yogic Practices ...................................................................................................................... 116
15.5.2 Remorse (Anutāpa) and Repentance/Regret (Pashchātāpa) ................................................... 116
15.5.3 Confession .............................................................................................................................. 117
15.5.4 Atonements and Expiation ..................................................................................................... 117
15.5.5 Japa, Yajna, Devapūjā ............................................................................................................ 119
15.5.6 Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna ....................................................................................... 119
15.5.7 Study of the Vedas and other Sacred Texts ........................................................................... 119
15.5.8 Grace of Saints and Gurus ..................................................................................................... 121
15.5.9 Other Means of Reducing Negative Prārabdha ...................................................................... 122
15.6 Evil Karma over-riding Good Karma ........................................................................................... 122
15.7 Astrology and Doctrine of Karma ................................................................................................. 122
15.8 Overcoming Anxiety over Stock of Good and Evil Karma .......................................................... 123
16.0 Karma, Dharma and Samsāra............................................................................................................ 124
16.1 Related Concepts: Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharma and Karma ................................................................ 124
16.2 The Necessity of Performing Karma ............................................................................................ 125
16.3 Karma, Dharma and Saṃsāra........................................................................................................ 133
16.4 Disenchantment with Saṃsāra ...................................................................................................... 134
16.4.1 Temporary Nature of Happiness Obtained through Ritualistic or Worldly Means ............... 135
16.4.2 Happiness is Often Tainted with Pain and Adharma ............................................................. 136
16.4.3 Exerting for Happiness produces Inequalities and Happiness can be Exceeded ................... 136
16.5 Pravritti and Nivritti Dharma ........................................................................................................ 138
16.5.1 Dharma and Moksha .............................................................................................................. 138
16.5.2 Pravritta Karma (Pravritti Dharma) and Nivritta Karma (Nivritti Dharma) .......................... 139
17.0 Transcending Karma through Moksha .............................................................................................. 140
17.1 Yogas and Karma in the Gita ........................................................................................................ 141
17.2 Jnāna Yoga and Karma ................................................................................................................. 141
17.2.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Jnāna Yoga ..................................................................... 142
17.2.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Jnāna Yoga ................................................................... 143
17.2.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Jnāna Yoga ................................................................. 144
17.3 Karma Yoga and Karma ............................................................................................................... 146
17.3.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Karma Yoga .................................................................... 147
17.3.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Karma Yoga ................................................................. 147
17.3.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Karma Yoga ................................................................ 147
17.3.4 Does Karmayoga lead to Moksha Directly? .......................................................................... 151
17.4 Dhyāna Yoga and Karma .............................................................................................................. 153
17.4.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Dhyāna Yoga .................................................................. 153
17.4.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Dhyāna Yoga ................................................................ 154
17.4.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Dhyāna Yoga .............................................................. 155
17.5 Bhakti Yoga and Karma ................................................................................................................ 156
17.5.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Bhakti Yoga .................................................................... 156
17.5.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Bhakti Yoga ................................................................. 157
17.5.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Bhakti Yoga ................................................................ 158
17.6 Integral Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnava Tradition ..................................................... 161
17.7 Integral Yoga in the Shaiva Hindu Tradition ................................................................................ 162
17.8 Other Ways of Destroying Karma in Hindu Tradition .................................................................. 163
18.0 Benefits of the Science of Karma ..................................................................................................... 163
19.0 Interfaith Perspectives ....................................................................................................................... 164
19.1 The Concepts of Pāpa and Puņya, Sin and Virtue ........................................................................ 165
19.2 Distinction between Abrahamic and Dharmic notions of Karma ................................................. 165
19.3 Distinction between New Age and Dhārmic Notions of Karma ................................................... 166
20.0 Objections to the Doctrine of Karma and Responses ........................................................................ 168
20.1 Karma and Fatalism ...................................................................................................................... 168
20.2 Karma and Divine Apathy ............................................................................................................ 170
20.3 Karma and Human Apathy ........................................................................................................... 170
20.4 Karma and Rebirth ........................................................................................................................ 171
20.5 Rebirth, Karma and Forgetfulness ................................................................................................ 172
20.6 Mass-Deaths and the Doctrine of Karma ...................................................................................... 172
20.7 Why do Saints Suffer? .................................................................................................................. 173
20.8 Extreme Suffering and Karma ...................................................................................................... 173
20.9 Karma and Retribution .................................................................................................................. 174
20.10 Blaming the Victim ..................................................................................................................... 174
2.11 Human Progress and Predestination ............................................................................................. 175
20.12 Karma and the Beginning of the Creation .................................................................................. 176
20.13 Karma and Divine Partiality ....................................................................................................... 176
20.14 Karma and Divine Incarnations .................................................................................................. 177
20.15 Complexity of the Law of Karma ............................................................................................... 177
21.0 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 177
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................. 178
1.0 Basic Precepts of the Hindu Principle of Karma
The Law of Karma is a fundamental and a core doctrine of Hindu Dharma. Its basic tenets, with a focus may be summarized below on the basis of Hindu scriptures, traditions and beliefs -
1. We reap what we sow. Good action begets joy, bad begets sorrow. To be happy in the long run, we should choose to perform good deeds and avoid performing bad deeds.
2. We are responsible for our own choices, and therefore, we own the consequences of the choices that we make in life.
3. What we call fate or luck is really the result of our own past actions.
4. The Divine is a witness to all our deeds. He is fair, impartial and all-knowing. The Law of Karma is implemented by the Divine Lord. He gives us the just fruit of our actions.
5. There is a time-lag between the time an action is done and the time we reap its results.
6. Rebirth after death is a natural consequence of the Law of Karma. We are not able to reap the fruit of all our actions in this life. One of the reasons why we are reborn is to reap the fruit of the balance actions.
7. Our past and present actions influence the state we are reborn into, our life span and the joys and sorrows that we experience. They also influence our basic character, our tendencies, preferences, inherent abilities or disabilities, likes and dislikes. Therefore, we must make right choices at every moment to improve our future prospects.
8. The results of our prior actions can be supportive of, neutral to or opposed to our present efforts. One or the two (results of our prior actions or our present efforts) can dominate and determine the results of our present actions. Fatalism is unacceptable because the Principle of Karma is actually empowering and makes us take responsibility for our own actions.
9. The cycle of actions-results-actions is beginning-less and is due to the beginning-less false knowledge that envelopes individual ātmā-s.
10. Every action is finite in scope and impact. Therefore, no action can lead to an infinite result like an eternal heaven or hell.
11. Both good and bad actions are bonds that tie us to the cycle of births and deaths. We need to transcend Karma and its fruit by following one or more of the spiritual paths taught in the Hindu scriptures.
12. Repeated performance of virtuous deeds makes one fit transcend Karma and make progress on the path(s) leading towards Moksha.
The present compilation will focus on the Dārshanic (philosophical) framework of the Law of Karma in Hindu Dharma from an insider’s viewpoint. Topics like Prāyaschitta (atonements), results of specific actions etc., will be dealt with only cursorily. Certain concepts like the Karmayoni-s etc. that are normally ignored but are important from a philosophical perspective will be dealt with in greater than normal detail.
2.0 Karma Mīmāmsa or the Science of Karma
2.1 Is Life Fair?
Consider the following facts –
Paradoxes of Life Examples
1. Some are born into good fortune, others into bad fortune by virtue of accident of birth Children born in a royal family versus children born to beggars.
2. Sometimes good people suffer, and bad people enjoy their lives. Bigoted king Aurangzeb lives to a long life of 90 years while Swami Vivekananda died at an early age of 39 and underwent numerous hardships in his childhood.
3. A happy person suddenly experiences pain and sorrow and vice versa. A billionaire suddenly discovers that he has a malignant cancer that will kill him within a year. A poor man wins a jumbo lottery.
4. Our lives have both happiness and sorrow. A healthy person meets with an accident and becomes paraplegic.
5. The world itself is a mixture of happiness and sorrow causing objects. A young man is handsome and rich but is a poor student getting low grades in college.
6. Sometimes a lot of effort does not lead to the desired goal, at other times we get a ‘windfall’. A good student prepares hard for a Physics test but scores low in the final exam whereas a bad student scores an A grade even though he did not study much.
7. What gives one person joy, gives another person sorrow. Argentinians rejoice at winning the world soccer cup, but Germans are unhappy at loosing.
8. Good luck of one person can be bad luck for another. A millionaire loses his bag of jewels that is found by an anonymous person who decides to keep it.
One might then ask all these questions - Is it Fair? Is God unjust? Is it just ‘Fate’ or ‘Luck’?
Hinduism answers these questions through the doctrines of Karma and Rebirth, and with the assumption that Bhagavān is just and fair. The scriptures voice the above apparent unfairness of life and say:
Agni, make me have good conduct (su-charita), bar me against bad conduct (dus-charita). Yajurveda, Mādhyandina Samhitā 4.28
For they lay it (the good and evil) on the scales in yonder world; and whichever of the two sinks down, that will he follow, whether it be the good or the evil. Yajurveda, Shatapatha Brahmana 11.2.7.33
It happens sometimes that even people who have no good qualities of character get a lot of wealth and fame. But it is seen that they are not able to enjoy these for a long time, and eventually perish down to their roots. Mahābhārata 12.124.69
But we see that many humans who are disciplined wise and clever also get tired after doing great effort but still do not achieve success. Mahābhārata 12.331.10
Whereas others who are foolish, have no good qualities, are evil and are devoid of any blessings from their elders are yet able to fulfill all their wishes. Mahābhārata 12.330.11
There are others who commit violence against others all their lives and keep cheating others but live happily into their old age. Mahābhārata 12.331.12
And there are many who do not do any work and sit quietly but wealth walks towards them on its own. And there are people who work very hard but are not able to obtain what they want. Mahābhārata 12.331.13
In all these paradoxes, one should understand that it is the guilt (accumulated karma from the past) of humans comes into play. Mahābhārata 12.331.14ab
In the long run, life is indeed fair. It is a zero-sum game. We have only ourselves to blame or credit for our failures and successes, whether we know it and understand it – or not.
“If you experience and believe in reincarnation, then you must know and accept the basic law of karma: You reap what you sow. You are aware that your thoughts and actions have consequences – if not this lifetime, then in future lifetimes. This is a humbling experience.”
A Hindu teacher also explains:
“Karma is the expression of the rule of perfect justice within us. It is the law of the cosmos reflected in the microcosm, man. There is nothing arbitrary or punitive about it; it is universally the guarantee that every act produces results which finally return again to the source. Karmic results may be immediate or delayed, but they are always inevitable…”
Another Hindu teacher says-
“The law of karma teaches us that the world is a purposive moral order, where the individual obtains what he desires as a direct manifestation of his own free will. Any lesser cosmic retributive mechanism would be unjust. And any seeming injustice in the metaphysical constitution of God’s creation would reflect negatively upon the Divine, this requiring precisely the many unsatisfactory forms of speculation (known as theodicies) used to attempt to explain the existence of suffering that are found throughout the 2800 year history of Euro-American philosophy of religion.”
2.2 Definition and Modes of Karma
Karma, derived from the root ‘kr’ means action – physical, mental and verbal. The concept of Karma includes the intent behind it and also the result or the fruit of Karma. Some actions are not performed with a beneficial or a goal in mind (‘Pravṛtta Karma’). According to Krishna, they do not constitute Karma because they do not contribute to rebirth in another body
Karma is that creative force which brings into existence the great variety of beings. Gita 8.3
[Existence of great variety of beings (bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro): Due to ignorance, all perform karma with a desire for their fruit, with attachments and under the sense that ‘I am the doer’. As a result of the karma that they discharge (visarga) bear fruit in the form of repeated births, joys and sorrows and other results.]
Karma binds and enables one to obtain another body. It is due to mighty karma alone that one transmigrates from one body to another. Mahābhārata 12.210.45
Karma means the continuous activity of the sense organs, the organs of action, the fourfold mind, the vital forces (prāṇas) that bring about a change in their state.
Smell, taste, form, sound, touch as the fifth, mental functioning, and functioning of the intellect – these are the seven instrumental causes of karmas. Anugita 10.5
In the Vaisheshika Darshana, Karma is defined in a somewhat different manner:
Upward motion, downward motion, expansion, contraction and movement (from one place to another) – these are the five kinds of Karma. Vaisheshika Sūtra 1.1.7
The difference in this definition is that Vaisheshika Darshana is not restricted to human actions. Therefore, this peculiar definition tries to encompass the activity of all natural entities in addition to human Karma. This text does however deal with human actions specifically too and explains that the main driver of Karma is the ātmā. When this ātmā connects with the mind and other organs and performs Karma, the results are experienced in the form of pain and happiness.
Joy and sorrow results when the ātmā, the sense organs, the objects of senses and the mind are connected to each other. Vaisheshika Sūtra 5.2.15
We perform Karma not merely with our hands, but in many different ways. Therefore, Karma can be classified according to the organs of our body involved in doing them into three categories:
Kāyika Karma: Actions that are performed by our organs of action, i.e., hands, legs/feet, reproductive organs etc. or any other part of the body. Facial expressions are also included.
Mānasika Karma: Actions performed through our thoughts. E.g. thinking good or bad things. Even dreams are included in this category.
O Varuṇa, it is not solely my will that is responsible for my sins. Liquors, anger, gambling and thoughtlessness all contribute to them. Even the elder leads one astray. A dream is sometimes sufficient to seduce a man. Rigveda 7.86.6
Vāchika Karma: Actions performed through speech or communication. The tongue is not the only organ is involved in our speech. Many other organs like the vocal cords, the diaphragm etc. are involved. Moreover, a lot of our communication is non-verbal like a mean look to someone, turning red with anger etc. These types of communication are also included in this type of Karma.
Note that there is no strict division between these three types of Karma, and the classification is purely according to how they appear to others. For example, a person first thinks that he will give charity. Then, he does it physically by donating clothes to poor people. So here, the Karma is Kāyika Karma although the
mind is involved in making the decision. But till the person does not give any clothing in charity and merely resolves mentally to do it, his karma is Mānasika Karma.
One suffers the fruit of mental sins mentally, of verbal sins verbally and of physical sins in one’s body. Manusmriti 12.8
Hindu scriptures also suggest the different ways in which these different types of Karma yield their respective results-
2.3 The Law of Karma
In simple words, the Law of Karma means:
1. Every action causes a result in the form of happiness or unhappiness. Good actions result in happiness and bad actions result in sorrow. This is the doctrine of Karma, a word used both for action, as well as the fruit.
2. You reap what you have sown.
3. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
4. What goes around comes around.
5. You get what you pay for.
6. The world is like a mirror. When you look at the mirror, the image of your own likeness stares at you.
We often see that our actions do not bear fruit in our entire lifetime. Therefore, Hindu Dharma considers Rebirth upon death as a natural corollary or a complement to the Law of Karma. Hindu scriptures declare:
He who is the doer of a karma, is also the enjoyer of the consequences of whatever he has done. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 5.7
Virtuous karma (punya) leads to virtuous world, and evil acts to a sinful world. Both of them (i.e., a mixture) leads to the world of men (i.e., to a human birth). Atharvaveda, Prashna Upanishad
3.7
He who performs binding karmas with his current body has to reap their results in a future birth. Just as one can infer the seed from its fruit, and the fruit from the seed. Charaka Samhitā, Sūtrasthāna 11.31
Performance of virtuous karma begets happiness, and of evil karma begets sorrow. In all cases, it is only one’s own karma that brings forth results. Karma that has not been performed do not beget any fruit. Mahābhārata 13.6.10
He who practices Adharma, whose wealth is earned through falsehoods and who is ever engaged in violence against others will never attain happiness in this world. Manusmriti 4.170
As you sow, so you will reap. Never does a mango tree grow out from a neem seed. Brahma Purāṇa 136.20
In modern parlance, the Law of Karma and its relationship to the doctrine of Rebirth can be summarized in the following words:
“Every human action has consequences, and within the action both motive and act pronounce consequences that must be paid for or rewarded depending on their moral worth.
Thus, if I help the older person to cross the street, I accumulate merit in the form of good karma. And if I were to have the heart attack and die after the completion of this good act, and if justice is to be done in the universe, then I must be rewarded. But if I am dead, then the reward must be done in my next life. If I am not rewarded in my next life, then the universe is not a just place. But it is a just place. Therefore, the reward must be done in my next life, I must be brought to suffer [= enjoy] the reward.”
“…..the law of karma describes or governs (depending on how one views the epistemological status of the law) how certain qualities of consequences, affecting the agent, arise from moral actions and how and to what degree they affect the agent in the current and subsequent lives. The qualities of the consequences are moral-resultant qualities, such as possessed merit and demerit, created dispositions or tendencies to desire, and character, as well as the pleasure and pain they eventually produce.”
Hindu traditions give numerous parables to illustrate the law of Karma. Below, we give one such story that explains it very simply:
The Story of Shveta: One day, Rishi Agastya was doing Yoga on a lake. Suddenly he saw a shining chariot come down from the sky. From that chariot, a king came down, and he started eating garbage on the bank of the lake! Rishi Agastya was very surprised. He asked the king, “You live in heaven. You can get all kinds of tasty food there. Then why are you coming to earth to eat garbage?”
King Shveta replied, “When I was a king on this earth, I did a lot of charity. I gave clothes. I gave toys. But I never gave any food to anyone. I loved to eat food. I wanted all the food for myself. When I died, Bhagavan Brahma took me to heaven because I had done a lot of charity. But Bhagavan said that I will not get anything to eat because I never gave any food in charity and finished all the delicious things to eat without sharing them. Bhagavan
Brahma also said that as punishment, I will get to eat only garbage. Therefore, when I am hungry, I have to come back to the earth and there I have to eat garbage.”
The king then said to the Rishi – “Rishi Agastya, I have realized my mistake now. I have understood that we should not be stingy in sharing anything that we have with others. In fact, we should share with others whatever is dear to us. Please convey my message to everyone that whatever we share with others, the same things alone will be given to us after we die. If we do not share any particular thing with others, that very thing will not be given to us in the future.”
Sage Agastya blessed him for the wonderful teaching. With his powers, he freed the king of his curse. The king then ate the garbage for the one last time, and then flew back to heaven in his chariot. This story teaches us that whatever we don’t share with others, that very thing will be taken from us later.
2.4 Evil and Pious Karma: A Basic Checklist
We all love simple checklists giving do’s and don’ts. The following list is given in the Mahābhārata, Manusmriti and in other Hindu and Buddhist scriptures:
Three physical evils:
1. Stealing
2. Violence
3. Adultery
Four Verbal Evils
1. Speaking harsh words
2. Lies
3. Words meant to swindle
4. Speaking nonsense
Three Mental Evils
1. Coveting goods belonging to others.
2. Thinking bad of others.
3. Disbelief (in scriptures, Dharma and in Bhagavān).
Three Pious Physical Acts:
1. Giving charity
2. Vow of Non-Violence (Ahimsā Vrata)
Four Verbal Pious Actions
1. Talking sweetly and lovingly.
2. Speaking beneficial words towards others.
3. Speaking the truth.
4. Studying scriptures, chanting, and listening to discourses.
Three Mental Pious Acts
1. Being contended always
2. Believing in the words of holy men and scriptures
3. Control over sense organs
Many such lists of good and bad Karma are given in several other sacred Hindu texts. Below is one more list of evils and virtues:
Now we will enumerate the faults which tend to destroy the creatures. (These are) anger, exultation, grumbling, covetousness, perplexity, doing injury, hypocrisy, lying, gluttony, calumny, envy, lust, secret hatred, neglect to keep the senses in subjection, neglect to concentrate the mind. The eradication of these (faults) takes place through the means of (salvation called) Yoga. Likewise, freedom from anger, from exultation, from grumbling, from covetousness, from perplexity, from hypocrisy (and) hurtfulness; truthfulness, moderation in eating, silencing a slander, freedom from envy, self-denying liberality, avoiding to accept gifts, uprightness, affability, extinction of the passions, subjection of the senses, peace with all created beings, concentration (of the mind on the contemplation of the Âtmā), regulation of one's conduct according to that of the Âryas, peacefulness and contentedness;--these (good qualities) have been settled by the agreement (of the wise) for all (the four) orders; he who, according to the precepts of the sacred law, practices these, enters the Universal soul. Āpastamba Dharmasūtra 1.8.23.4-6
2.5 Inviolability of the Law of Karma
Hindu Dharma is emphatic that except in a few cases (that will be discussed later), everyone must reap the fruit of their prior karma in entirety till Moksha is achieved. No one can cheat the Law of Karma for two reasons: First, the record of all that we do resides in our own mind. And second, Bhagavān, who is fair and just, and who is all-knowing, is a witness to everything that we do.
Bhīshma said - Just as a calf can recognize its mother from a thousand cows, similarly an act that has been done in the past is able to reach its doer (from amongst millions of humans). Mahābhārata 12.322.16
A man can never forsake the action done by him far into the sky, or deep into the sea or high on the mountain; whether he is held by his mother on her head or kept in her lap. Garuda Purāņa 1.113.20 Lord Shiva said to Parvati - There is not one person in the three worlds who does not experience the fruits of his own actions. Mahābhārata 13 chapter 145 (Southern Recension)
Bheeshma said: Dharma has many gates. No action is without its fruit. Mahābhārata 12.174.2cd
Evil as well as virtuous deeds indeed all bear fruit. That fruit does not get destroyed away even in a hundred lives till it is experienced by the doer. Nārada Purāṇa 2.29.18
It is futile to hide one’s deeds thinking that ‘if no one watches me, there will be no consequences’ because the Divine powers surely witness what we do.
Only a fool tries to hide his evil karma intentionally from others. His evil karma might not be visible to others, but the Devas surely see it. Mahābhārata 12.193.27
In fact, the results of our Karma cannot leave us because they cling to us. The results do not get deposited somewhere else from where we retrieve them later, they are always in close proximity to us. Even death cannot rid us of our Karma. They travel with our ātmā into the next body and start acting soon after rebirth
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Whichever deed one has done, its respective fruit stalks the doer. If the doer runs fast, the fruit chases him with an equal speed. When the doer sleeps, the fruit also lays down with him. When he stands, the result stands next to him. When he walks, the result of his deed walks right behind him. Additionally, the fruit of past actions does not leave the doer even when he is performing newer deeds. They follow the doer everywhere like his shadow. Mahābhārata 12.181.8-9
The Jīvātmā or his deeds and that which has given in charity never perish. Upon death, only the physical body dies which the Jīvātmā abandons and moves into another body (along with its deeds etc.). Mahābhārata 12.187.1
One starts experiencing the fruit of deeds done in his prior body as soon as he is reborn as a fetus within his pregnant mother. Mahābhārata 12.181.14cd
Hindu scriptures declare that even at the destruction of the universe does not rid our ātmā of the non-ripened karma that it has performed in its various lives.
At the time of pralaya, the Devas who have not yet exhausted the fruit (= abode in heaven) of their good karmas are then reborn in heaven during the next cycle of creation. Whereas those Devas who had exhausted the fruit of their karma before the pralaya are then reborn as humans when the next cycle of creation starts. Mahābhārata 12.272.52
In the next creation, Bhagavān connects each jīvātmā with the residual karma from the previous cycle of creation. The cycle of creation and destruction of the universe, and karma are both without a beginning. Brahmasūtra 2.1.35
A scholar explains the unfailing operation of the Law of Karma using the modern analogy of an ‘Investment Program’:
“Another metaphor for this system of cause and effect and how it influences our every action is to see karma as a financial arrangement. From this perspective, the whole of nature is a great bank in which all wealth is deposited. Humans have free will, which is an endowment of capital they receive by being eternal and conscious. Through the investing of their money (free will) in various actions and enterprises, they earn interest, receive payments, establish savings accounts, and open investments that eventually yield their R.O.I. (return on investment) at various future dates. This means, of course, that reincarnation is an ongoing process of paying debts and receiving the profits on our portfolios of investments. We wouldn’t want it to be any other way. If you work for two weeks, you expect to receive a paycheck. The problem is the same law that gives you your pay also holds you accountable for breaking any of the rules of the system. There is no way to have free will without having both positive and negative consequences from its use.”
Another modern example is that of the credit card:
“When we use a credit card to buy something, we’re essentially borrowing money from the company that issues the card. This is why the restaurant owner lets us leave his establishment after giving him only the promissory note of a credit card slip. This isn’t real money, just the promise of receiving payment. For the moment, we’ve enjoyed a pleasant meal at no expense. Wow! Credit cards are great! You can get something for nothing – at least until the statement arrives in the mail.
“Gee,” you might think after scanning the lengthy list of charges. “I’d forgotten, but the credit card company makes it their business to remember, and they do a very good job at it. Just like the law of karma, which also never forgets a debit or credit to our karmic account.
The consequences of each of our thoughts and actions are precisely recorded at the causal plane of reality. All the effects produced by the causes that leave our mental chute of intention are entered into our personal karmic ledger, and we are responsible for them…..”
2.6 Types of Karma based on the Role of the Doer
One performs Karma not merely by doing it, but also by causing or instigating it to be done by others, or by approving it (when someone else does it). For example, consider the act of murder. It can happen if:
1. I commit the murder myself with my own hands: In this case, I am the Direct Doer.
2. I hire a killer to kill the victim or encourage another person (who hates the victim) to kill the victim: In this case, I am the Instigator Doer.
3. I applaud the killer when he has murdered the victim or look the other way and do not try to prevent the killer from murdering the victim or approve it in some other way: In this case, I am the Condoning/Approving Doer.
Either way, according to Hindu scriptures, we become doers of that Karma. There are karmic consequences of all these three types of doerships. This is clarified well in the Hindu scriptures:
Aurva said – If a person does not prevent an evil from happening even though he is powerful or capable enough to do so gets tainted by that evil himself. Mahābhārata 1.179.11
Krishna said – The members of that assembly, in which Dharma being is overpowered by Adharma and falsehood kills the truth, all go to destruction themselves. Mahābhārata 5.95.48cd-49ab
Modern law too acknowledges all these three types of doer-ship, especially the first two but punishes the Direct Doer more than the Instigator Doer. For instance, if I pay a gangster to kill someone I hate, both of us will get punished if we get convicted in the courts of law, but the gangster who actually carries out the murder will get punished more severely. Onlookers who did nothing to stop the crime will at best get scolded by the court but in general, they will not get punished. However, these onlookers will generate bad karma for themselves and will reap negative karmic consequences for their inaction. If these onlookers had however cheered the gangster, they might receive some punishment from the court. A good way to avoid doing evil karma in any way whatsoever is to first understand that we are responsible for them (whether we are the direct doer, instigator or approver/condoner) at least to some extent, due to which we will suffer their effects as well.
2.7 Karma and Intent
May we be good hearted on all our days. Rigveda 6.52.5
Some Karma-s ripen to yield fruit after death, others ripen in this very life, yet other Karma-s either in this life or the next; the determining factor (in what the fruit will be) is the intent (in the mind of the doer while performing the action- bhāva). Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.133
That karma which is ordained and is performed without attachment, without desire or hate, with no desire for its fruit, is said to be sāttvic. Gita 18.23
But that karma which is performed by one who wants to satisfy his desires, with great effort and with ego, is declared to be rājasic. Gita 18.24
That karma which is undertaken because of delusion, disregarding the consequences, loss or injury, without regard to one’s own ability, is termed as tāmasic. Gita 18.25
If one is free of evil intent, then he is not tainted by evil (through his actions). For example, the same man embraces his wife with one type of intent but embraces his daughter out of love with a different intent. Mahābhārata 13 chapter 43 (Southern recension).
Sometimes, a good action (like charity) has an unintended bad result (e.g., a beggar using the alms received to buy drugs). Conversely, a bad action (like murdering someone) has an unintended good result (e.g., the person murdered was himself a serial killer whose death was welcomed by many). Hindu tradition emphasizes that the intent of the doer must be considered while judging his actions -
“According to Hinduism work in itself is neither good nor bad. The mental attitude with which work is done determines if the work is good or bad. A surgeon performs surgery on a patient and the patient dies. Even though the patient dies at the hands of the surgeon, the doctor is not considered a criminal because he had a helping attitude toward the patient. He wanted the patient to be cured. In another case, an assassin who has killed someone is considered a criminal, because he had a harmful attitude. He deliberately wanted to harm his victim. The consequences of the action in these two externally similar cases will be diametrically opposite to each other – one good, the other bad.”
“What determines whether an action is spiritual or material? The consciousness, or intention, behind it. For example, a knife is good in the hands of a surgeon and bad in the hands of a murderer. Morphine is good in the hands of a hospice nurse and bad in the hands of a drug dealer. Everything in the material nature can be used for good or bad or, in a higher sense, for spiritual growth or material entanglement, and we choose how to use things based on what we want to gain from life.”
Intent is shaped by the purity of our mind and our knowledge/understanding. A person who is mentally pure will typically do his Karma with good intent. Having a pure mind is therefore essential for Karma to bear a proportionate fruit-
Just as a fruit tree yields plentiful fruit at the appropriate time, likewise karma done with a pure mind results in plentiful good results. Anugita 3.2
Likewise, bad karma done with an evil mind reaps plentiful bad results, because the soul performs its karma only with the assistance of the mind. Anugita 3.3
A contemporary scholar provides an interesting example to demonstrate how our good or evil intent can determine the kārmic consequences of our actions-
“Let us imagine that two men are standing on a street corner. One man has a hole in his pocket and out of that hole slips out a ten-dollar bill, which falls down upon the pavement. The other man, standing beside him, notices that the ten-dollar bill has slipped out of that person’s pocket and he puts his foot over it, thus deliberately concealing it.
When the other man moves off, the second man picks up the ten-dollar bill and pockets it….
…On the street corner two more men also stand. One man has a hole in his pocket and a ten-dollar bill slops out of his pocket, unbeknown to him. Now that man who has lost the ten dollar bill looks down and sees the money on the ground. He looks at the other person and assumes that it is the other man’s ten dollar bill, so he slips his foot over it and when the other person has gone, he steals it, now knowing that he has stolen it from himself….
…Both the above examples will accrue Agami Karma because the attitude was the same in both cases. Both men were outright thieves, and although one man stole from himself, he still suffers from Karma.”
If intent is what gives the moral value to an act, can we say that intent alone is supreme? The answer is in the negative-
“….though it is true that right intentions are necessary for building character, they are not sufficient. Frequent reference is made to a stage of the path to liberation where the person has the right knowledge and intention, but lacks sufficient spiritual strength to carry out the intention. If the intention is not implemented sufficiently, this will affect the intentions of the agent, for he will begin to question whether he should bother to form the intention since he regularly fails to act on it. Persistent right intentions without implementation lead to regression; it is not a stage at which one can remain. It is like the traditional making of New Year’s resolutions. After a while, if there is no serious attempt to keep the resolutions, the making of the resolutions is either foregone, or it becomes a ritualistic game with no moral significance for the maker….”
In other words, good intent must translate into good actions.
2.8 Intent and Knowledge
Sometimes, even a pure mind with the best intent can lead to actions that produce unwanted results. The following example illustrates this-
“But merely maintaining the right attitude toward work is not enough in Karma Yoga. The doer must also know how to work properly. Otherwise, he will not have the desired spiritual progress.
The following story will make this idea clear.
A soldier had a pet monkey. He trained the monkey to do many intelligent tricks. One hot summer afternoon, the soldier was having a nap lying on the grass in the shade of a large tree. He had put his sword by his side on the grass. The monkey was sitting near the soldier and keeping a close watch over its master. The monkey noticed that a fly kept sitting again and again on the soldier’s face and disturbing his sleep. The monkey did not like it. When the fly sat on the soldier’s face again the monkey unsheathed its master’s sword and with one swift and powerful stroke tried to kill the fly. The fly flew away and the soldier died!
The monkey had the right attitude; It wanted to help its master. But its method was all wrong. Similarly, a person who has the right attitude toward work, but does not know how to work properly, will not have the full benefit.”
For this reason, Hindu Dharma insists that ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance does not ensure a permanent stay in a Garden of Eden. Rather, eating the fruit of knowledge and understanding will take us to heaven. Doing one’s actions with dexterity, with the right understanding/knowledge and intent is what produces the maximum amount of good result.
The karma-s of a person who does them with full understanding or knowledge bear fruit in a way that the karma-s of an ignorant person do not. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.24.6
A small act done with full knowledge bears a great fruit, whereas a great act done without or with little knowledge bears a little fruit. Mahābhārata 13.145 (Southern recension)
A good understanding or knowledge of the way actions are performed and produce their consequences can sometimes lead to the discovery of harmful side-effects or collateral damage of actions that are otherwise ‘good’ and are performed with a noble intent. Hindu Dharma asks us to take a holistic view and do our duty instead of resorting inaction just because of some harmful side effects.
One should not abandon the duty which is inborn even though it may be defective. Son of Kunti, all karma-s (done with a selfish purpose) are enveloped by defects, as fire by smoke. Gita 18.48
Bhīshma said – Even that duty that appears trivial is exalted if it is meaningful (or which serves a good purpose). It is better to do something than to do nothing, because there is no greater sinner than one who does not perform his duties. Mahābhārata 12.75.29 (vulgate)
For example, using pesticides kills bugs and improves crop yields, enabling a heavily populous society to feed its masses of people adequately. But the harmful side-effects are killing of bugs and long-term toxification of the soil. Likewise, dams across rivers generate electricity and water storage for effective irrigation. But construction of dams can lead to displacement of communities that lived upstream to the dam, harm the movements of creatures like dolphins (causing a decline in their populations) and so on. Therefore, one has to evaluate the overall long-term consequences of our actions periodically with good intent and understanding rather than do nothing. A perfect understanding of the effects of our Karma requires omniscience, which comes only in the state of Moksha.
Related to the role of understanding or knowledge on the effect an action will have is the level of mental development of the doer, and the surrounding cultural values that he has been accustomed to. For example if a cannibal in the jungle eats a man from the neighbouring tribe, it is, objectively speaking, an act of murder / killing but the effect will come back into the cannibal’s life as prārabdha after a long time. However, if a person in New York decided to eat / trade in human flesh the consequences will come into his life far far faster because he is violating the widely held taboo against cannibalism in the milieu he was raised in. In this example, ignorance of Dharma (as in the case of the cannibal tribesman) was a mitigating factor.
Another example might be provided to explain how the same Karma can be good or evil depending upon intent and knowledge- if a highway robber decides to stop robbing and killing travelers and decides that he will open a liquor store and earn an honest income, pay his taxes etc then that opening of the liquor store is good karma for him. Now, on the other hand, if a Yogi meditating in the mountains decided that he has had enough of meditation in solitude and will go down to the city to open a liquor store, then in his case it is bad karma. The act in both cases being the same the outcome changes depending on the stage of the person's evolutionary development.
2.9 Karma and Shraddhā
Noble intent and a perfect understanding or knowledge of the action being done and its subsequent results makes the Karma more efficacious, as discussed above. Faith complements good intent and knowledge, and can even suffice in the absence of other two. Faith means21 that we believe in the words of our sacred scriptures and Gurus to be true and efficacious, and practice their teachings with full conviction, diligence
and perseverance. The role of Shraddhā in performance of Karma is illustrated below with a few citations from our scriptures-
That which makes the yajna’s results permanent is faith. If one performs the yajna with faith, the fruit of that sacrifice is never lost. Rigveda, Kaushitaki Brahmana 7.4
When one performs karma with knowledge, with faith, with meditation, then that indeed becomes more fruitful. Sāmaveda, Chhāndogya Upanishad 1.1.10
Janaka of Videha once asked Yajnavalkya, “What is used for the agnihotra, Yajnavalkya? Can you tell me?”
“I can, O king,” he replied. “What is it, then?” “Milk,” he said.
“If there were no milk, what would you use for the offering?”
‘Rice and barley.”
“And if there were no rice and barley, what would you use?”
“Some other herbs.”
“And if there were no other herbs, what would you use?” “I would use wild herbs,” he said.
“And if there were no wild herbs, what would you use?”
“Some fruit.”
“And if there were no fruit, what would you use?” “I would use some water,” he said.
“And if there were no water, what would you use?”
“Then indeed,” he replied, “there would be nothing at all, and yet an offering could be made – truth with faith.”
Janaka then said, “You know the agnihotra. Yajnavalkya, I give you a hundred cows.” Yajurveda, Shatapatha Brāhmaṇa 11.3.1.2-4
One should always perform Vedic ceremonies and acts of charity with faith, because when they are performed with faith and with wealth earned through Dharmic means, then they beget infinite reward. Manusmriti 4.226
But the person who is ignorant, who has no faith, and who is of a doubting nature perishes. For the doubting soul, there is neither this world, nor the next, nor is there happiness for him. Gita 4.40
2.10 Ability of the Doer
All religious traditions take into account the ability of the doer in evaluating the moral worth of his actions. For example, a donation of 100 gold coins by a billionaire is morally worth less than a solitary single coin donated by an extremely poor person who has nothing to spare. The sacrifice of the latter is deemed more valuable than that of the former. This evaluation which takes into account the ability of the doer is emphasized repeatedly in numerous Hindu narratives, especially those which are connected with the Bhakti traditions. An example is given below:
Story: The Temple of Alagi
In the year 1010 CE, Emperor Raja Raja Chola I completed the construction of the Brihadeeshvara Shiva temple, which is one of the grandest Hindu temples ever constructed. The Mandir is 216 feet high and is topped by a giant stone that is several tons heavy. The Shivalinga inside the Mandir is two stories high. A beautiful story is narrated about the construction of the Mandir in Thanjavur about a humble and poor woman, who contributed in her own little way.
For constructing the temple, workmen and sculptors were brought in from all over the country. They worked hard all day, digging the earth and chiseling stone. By evening they were completely exhausted. Near the site of the temple, there lived an old woman called Alagi. Although she was weak and in poor health, Alagi wanted to do her bit for her king and for Shiva. As she wandered around the site, she saw that the laborers became exhausted under the noonday sun and could hardly lift their heads. Everyday Alagi made buttermilk with spices. She poured it in pots and served the artisans with her own hands. Refreshed by the drink, the men found energy to work better, and for longer hours.
Many rich merchants and nobles competed with one another to contribute to the temple. Lavish gifts and ornaments were given by the king’s family. Alagi also wanted to make a contribution. So she went to the chief mason and asked him to use a granite stone she had at the back of the house. Her neighbors laughed at her foolishness, but the mason, who had seen her serving his people for many long years, agreed to use it as a coping stone (stone at the top of the temple).
Six years later, the temple was complete. The king fixed an auspicious day for its inauguration and hundreds of priests, cooks and entertainers were called up for service.
The night before the ceremony however, the king had a dream. Bhagavān Shiva appeared before him and said he would be pleased to reside under the shelter provided by Alagi. The king was astounded. It was he who had planned and executed the temple project. His family, friends and allies had generously gifted money, images and jewels. Who was this Alagi that Shiva was speaking of?
The next day, the King went to the temple, thinking that she lived there. But she was not to be found there. He sent out a search party for her. She was soon found, living in a small hut. The emperor learned of her tireless efforts in taking care of the workers for several years during the hot afternoons, day after day, and her humble offering of a stone. Humbled by her devotion, the King went with folded hands to her hut, and respectfully brought her to the temple himself. He honored her before the crowd gathered before starting the ceremony for inaugurating for the temple. He proclaimed that her simple devotion had won favor in the eyes of the Lord, over and above all the material riches that made up the temple. Alagi accepted the recognition of her services to Bhagavān Shiva with great humility, and chose to spend the rest of her life serving the temple and the temple employees.
2.11 The Scriptures of the Science of Karma
The Science of Karma is explained in numerous Hindu scriptures like:
1. Vedic texts, especially the Brahmanas and the Upanishads.
2. Dharmashastras (Smritis), Mahābhārata, Purāṇas.
3. Darshana Shāstras: Nyāya Shāstra, Vaisheshika Shāstra, Yoga Shāstra, Sāmkhya Shāstra, Pūrva Mīmāmsā Shāstra and Vedānta Shāstra.
4. The Bhagavad Gita, which explains spiritualized Karma (Karma Yoga or Nivṛtta Karma).
5. Āgama Shāstras or Tantras.
Representative citations from most of these genres of sacred Hindu literature will be provided to explain the Hindu framework of Karma and its fruit.
3.0 The Complexity of Karma
The law of Karma appears to be quite straightforward on the face of it but this simplicity is deceptive. The reality is much more complex.
3.1 Action, Inaction and Wrong Action
In many cases, it is difficult to judge whether one is active or inactive, and whether someone is acting inappropriately or inappropriately. Krishna alerts us in the Bhagavad Gita-
What is Karma? What is non-Karma (inaction)? As to this, even the wise are bewildered in this matter. I will explain to you what Karma is, knowing which you will be released from evil. Gita 4.16
Indeed, a Yogi must understand what Karma is. He must understand what wrong action (Vikarma) is. And he must understand what Akarma (inaction) is. The operation of Karma is hard to understand. Gita 4.17
As we will discuss in greater detail later, one might think that he is not acting, but even his choice of inaction is an action. Likewise, one might think that he will henceforth desist from stealing but if his mind longs to steal, that thought is also a mental action.
3.2 Inapplicability of Lists of Good and Bad Karma
Earlier, we provided examples of lists of good and bad Karma. These lists often fail to provide the correct guidance. Noble action, inaction and evil action are sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other because one can also get bewildered about the moral propriety and consequences of our actions. For example, stealing in general is considered evil Karma, but there are times when it is not so, even according to our sacred texts -
Upon being hungry for three days, he should steal food from the home of a non-Brahmana. And if he is caught in the act, he should confess about what exactly he has stolen. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.43
He who, when in danger of losing his life, accepts food from any person whatsoever, is no more tainted by sin than the sky by mud. Manusmriti 10.104
Likewise, on the matter of speaking Truth, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna in the Mahabharata:
Speaking the truth always is indeed a great virtue. Indeed, nothing no virtue is perhaps superior to speaking the truth. But the practical aspects of speaking truth are very difficult to understand.
Mahabharata 8.49.27
Sometimes truth is protected by speaking the truth, sometimes by not speaking it at all or sometimes even by speaking a lie. If a person is losing everything, then it is better to speak a lie if that lie will save that person from utter ruin. Mahabharata 8.49.28
If speaking a truth will cause someone’s death or break someone’s marriage, then it is better to tell a lie. In such situations, speaking the truth is equivalent to a lie, and speaking a lie is equivalent to speaking the truth. Mahabharata 8.49.29
Only a fool thinks that speaking a formal truth alone is Dharma at all times. Instead, he alone is a knower of Dharma who speaks the truth only after considering the situation (as stated in the above verses). Mahabharata 8.49.30
If a false promise can get you freedom from kidnappers, then better tell a lie. It would be a greater evil to promise a ransom to kidnappers and then pay the amount to them after freedom because wealth given to evil men begets misery for the speaker of the truth himself. One must not therefore hesitate to speak a lie if it promotes Dharma. Mahabharata 8.49.54-55
Lord Krishna then narrated two stories where there was an inversion of Dharma and Adharma, and of Truth and Falsehood. In the first story, he talks about a hunter, who had the responsibility of taking care of his blind parents and other family members. He always spoke the truth; he never caused pain to anyone and never neglected his duties and obligations. He was the sole bread-winner for his parents, wife and children. One day, he could not find any food, and had to kill a blind animal to get some food for his dependents. The hunter went to heaven, even though he did the heinous crime of killing a blind animal, because he did it for the sake of his blind parents and to feed his family.
In the second story, Lord Krishna describes a Brahmana named Kaushika who took a vow of speaking truth at all the times. One day, a band of bandits came to his home, chasing a group of innocent people who were trying to escape bandits and had passed by Kaushika’s home. Upon being asked as to whereabouts of these innocent people fleeing the bandings, Kaushika actually spoke the ‘truth’, resulting in the bandits capturing the innocent victims and killing them. Lord Krishna calls this ‘truthful’ Kaushika as a fool, as one ignorant of Dharma who misused his vow
of speaking truth to cause harm to innocent people; and as a result of speaking this ‘truth’, Kaushika went to Hell.
3.3 External Modifiers of Karma
In the previous section, we discussed internal modifiers of the moral worth of Karma – viz. 1) Whether they are generally regarded as evil or good deeds, 2) Role of the doer (direct doer, instigator, condoner), 3) Intent of the doer, 4) Knowledge/Ignorance or understanding with which the deed was performed, 5) Ability of capacity of the doer and 6) Shraddhā (faith in the efficacy and propriety) in the mind of the doer.
If our scriptures were to teach only inapplicable Utopian ideals, they would be worthless, or of very limited value to most people from a practical perspective. Therefore, according to Hindu scriptures, the practice of General (‘sādhāraṇa’ or ‘sanātana’) Dharma often gets modified by considerations of the impact, place, occasion or time, situation, means adopted to accomplish the action, the status of whom we are dealing with, stakeholders etc. These factors are called Dharma-Nimitta or Dharma-Lakshana or Dharma-Kāraka Hetu, meaning that they are instrumental factors in determining the appropriateness or inappropriateness of Dharma/Karma. There are numerous external factors that can alter the moral worth or propriety of our actions. Examples of these external factors (mixed with some internal factors as well) provided by Hindu sacred texts are given below-
The following make Dharma manifest: desha (place), kāla (time), upāya (correct procedure), dravya (material good), shraddhā (faith), pātra (deserving beneficiary), tyāga (relinquishing one’s ownership). Shankha Likhita Dharmasūtra (quoted in Bhatta Lakshmidhara’s Krityakalpataru, Brahmachārikānda)
At the right place and time, with the correct procedure (e.g., respectfully and with utterance of mantras), whatever appropriate gift is given with faith to a deserving beneficiary – all this is indicative of Dharma. Yājnavalkya Smriti 1.6
Hindu scriptures generally collapse these numerous constraints further into two main ones: Desha (location, region or country) and Kāla (time, or situation) -
In their scriptures dealing with Dharma, Artha and Kaama and Moksha too, the Sages have regarded
‘time’ and ‘place’ as the primary factors which humans should consider to achieve their goals. Mahabharata 12.135.22
The person, who examining the current significance of place and time, and applying his wisdom, acts in harmony with these alone gains the fruits of his aspirations. Mahabharata 12.135.23
The same deed can be considered as Adharma or Dharma depending upon the place and time in which it is done. Under certain circumstances, stealing, lying and violence are also considered as Dharma. Mahābhārata 12.36.11
Note that these factors are all external to the body and mind of the doer because they exist in the environment around him (time, place) and other living creatures or stakeholders.
3.4 Law of Karma as a General Guideline
It is futile to get obsessed with and paranoid about each and every Karma that we perform and their exact consequences. Instead, one must grasp at the essence of the Law of Karma, which is that good actions produce good results (and vice versa) and therefore we must strive to make good, informed and wise choices every time.
“One of my own experiences provided me an analogy for understanding how to effectively process the concept of karma. Some years ago, I contracted malaria. I couldn’t trace when the infected mosquito had bitten me, and I therefore had no way to know where I was at the time or even where I was bitten. Neither could I discern which mosquito but me. But my symptoms were clear: I had been bitten by a malaria-carrying mosquito and now had to take the proper treatment. I also realized I should be more careful in the future; for instance, when I am now in infested areas. I try to sleep under a mosquito net.
We may not be able to trace the specific reason for our suffering, but we can ascertain that at some time we have acted in a sway that sowed the seed that grew into our present condition. We might have committed that action in this life or another. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is recognizing our symptoms, taking the proper treatment now, and being careful to avoid reinfection in the future.”
This is not a copout to explain away the imperfections in the Law of Karma. It is indeed a perfect Law but its complexity makes it difficult for us to model the cause and effect relationships precisely and perfectly. In fact, it is not even worthwhile to do so. While the Law of Karma has an explanatory value for why life seems unfair, and it encourages us to follow Dharma, a person who is advanced on the path of Moksha will eventually transcend the results of Karma-
“It should be born in mind that like the natural sciences, the doctrine of karma enunciates general laws governing actions and their effects. The physical science gives us the general law that a cloud is formed out of water vapor and that rain is produced by the clouds. It will however be well-nigh impossible to determine exactly how many inches of rainfall a particular spot will have at a particular time. To ascertain this an enquirer will have to take into account and examine so many factors that the exercise will not be worth his while. Similarly, the doctrine of Karma lays down some general principles from which we can derive sufficient knowledge to enable us to lead a balanced life. The aspirant for Moksha (liberation), who has firmly grasped the principles of Karma, can truly control his self and acquire, in the words of the Upanishad, the competence of being the ‘master of his self’.”
Despite our best intentions, we human beings are creatures with finite understanding and knowledge. Therefore, even our noblest actions can have unforeseen negative effects on ourselves and others. But the Law of Karma exhorts us to do our best, pick the best option (pious actions), with the noblest intentions, with as much knowledge and understanding as we can acquire, with faith and with a proper consideration of external factors like place, time, stakeholders and so on.
3.5 Necessity of a Perfect Judge of Our Actions
Every complex society has a formal code of law or conduct that defines different crimes and their corresponding punishments. And yet, we need courts of law and competent judges who examine and evaluate alleged crimes and their doers to determine the appropriate quantum of punishment. Likewise, every large business corporation has guidelines for reward and merit (salary raise etc. and bonus) for employees based on their performance. But it takes a human manager with first-hand knowledge of his employee performance to determine the exact reward and merit increase for his employees.
Likewise, our sacred texts and those who know and practice their teachings have spelled out detailed guidelines on evil and pious Karma-s and their respective fruit that we get. Given the complexity of Karma discussed above, how can we be sure that everyone gets the just deserts of their actions? Several solutions have been provided in the Dharmic traditions:
1. The Vedic ceremonial traditions (in Brāhmaṇa, Kalpasūtra texts) define quite rigidly the procedures of these ceremonies (Yajnas) and the result to be expected from them. In later ages, the scholars of the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā tradition like Shabara postulated that performance of Yajnas created an entity called ‘apūrva’ which connected the performer of the Yajna with the result at a later time, or even after he had died. It might be noted that the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtras themselves do not advocate the concept of ‘apūrva’. Furthermore, they do not discuss the role of Īshvara in this matter simply because it is beyond their scope of discussion.
2. Followers of other Darshanas like Vaisheshika postulate that our actions lead to an entity called ‘adriṣhṭa’ (the ‘unseen’) which later connects the doer with the results of his deeds, either later in
the present life or in a future life. They do not deny the agency of Īshvara in the operation of ‘adriṣhṭa’. The Nyāya Darshana states that Īshvara accords the respective fruit of Karma to the doers. In later times, these two Darshanas got fused and it was accepted that, this connection is implemented by the Divine Lord.
3. Yoga Darshana declares that performance of each Karma results in ‘saṃskāra-s’ that are material in nature and reside within the mind of the doer. Even when the doer dies, the mind, with these ‘samskāra-s’ stored in them transmigrates with the Jīva, ensuring that the Jīva can reap the results of the deeds even in the next life or lives at an appropriate time. It might be noted that Yoga Darshana does not deny the role of Īshvara in dispensing the fruit of actions on the doer but is simply silent on His role in this matter.
4. The Sāṃkhya Darshana denies the role of the Divine Lord in dispensing the fruit of actions to the doers because the actions are self-sufficient in bestowing their fruit on the doer at a later time.
5. The Buddhists and Jains have developed very extensive lists of deeds, their classifications and so on and have mapped them laboriously to their respective results so that the process of reaping the respective fruit of each karma becomes a very mechanical or automatic one. A detailed discussion on Buddhist and Jain theories is outside the scope of the present compilation.
Any theory (like the last two mentioned above) that actively denies the role of any intelligent and allknowing Īshvara in connecting the doer with the effects of his Karma at a later period and in a future life fails to explain the following aspects of the Law of Karma:
1. If the latent effects of Karma reside completely inside the mind of the human doer before manifesting as the fruit of these actions, how do we explain cases like a lion devouring the doer? Does this mean that his mind brought the doer in front of the lion to be mauled to death or did the latent effects from the mind of the doer transfer to the lion and motivate the beast to maul the human being?
2. Natural calamities like an avalanche can result in deaths. How can the Karma of the doers initiate the avalanche to bury them alive?
3. Many external factors affect the moral evaluation of our Karma-s. If the latent effects are stored mechanically inside one’s mind or somewhere else, how do we ensure that the doer reaps a fruit that is just and takes into account all these external factors? After all, even in the real world, we need live and wise judges to arrive at a correct judgment despite the existence of codes of law.
4. When the universe comes to an end, the entire material universe, including our minds that store the latent effects of our deeds, are completely destroyed. In the next cycle of creation, when the minds are created afresh and conjoined to the Jīva-s, how will each Jīva get a mind that has the exact residual latent effects of Karma that he had in the previous cycle of creation?
All theories of the Law of Karma that do not include the role an intelligent, all-knowing Judge who evaluates our actions correctly cannot explain scenarios like the four listed above. Therefore, the dominant streams of Hindu thought like Veda, Vedānta, Nyāya, Bhakti and other genres of Hindu scriptures declare that Īshvara oversees and implements the Law of Karma.
4.0 Who implements the Law of Karma?
The Law of Karma assumes that Bhagavān is all-knowing and just. He gives us the fruits of our actions, He is not arbitrary, He is not vindictive or capricious. A lot of new agers however believe that Karma is a selfoperating law with no intervention needed from God whatsoever. Hindu Dharma rejects this viewpoint. It requires an Īshvara as the dispenser of justice, and fruit of our Karma.
The capacity of Bhagavān in being the implementer of the Law of Karma derives from the fact that He is all-pervading, eternal, immanent, witness, all-knowing, impartial, just and merciful.
Being omniscient, Varuna looks at all the wonderful acts which have been done and which will be done in future. Rigveda 1.25.11
The great Ruler of all these worlds, beholds us as if from near at hand. The man who thinks he acts secretly – the Devas know all this of him. Atharvaveda (Shaunakīya) 4.16.1
When one stands or walks or moves in secret or goes to his lying down or rising up, when two sit together to discuss a secret, King Varuna knows, as he is the third one present. Atharvaveda (Shaunakīya) 4.16.2
Oh Varuna, your fatal snares that stand stretched seven by seven and threefold – let these all catch up the man who tells a lie but pass by one who speaks the truth. Atharvaveda (Shaunakīya) 4.16.6
The one Deva, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the inner ātmā of all beings, the overseer of all karma, who dwells in all beings, the witness, the knower, the only one who is not tainted by the Guṇas. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 6.11
That Great Unborn is the giver of food to everyone and is also the giver of wealth. Yajurveda,
Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.22
He alone gives bliss. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Upanishad 2.7
The fruit of our Karma comes from Brahman because that possibility alone is the logical one. Brahmasūtra 3.2.38
The Ātmā alone is the entire multitude of Devas. The Universe rests on the Ātmā because it alone connects the embodied souls (individual souls) with their karma. Manusmriti 12.119
None is especially dear, friendly, inimical, or unacceptable to the Lord. If a devotee seeks Him, He blesses him in a manner suited to his approach, just as the Kalpataru (heavenly wish-granting tree) confers the desired objects on one resorting to it. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.38.22
Īshvara, the Dispenser, is the One who gives happiness and sorrows, and what is dear and what is not dear to all creatures on the basis of their past Karmas. Īshvara indeed is the Lord of everyone. Mahābhārata 3.30.22
Just as space is all-pervading, Īshvara too pervades all creatures (as a witness) and determines their measure of happiness and sorrows depending in their Karmas. Mahābhārata 3.30.24
Sometimes, the following verses from the Gita are cited to prove the opposite – that Īshvara is not the judge of our karmas-
The Lord does not create either the agency or the actions of the world. Nor does he connect karma with the fruit. Indeed, it is one’s own nature that proceeds (works these out). Gita 5.14 The All-pervading Soul does not take on the evil or merit of anyone. Gita 5.15ab
However, in my opinion, these verses refer not to the Paramātmā but to the Jīvātmā that has mastered (‘the Lord’) its senses and sits like a King within its body as stated in the preceding verse Gita 5.13. It is also called ‘vibhu’ or ‘All Pervading’ because it has overcome the limitations of its ego (ahaṃkāra) and
ownership (asmitā) by giving up desires and attachment to the fruit of its karma, as stated in Gita 5.12. In short, from the context, it is clear that a spiritually enlightened Jīvātmā is the subject of these verses.
4.1 Law of Karma versus Omnipotent Īshvara Paradox
1. If the law of Karma is inexorable, then everyone must bear the fruit of his or her karma. The law of Karma is therefore self-operating and does not require a God to administer it. This is the view of some teachers of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Darshana and also the Sāṃkhya Darshana.
The conjunction of fruit of Karma-s with their doer is not presided over by the Lord because the law of Karma is self-sufficient to function automatically. Sāṃkhya Sūtra 5.2
But this view will mean that God is powerless before Karma and therefore God is not omnipotent. Vedānta rejects this view because of explicit statements in the revealed Vedic texts that the Divine is the impeller of actions and that He also gives fruit of all actions-
It is Brahman Himself who makes him (a person) do a good deed whom He wishes to raise from these worlds; and it is He Himself who makes him do a bad deed whom He wishes to throw down. Rigveda, Kaushitaki Upanishad 3.8
As he does and as it conducts himself, so he becomes. He becomes virtuous through a virtuous act and evil through an evil act. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.5
2. But, If God can over-rule the law of Karma, then it means that this universe is not just and God is whimsical. It also means that the Law of Karma is not universal.
Vedānta and other scriptures respond to this objection by stating that the Lord administers the Law of Karma but he does so fairly. Everyone gets the fruits of their own respective actions. When the scriptures say that our actions themselves are inspired or impelled by the Lord, and so is our happiness and sorrows, all it means is that the Lord has power over the Law of Karma but chooses to be fair and just, as is clarified by many other scriptural passages-
The fruit of karma come from the Divine because that possibility (alone) is reasonable. Brahmasūtra 3.2.38
Brahman cannot be attributed with partiality and cruelty because he takes into account the respective actions of individuals, Moreover, the Vedic texts too declare it to be so. Brahmasūtra 2.1.34
Some jīvas take birth in the wombs of various embodied creatures. Others enter fixed or static creatures (plants) according to their karma and according to the spiritual wisdom that they have heard and acquired. Yajurveda, Katha Upanishad 5.7
Humans are reborn into virtuous or evil realms by their virtuous and evil acts respectively. And if their acts are mixed, they are reborn as humans. Atharvaveda, Prashna Upanishad 3.7
He who is the doer of a karma, is also the enjoyer of the consequences of whatever he has done. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 5.7
As a matter of fact, God helps the effort of Man, i.e., when Man is trying to obtain a particular fruit, it is God that accomplishes that fruit for him. When God does not accomplish it, Man’s action becomes fruitless. Vātsyāyana Bhāṣhya on Nyāya Sūtra 4.1.21
3. Another view could be that if God does not control the Law of Karma, then it means that there are two independently omnipotent entities – God, and the Law of Karma. Hindu Dharma rejects this view because the entire universe with its cosmic laws reflects the control and will of the Lord.
4. In the Sāṃkhya Darshana, Brahman and also Puruṣha are completely inactive and simply observers. Prakriti evolves into the universe solely due to its proximity to the Lord. According to this view, Īshvara is a ‘non-doer’ and therefore He cannot be the implementer of the Law of Karma either.
However, the Hindu tradition overall considers the Lord as a ‘doer’ (although not in the ordinary sense of the word as applied to humans) and his activities include witnessing our Karma, enabling us to perform our Karma, and reap their respective and deserved fruit.
In Vedic and Hindu traditions, Brahman delegates this task of judging the deeds of people to other Deities. In the Vedas, Deva Varuna is the witness of all our actions and he binds the evil doers with his noose. Yama, the Lord of Death, was assigned the task of judging our Karma in the most ancient texts. He would take the Jīva of the dying person from the body and send him to heaven or hell depending on the balance of his deeds – whether there was a preponderance of good or bad deeds. In subsequent literature, Yama is said to have requested Brahmā to be relieved of this task, whereupon Chitragupta was born as a son to Brahmā to take over and assist Yama.
In traditional Hindu narratives, Chitragupta is depicted as the secret witness to each of our actions. After death, the Jīvas are taken to the court of Chitragupta, who reads out the detailed records of the deeds committed, their impacts and moral worth and then sends the doer to heaven or hell. Chitragupta is typically depicted as an accountant or record keeper with a scroll (or manuscript), inkpot and pen. He is worshipped as their patron Deity by the traditional
community of Hindu scribes/accountants (Kāyastha-s) in several parts of India.
4.2 Īshvara and the Problem of Evil and Suffering
Some objectors do not accept any Divine role in the oversight or implementation of the Law of Karma. Several of these objections have been considered and responded to in the Hindu sacred literature.
1. The first objection is that there is a lot of suffering and evil in this world. Couldn’t the omniscient and loving Bhagavān bring an end to these and ensure that everyone is happy, virtuous and spiritually enlightened? We also see that some virtuous people suffer whereas evil people flourish and are happy. This indicates that the Lord is partial and unfair. The Hindu tradition responds that the diversity of experiences in this world results from the diversity of actions of people, who have Free Will -
Brahman cannot be attributed with partiality and cruelty because he takes into account the respective actions of individuals, Moreover, the Vedic texts too declare it to be so. Brahmasūtra 2.1.34 Humans are reborn into virtuous or evil realms by their virtuous and evil acts respectively. And if their acts are mixed, they are reborn as humans. Atharvaveda, Prashna Upanishad 3.7
The diversity (of experiences and forms) in this creation results from the diversity of the actions of individuals. Sāṃkhyasūtra 6.41
The current existence is the fruit of the individual’s former karma. Nyāyasūtra 3.2.60
2. The second objection is that at the beginning of the creation, there are no prior actions that should have resulted in the fruit of any original human beings. And yet, we do see that even our most ancient forefathers had different abilities and experiences. Does this not indicate that the Divine favored some and was unfair to others at least in the beginning of the human creation? Again, the Hindu sacred literature addresses this problem and responds that this is neither the first creation nor is it the last. The cycle of creation-existence-dissolution is beginning-less and endless. Likewise, the ātmā-s and their Karmas are also eternal, beginning-less -
The Lord fabricated the moon and the sun as in the previous creation. Rigveda 10.190.3
Both the conscious ātmā and the unconscious material creation, the Master as well these two that are dependent on Him are all unborn. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 1.19
Know that the Prakriti and the Puruṣha (ātmā) are without a beginning. Gita 13.19
In the next creation, Bhagavān connects each jīvātmā with the residual karma from the previous cycle of creation. The cycle of creation and destruction of the universe, and karma are both without a beginning. Brahmasūtra 2.1.35
At the time of pralaya, the Devas who have not yet exhausted the fruit (= abode in heaven) of their good karmas are then reborn in heaven during the next cycle of creation. Whereas those Devas who had exhausted the fruit of their karma before the pralaya are then reborn as humans when the next cycle of creation starts. Mahābhārata 12.272.52
4.3 The Divine as a Doer and Reaper of Fruit of His Karma
Although the Divine is constantly engaged in Karma, creating, sustaining, dissolving the universe(s), overseeing the actions of other creatures, implementing the Law of Karma, granting Moksha and so on, He is a Non-Doer for these reasons-
1. Unlike human beings, the Lord is completely free of any ego, selfish motive, delusion or ignorance nor does he need the assistance of any instruments (like eyes, ears etc.) to accomplish his actions.
2. Whereas non-liberated humans do their actions under the bondage or slavery of Māyā, the Lord is the Master of Māyā and can never come under her spell to reap the fruit of any Divine actions.
3. Bhagavān reaping the fruit of His actions is absurd even from a logical perspective. There is no one superior above Him to oversee His Karma and give its fruit to Him. And if He were to reap the fruit of an ‘evil karma’, then by virtue of that negative fruit, the Universe itself would suffer because Bhagavān’s ability to sustain and nourish the universe would get compromised while He is suffering the consequences of His evil karma.
The Rigveda and other scriptures also summarize, likening the individual ātmā and Paramātmā to two birds and this universe to a tree:
Two birds associated together, and mutual companions, take refuge in the same tree; one of them eats the sweet fig; the other abstaining from food, merely looks on. Rigveda 1.164.20 = Muṇdaka Upanishad 3.1.1 = Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 4.6
In this verse, the ‘sweet fig’ means fruit of Karma. The following verses of the Bhagavad Gita explain the freedom of the Divine from His karma-
Krishna said:
Although I am unborn and My ātmā is imperishable, although I am the Lord of all beings, yet controlling My own material nature (Prakrti), I come into being through my power (Māyā). Gita 4.6
He who correctly knows My divine birth and actions is not reborn, after relinquishing his body. He comes to Me, Arjuna. Gita 4.9
Freed from passion, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, resorting to Me, many who were purified by knowledge and penance have attained My state of being. Gita 4.10 [passion, fear and anger are the effects of the five Kleshas listed in the Yoga Darshana]
The system of four varṇas was created by Me according to the division of Guṇas and Karmas. Although I am its creator, know me to be immutable non-doer. Gita 4.13
Karmas do not taint Me, nor do I have any longing for the fruit of Karma. He who knows Me thus is not bound by karma. Gita 4.14
Taking hold of My Prakriti, I send forth again and again this entire multitude of beings, which is helpless, being under the control of Prakriti. Gita 9.8
And these actions do not bind Me Dhanamjaya; I am seated as if indifferent, unattached in those actions. Gita 9.9
The fact that Bhagavān does not need any organs like humans to perform his cosmic acts is also emphasized in the Hindu texts-
He is without hands and feet and yet He is swift and grasps everything. He sees without having eyes and hears everything without having any ears. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 3.19 That [Param Brahman] has hands and feet everywhere, Eyes, heads and mouths everywhere. Has the ability to hear everything in this world and stands in this universe, enveloping everything.
…Gita13.13
He appears to have all the senses and is yet without all senses; unattached and yet sustaining all, free from the Gunas and yet enjoying all the Gunas. Gita 13.14
In fact, even the Avatara-s do not suffer the consequence of their Karma for the same reasons. Being a spark of the perfect Divine, they appear for a specific purpose and their actions too are Divine, yielding no fruit.
4.4 Divine Grace and Karmaphala
If Bhagavān’s grace means forgiveness of the demerit accumulated, that will lead to a violation of the Law of Karma according to which everyone must reap the fruit of their actions. But as a counter-argument to this, grace can mean these three things that are consistent with the Law of Karma as well-
1. The Lord removes hurdles in the path of spiritual progress of human beings. They will still need to make an effort to become enlightened but their struggles will be lesser.
2. The Lord takes away the entire stock of Sanchita Karma of the person who is ready for Moksha so that he does not have to undergo further experiences in this or in any potential future lives before attaining Moksha. This will be discussed in more detail in section 16 later.
3. Divine grace shines perpetually on all without any prejudice. It is up to us to accept and benefit from it. For instance, several people stand underneath a fruit laden tree but only they who extend their hand to pluck a fruit get to savor it.
In all theistic traditions including Hindu Dharma, Divine Grace is an accepted notion. His Grace over-rides considerations of Karma and its fruit to liberate us from its effects. However, Divine Grace can simply mean the bounties that He provides to all, irrespective of their class, status, level of ethical or spiritual attainments. These bounties include the air we breathe, the light and warmth of the sun and so on. These gifts are provided to everyone without prejudice and it is up to us to decide how we use them-
“In the light of the doctrine of karma it may seem that man is responsible for whatever happens to him in his life in the form of pleasure or pain. Since God is only the giver of man’s karmaphala, His role is no different from the role of a cashier in a bank. The cashier cannot give any money to the depositor other than his invested capital and its interest. Where then is the scope for God’s grace in Hinduism?
In reply, Hinduism says that God’s grace cannot be conditional. Any conditional gift cannot be called real grace. Therefore, God’s grace has to be unconditional, unbiased and impartial. Just as the sun shines on both the good and the wicked, so also God showers His grace impartially on everyone, whether good or evil. The good use God’s grace for good purposes. The wicked use God’s grace for bad purposes.
Shri Ramakrishna explains this with the help of a beautiful analogy. In a small room a candle is burning. By the light of the candle one person is reading a holy book, while another person in the same room is forging dollar bills. In this analogy the candlelight represents God’s grace. It is impartial; it shines equally on both. The two persons are using God’s grace for two completely different purposes – one good, and the other bad. Perhaps one of them will eventually turn into a saint, while the other will end up in prison.”
“According to Shri Ramakrishna the breeze of God’s grace is always blowing. Everyone in this world is like the owner of a sailboat. As long as the sail of the boat is not unfurled one cannot take advantage of the breeze – one cannot get the benefit of God’s grace. But as soon as the sail is unfurled, the breeze of divine grace starts moving the boat. In this analogy the act of unfurling the sail is no other than making self-effort. Without self-effort one will neither be able to appreciate nor enjoy the benefit of God’s grace.”
Another example may be provided to explain how the unconditional and equal grace showered by the Divine reflects his universal love and justice-
“Suppose a householder has four children; the eldest has finished his education, done his training, got a job, and is bringing in some money for the general family maintenance. The next child has passed his examinations, but has not yet enrolled in the service or employment, and the third is still studying. The fourth one is not even old enough to go to school, so he is just playing around and enjoying himself. If one wanted to know which one of the four was most loved by his father, it would seem very difficult to decide, but nevertheless if one tried to decide one would say that the youngest was getting most of his father’s love, Because he is helpless, he does not contribute anything, he is not even clever enough to recite anything learnt at school – and yet he is loved the most. The mother loves him, and whenever the father comes home and is given food, the little boy sits on his lap and gets fed by the father. Sometimes the boy picks up one or two pieces of food and puts them into his father’s mouth in response to all that is being done for him. This little offering of a child fills the father with the greatest joy of his life.
In the same way, the Absolute is the father of all in this universe and whether one is incapable of doing anything, whether one is earning anything or not, whether one is about to repay the debt, it does not matter. He loves all of us.”
In summary, according to this viewpoint, Divine Grace means that He has provided a level playing ground for everyone and given all of us basic amenities that are needed for us to live, flourish and exercise our free
well. These gifts are provided to all of us equally irrespective of how we use them. But due to our exercise of free will, we modify the quality and the quantity of these gifts available to us.
4. The fourth viewpoint is that Divine Grace is the sole exception to the otherwise universal Law of Karma.
“Saint Nammalvar is reported to have asked God why all the men are not saved by His Grace, and to have got the reply from the Lord that since man is endowed with a free will, God would wait to see man’s predilection for Him…..Thus, although at first sight there is an irreconcilable opposition between the doctrine of self-effort or free-will and the doctrine of Grace, writers of Bhakti everywhere have found no difficulty in reconciling both to their satisfaction. They treat Grace as only an exception to the universality of the Law of Karma. All accept both the doctrines and allow each its own sphere of influence.”
This view is specifically found in the Bhakti traditions of Hindu Dharma and may be illustrated with the following story-
Story: Karur Ammā & Bilvamangala
In the 16th-17th century in the town of Guruvayoor in Kerala (India) lived two devotees of Krishna – an elderly lady named Kurur Amma, and a poet named Vilvamangal. The people of the town believed that Krishna often appeared in front of these two Bhaktas in the form of a child to play with them.
One day, a friend of the two devotees came to visit Vilvamangal and requested, “Dear friend, I have a terrible stomachache that refuses to go. Can you inform your friend Krishna about it?” Vilvamangal agreed.
The next day, when Krishna appeared before
Vilvamangal, he said, “Krishna, my friend asked me to inform you that he is suffering from a bad stomachache.” Krishna replied, “Well, this is because of some bad Karma that he did in a previous life. He must reap the fruit of that now.”
Vilvamangal conveyed Krishna’s message to his suffering friend the following day. Disappointed, the man now went to Kurur Amma and begged her to ask Krishna to remove his stomachache.
When Krishna came to play with Kurur Amma, she pleaded with him lovingly, “Dear Krishna, a friend came to me with a very bad stomachache. He is really suffering a lot. You are very kind and merciful. Please do this favor on me and remove his pain.” Krishna replied, “As you wish. His pain will go away.”
The gentleman’s stomachache indeed disappeared. When he met Vilvamangal a few days later, he told the poet how his stomachache went away after Kurur Amma had requested Krishna. This made Vilvamangal very angry. When Krishna came to visit him the next time, Vilvamangal complained, “You are being partial. When I told you about my friend’s stomachache, you said that he was suffering due to his bad Karma. But when Kurur Amma spoke to you, you responded to her request favorably and my friend got healed.”
Krishna replied, “Instead of being happy that your friend’s pain is gone, you are upset that I answered Kurur Amma’s loving request and that your friend was healed because of her and not you. I am not partial to anyone. I respond to the prayers of my Bhaktas after determining whether they have said it with feeling and love or not. You just conveyed your friend’s request to me as if you were doing a favor on him. But Kurur Amma requested me with love and sincerity, and therefore I fulfilled her wish.”
5.0 Voluntary (Puruṣhakāra) and Involuntary (Bhogabhūta) Karma
Depending on how much control we have over performing them our Karma are of two types:
5.1 Puruṣhakāra (Voluntary) Karma
This is voluntary action that we do because we want to do it, or refrain from doing because we do not want to do it. We have complete or a lot of control over these types of actions. Most of our mental activities (as well as physical and verbal activities) fall under this category. It must be emphasized that when the word ‘Karma’ is used without qualification, it typically means ‘Puruṣhakāra Karma’.
5.2 Bhogabhūta (Involuntary) Karma
These karma-s are involuntary and are done by an individual impulsively or as a reflex action. No conscious thought or planning are involved in doing these actions. They are done due to our innate nature. For instance, most of the actions performed by animals are in this category. A tiger is compelled by its nature to hunt for its food. Or mental ailments can lead to involuntary movements of limbs in some humans. Other examples are the rhythmic beating of one’s heart, metabolic processes going on inside our bodies, dreams and so on. Sometimes, these Karma are designated by other names like - Adṛṣhtaphala Karma (effects of deeds done in an unseen or previous life), or Yadṛchcchā (happenings due to random chance) or Daivam (fate). However, according to the Law of Karma, no Karma or its effect is random/chance and what we call fate too results from Karma performed earlier.
There is no clear line of distinction between voluntary and involuntary actions. When one does the same voluntary action repeatedly and consciously, it eventually becomes a part of his or her nature. For instance, if a dancer practices all the steps of his performance repeatedly, he would be able to give a flawless and smooth dance performance on the stage naturally. In this dance performance, the dancer moves his limbs through all the steps unconsciously because repeated practice has made the entire sequence of steps a part of her unconscious mind within. Conversely, actions that we normally consider as involuntary (e.g. breathing, beating of heart) can be brought under one’s conscious control through the constant practice of Yoga. For example, Swami Rama (1925-1996 CE) demonstrated under controlled, clinical conditions, how he could control his heart rate and other involuntary activities through his willpower. Therefore, there is no clear line of demarcation between the two types of karma, just as there is no clear separation between darkness and light, but their extremes are easily discernible.
In more modern parlance, involuntary Karma-s are divided into the following categories:
“1. Spontaneous or Random- Such actions include random movement like those of new born babies, or running, jumping etc., of children.
2. Reflex or Sensory-Motor – Such actions are like the automatic and immediate removal of the hand when it accidentally comes in contact with fire.
3. Instinctive – Loving the child by mother or the building of nests by birds and the like, are the instinctive actions.
4. Habitual – Smoking and the like, are like the habitual actions. Firstly these were voluntary actions but the constant repetition made them non-voluntary.
5. Ideo-Motor – The automatic putting into one’s pocket of another man’s match box, and the like, are the examples of such actions. Originally this type is also a voluntary action but through constant repetition it turns out to be a non-voluntary one.”
Even a voluntary action can be devoid of an ethical component – like waving one’s hand in the air for no apparent purpose and no motive- whereas the same voluntary action can have an ethical component – like waving the hand to signal a killer to shoot at an intended victim. The distinction due to the intent in the mind of the doer. It is only the latter types of actions (i.e., voluntary action having an ethical component) that are considered in this compilation.
6.0 Who is the Karttā or the Doer of Puruṣhakāra Karma
Who is the real doer of Karma? The answer seems pretty straightforward but a careful consideration shows that there is a primary and several secondary doers, leading to different philosophical interpretations.
6.1 Five Enabling Causes of all Actions
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna enumerates five contributing/instrumental/enabling causes of all actions as listed in the definitive or considered conclusion in the Sāṃkhya texts:
Krishna said:
Mighty armed, learn from Me, these five causes declared in the conclusive doctrines of the Sāmkhya Darshana, that are needed for accomplishing all karmas. Gita 18.13
The seat (or basis), also the doer, the various sorts of different instruments, and various separate efforts, with fate as being the fifth. Gita 18.14
Whatever karma a person undertakes by his body, speech or mind – whether it is right or wrong, these five are its means. Gita 18.15
This being so, he who sees his ātmā alone as the doer does not truly see because of the fact that he has not perfected his understanding and has a wrong opinion. Gita 18.16
In other words, the ātmā (or the puruṣha) performs its actions through these five enabling causes:
1. The physical body which is the seat of the ātmā and everything else.
2. The doer: The individual ego or ‘Ahamkāra’, which is responsible for the Puruṣha believing that ‘I am the doer’.
3. The various instruments which are the Buddhi (Intellect), the Mind (Manas) and the five organs of perception. This list is given in Anugita verse-
Nostrils, tongue, eyes, skin, ears as the fifth, mind and intellect – these seven are the karaṇas, made of the Guṇas. Anugita 10.4
4. The various vital forces (prāṇas) and the five organs of action.
5. Daiva: Fate or effects of Karma done earlier. The Vāsanā-s or tendencies resulting from prior actions often propel us to do further actions consistent with the tendencies. The sum total of all the vāsanā-s leads to five kinds of motivations, or ‘Karmayoni-s’ in the intellect and these are discussed below.
6.2 Who is the Real Doer?
The question then arises – who is the doer? Is it the Lord, the ātmā or the organs? There are three major opinions in this regard listed in Hindu scriptures.
6.2.1 Ahaṃkāra or Ego
Within the Sāṃkhyan Darshana, the puruṣha or the ātmā is not a doer on its own. It imagines itself to be the doer under the influence of Ego (ahaṃkāra) and then it performs its actions through Intellect (Buddhi) and other instruments like the organs of action, prāṇas etc., and that the Puruṣha is a non-doer.
Ahaṃkāra is the doer, not the Puruṣha. Sāṃkhya Sūtra 6.54
Although Ahaṃkāra is the doer, the Puruṣha is the experiencer because the former exists for the sake of the latter. Sāṃkhya Sūtra 6.55 (according to Vijnāna Bhikshu’s interpretation)
Though the Purusha is in reality only actionless, free, blissful, and uninvolved witness (of the movements of Prakriti), this imaginative identification makes him feel himself to be the agent and enjoyer, subject to Samsara, and its consequent bondage and enslavement. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.26.7
6.2.2 The Ātmā is the Doer
But the other Darshanas like Nyāya, Vaisheshika, Mīmāṃsā and Vedānta declare that the ātmā is the real doer because it is conscious, sentient, living whereas everything else is insentient and inert. Therefore, how can the insentient Ahaṃkāra and Buddhi etc., be designated as the primary doer when it is the Jīvātmā which makes them do actions?
The hand lifts (objects) when the ātmā exerts and is conjoined with the former. Vaisheshika Sūtra
5.1.1
Several reasons are provided to establish the Jīvātmā as the real doer in Vedānta Darshana. First, all the injunctions to act in the sacred texts are meant for the ātmā. If the ātmā were not a doer, these sacred texts will all become superfluous. The shāstras are meant to liberate the Jīvātmā and they are addressed to it, not to the Ahaṃkāra, Buddhi or others.
The Jīvātmā is the doer because the scriptures (enjoining Dharmic acts) have a purpose. [i.e., if the individual soul were a non-doer, all the scriptural injunctions on adhering to Dharma would be purposeless, pointless, meaningless]. Brahmasūtra 2.3.33
Some examples of these injunctions are-
Performing actions all his life alone must one desire to live for a hundred years. Shukla Yajurveda
40.2 (Īshāvāsya Upanishad 2)
He who aspires for heaven should perform Yajna. Krishna Yajurveda, Taittirīya Saṃhitā 2.5.5
Second, the sacred literature themselves designate the Jīvātmā as the doer:
The ātmā is a doer because it is said to be the performer of Yajnas and other acts. Brahmasūtra 2.3.36
The intelligent/experiencing ātmā performs the Yajnas and other actions. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Upanishad 2.5.1
That experiencing and intelligent Puruṣha is indeed the seer, feeler, hearer, thinker, ascertainer and doer. Atharvaveda, Prashna Upanishad 4.9
Third, the Jīvātmā reaps the fruit of its own actions, not of someone else. If the Buddhi or other instrumental causes were the real doer, it would be unfair that the Jīvātmā should experience the results of actions performed by another entity-
Instruments like Intellect (Buddhi) cannot be co-agents or real agents instead of the ātmā because that would lead to the ātmā experience the fruit of actions performed fully or partially by someone else. The mixture of good and evil fruit consistent with good and evil actions chosen by a conscious entity – the ātmā. Brahmasūtra 2.3.37
The fruit of the injunction of the scripture belongs to its doer. Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtra 3.7.18
The ātmā possessing numerous qualities is the doer and also the reaper of the fruit of his very actions. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 5.7
Fourth, the Jīvātmā cannot said to be actionless because there are explicit statements in the sacred texts of its moving about, which is also an action-
The ātmā is a doer also on account of the teaching about its roaming about. Brahmasūtra 2.3.34
Examples of these statements or teachings are-
The immortal one goes wherever he likes. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.3.12
He moves according to his pleasure within his own body. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad
2.1.18
Fifth, during deep sleep, rebirth etc., the Jīvātmā draws towards itself the subtle organs and mind due to which the body becomes as if paralyzed and the mind itself ceases to function. When a person dies, these organs and the Prāṇas are again pulled together by the Jīvātmā and then it leaves the dead body and is reborn in a new one. All these examples again demonstrate that the Jīvātmā is capable of being and is a doer.
The ātmā is a doer because of it taking the organs along with it. Brahmasūtra 2.3.35
When this being, full of consciousness, is thus asleep in the space within the heart, it absorbs through its intelligence the power of perception of the various organs. When it withdraws the organs from their contact with the external world, it is given the name of ‘svapiti’. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 2.1.17
Krishna said:
My own fragment, having become an eternal Jīva in the world of the living, draws to itself the senses, of which the mind is the sixth, that exist in Prakriti. Gita 15.7
When the Lord acquires a body and also when he departs from it, he goes, taking these (the senses and the mind) along, just like the wind carries scents from their source. Gita 15.8
Presiding over the hearing, sight, and touch, taste and smell as well as the mind, he enjoys the objects of the senses. Gita 15.9
When he departs, stays or enjoys, in contact with the guṇas, the deluded do not perceive him within, (but) those with the eye of knowledge see him. Gita 15.10
When the ātmā, being clothed with minute particles (subtle senses, mind etc.) enters into the embryo of a plant or an animal, it then assumes, in conjunction with its subtle body, a new physical body. Manusmriti 1.56
Sixth, the view that the non-conscious Buddhi and not the conscious Jīvātmā is the real doer makes the latter dependent upon and subservient to former, and this is absurd-
If the Buddhi were the real agent (doer of Karma), that would make the ātmā subservient to it, and merely an instrumental cause of Karma. Brahmasūtra 2.3.38
Seventh, Moksha and Samādhi would be impossible if the doer were Buddhi and not the Jīvātmā.
If the ātmā were not the doer, it would be incapable of Samādhi (deep meditation) by its own volition. Brahmasūtra 2.3.39
In the state of Samādhi, the activity of Buddhi and other components of the Mind cease completely whereas the Jīvātmā assumes its pure state of being the ‘Knower’ or ‘Experiencer’. If the Jīvātmā were a complete non-doer, it would not even be a knower or experiencer in that state. In such a scenario, Moksha or Samādhi become a state of total void or nothingness. Who would want to go from a state of being to a state of nothingness?
Someone might object that when a person is in the state of deep sleep or in Samādhi, the Jīvātmā does not employ the mind, intellect and other organs for performing any task. Therefore, at least in that state, the
Jīvātmā is a non-doer. But such an argument is merely hairsplitting-
Just like a carpenter remains a doer (of carpentry) irrespective of whether he is performing his professional acts or whether he is resting, the ātmā is a doer irrespective of whether the person is awake or sleeping. Brahmasūtra 2.3.40
The carpenter chooses not to pursue his craft of carpentry when he is resting. That does not make him a non-carpenter because the ability to do this professional work is still present in him while he is resting.
The argument that the ātmā is the doer can be summarized and explained with an analogy – the Buddhi, Ahaṃkāra, Mind and the organs are all insentient (non-living or non-conscious) whereas the ātmā itself is the sole sentient entity. How can insentient entities act without being inspired and propelled by a sentient ātmā? The fan rotates and the tube-light is luminous only because electric energy flows through them. When that source of electric energy is switched off, they cease to rotate or glow. Therefore, electricity is the primary cause of the activities of electrical appliances, not the appliances themselves. Similarly, it is the ātmā which is the primary doer, not the insentient Buddhi etc.
6.2.3 The Divine Lord is the Doer
The Vedāntic view that the real doer is the ātmā/Puruṣha then leads to the view that the Supreme Puruṣha Itself, being the ultimate cause of the universe, should be the ultimate Doer. This view is also accepted in the Hindu tradition with the caveat that he enables the ātmā to perform its actions but the agency of the ātmā stems from its own free will. And the ātmā is dependent on the Lord to reap the corresponding fruit of its actions as well.
The agency of the ātmā however is derived from the Supreme Lord for the Vedas declare it as such. Brahmasūtra 2.3.41
The One (Brahman) who, dwelling within the ātmā, impels it from within. Yajurveda, Shatapatha Brāhmaṇa (Mādhyandina) 14.6.7.30
The Brahman indeed, whom he wishes to raise to higher realms, makes him perform good actions. And whom He wishes to sink to lower realms, makes him perform evil actions. Rigveda,
Kaushitaki Upanishad 3.8
He (Brahman) who abides within every ātmā, causes them to do good or evil deeds. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 6.6
He enters everyone and is their inner ruler. He is the ātmā (inner pervader) of everything. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11.1
He enters everything and is the inner doer (of all natural/cosmic processes). Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11.3
Arjuna, the Lord dwells within the region of the heart of all beings, causing them all beings to revolve by Māyā, as if mounted on a machine. Gita 18.61
In fact, the Lord is the enabler of all the five instruments of action that Krishna enumerates in the Bhagavad
Gita, as another verse in the Mahābhārata declares-
Adhiṣhthāna, Karttā, Karaṇa of various types, different kinds of efforts, and fifth Daiva – in all these five instrumental causes of karma, it is Hari who is ever present. Mahābhārata 12.347.89-90ab
There reaches a stage in one’s spiritual journey when the person merges his individuality completely into the Lord and becomes an instrument of the Divine and His will flows through that person’s actions. In this state, the Lord is literally the doer of that person’s actions-
There is only one ruler, and no second ruler. He who is within the hearts of all creatures – Him alone I consider as the ruler. Just as water flows naturally whichever way the land slopes, likewise I do only those karma that the inner ruler inspires me to do. Anugita 11.1
Bhārata, seek refuge in Him alone with your whole being. By His grace, you shall obtain supreme peace and eternal abode. Gita 18.62
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and make reverence (bow) to Me. In this way, you shall truly come to Me. I promise you, because you are dear to Me. Gita 18.65
One must never boast that “I am the doer” because it is only the Lord who is always the Doer. Skanda Purāṇa, Kailāsa Khaṇda 57.283
It might be objected that if the Lord is the real Doer, then he must also get the blame for evil deeds of those who follow Adharma. But this is not so, because the Lord has created equal conditions for everyone to exercise their free ill, make personal choices, and follow Dharma as taught in the Vedas and other shāstras. While He has created the infrastructure within which we perform our deeds and has provided us with an intellect and Divine commands to follow, we have the freedom to disobey these commands (or obey them) and bear the consequences. As an example, the government and traffic police construct roads, place speed limit signs, stop signs and stop lights, crosswalks and create traffic rules. All this infrastructure enables pedestrians and vehicle drivers to choose an appropriate route to reach from one place to another in a safe and efficient manner. But if someone violates the speed limit, parks in wrong areas or commits other violations of traffic rules, the government or the traffic police cannot be blamed for issuing him a parking or speeding ticket along with a monetary penalty.
All the three views cited above are valid and represent three different perspectives of the same truth. Krishna merges the first two views. He takes the view to suggest that the ātmā overcome by Ego (ahaṃkāra) becomes the doer and performs its actions through the instruments, intellect (Buddhi) etc.
Krishna said:
Even though all the types of Karma are performed by the Guṇas of Prakriti, the ātmā that is deluded by ahamkāra (ego) thinks “I am the doer.” Gita 3.27
But, mighty armed, they who know the truth about the divisions of Guṇas and Karmas believe that it is Guṇas acting on Guṇas. Therefore, they do not get attached. Gita 3.28
Conversely, he (the ātmā) that is free of ego is a non-doer-
He whose soul is free of the egotistic condition, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, not is he bound (by his karmas). Gita 18.17
And finally, the ultimate agency belongs to the Lord, especially for those persons who are free of individual ego and have merged their ego and their whole being into the Lord. The Lord, while being the doer of all cosmic acts and enabler of all individual acts, is nevertheless a Non-Doer (so to speak) because of reasons stated earlier – He is detached from the creation, His actions and their results. He enables the Buddhi etc., to obey the commands of their animating ātmā but the latter has freedom to employ these instruments using its own free will. Another analogy would be that the Divine is the main power switch bringing electricity to multiple local power switches. The latter can be switched on or off but if the main switch is off, nothing will enable the function of the local switches. The Kena Upanishad is a beautiful exposition of this principle – that the Divine enables other conscious entities to perform their Karma.
6.3 The Types of Doer – According to Guṇas
Within the Sāṃkhyan paradigm, the puruṣha or the ātmā is not a doer on its own. It is a doer under the influence of Ego (ahaṃkāra) and then it performs its actions through Intellect (Buddhi) and other instruments. The Puruṣha obviously is free or devoid of the three Guṇas, but its association with the Ego (ahaṃkāra) gives it the superimposed nature that is comprised of these three Guṇas. Therefore, one can classify the ‘Doer’ (Puruṣha or ātmā overpowered by ahaṃkāra) according to the dominance or preponderance of one of the three Guṇas.
The doer who is free from attachment, who free from speech of egotism, full of steadfastness and enthusiasm and who is not perturbed by success or failure – he is said to be a Sāttvic doer. Gita 18.26
The doer who is swayed by passion, who eagerly seeks the fruit of his karma, who is greedy, violentnatured, impure, who is moved by joy and sorrow – he is said to be a Rājasic doer. Gita 18.27 The doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, wicked, deceitful, lazy, despondent and procrastinating – he is said to be a Tāmasic doer. Gita 18.28
The verses are quite clear and provide a checklist for a doer so that he stays in the mode of Sattva while performing his actions.
6.4 Buddhi – the Primary Instrument of Action
Buddhi or Intellect is the primary ‘Karaṇa’ or instrument that directs other secondary instruments. The nature of one’s Buddhi is influenced by the Vāsanā-s (psychological effects of Karma) from previous lives that influence the voluntary choices we make in the present life. This influence is referred to as ‘Daiva’ (‘Fate’) in Gita 18.14 that is quoted above. In the current life, we can make conscious choices to overrule the evil Vāsanā-s and make Dhārmic choices instead, or vice versa. These fresh choices also modify the Buddhi. Krishna gives a useful description of the Buddhi Karaṇa that is influenced respectively by Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas Guṇa-s in the following three verses-
The intellect which knows Pravritti and Nivritti (distinction between Karma that cause bondage versus Karma which leads to Moksha), what ought to be done and what not ought to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, along with the knowledge of bondage and liberation, Pārtha, is sāttvic. Gita 18.30
That intellect which distinguishes incorrectly between Dharma and Adharma, and between what ought to be done and what not ought to be done, Pārtha, is rājasic. Gita 18.31
Pārtha, that intellect, which is enveloped in darkness, which imagines Adharma as Dharma and sees all things in a perverted (contrary to reality) way, is tāmasic. Gita 18.32
Likewise, the Buddhi can also get influenced by other instruments like the Mind, the Chitta (in which these Vāsanā-s reside), the Ahaṃkāra and the Sense Organs, as will be explained below in the section ‘The Mechanics of Voluntary Karma’.
6.5 The Five Karmayonis – Five Motivators and Incubators of Actions
What propels the Buddhi to act and direct other Karaṇa-s? In the Sāmkhya Darshana, there is a description of five sources/motivators/incubators of action (‘karmayonis’) that arise in the buddhi and then transform into karma or jnāna with the help of prāṇas and the mind. The Karmayonis are said to be like the egg, which has been delivered by the hen, but has not hatched yet to yield a chick. In the same way, the Karmayonis are intermediate state between the resolve of the Buddhi and the actual production of the action or knowledge. These five karmayonis are:
1. Dhṛti (Fortitude, steadfastness or resolve), 2. Shraddhā (Deep conviction or faith), 3. Sukhā (desire for pleasure), 4. Vividiṣhā (desire for knowledge), 5. Avividishā (Absence of desire for knowledge).
6.5.1 Dhṛti Karmayoni
This is defined in the Kapilāsurisaṃvāda in the Shānti Parva of the Mahābhārata (Appendix 29B of this Parva in the BORI edition) in the following words:
Dhrti is a source of Karma. A person protects his steadfastness with threefold action arising from ̣̣ speech, mind and body. Thus it is said, ‘He who keeps his resolve with respect to speech, action and mind is devoted to his resolve, and acknowledges his resolve. This is the definition of steadfastness.
A promise made to oneself or someone else, a vow undertaken, determination to accomplish a certain purpose or reach a specific goal (like getting good results in a school exam, defeat an enemy) etc. are all examples of Dhṛti as a motivating factor for action. But Dhṛti itself can be of different kinds depending on its alignment with the three guṇas. Krishna explains-
The unwavering steadfastness by which, through yoga, one controls the activities of the mind, the prāṇas and the senses – that steadfastness Pārtha, is Sāttvic. Gita 18.33
The steadfastness by which one holds fast to Dharma, Artha and Kāma, because of attachment and desire for the fruits of karma – that steadfastness Arjuna, is Rājasic. Gita 18.34
The steadfastness by which a person of a dull intellect does not give up sleep, fear, grief, depression and arrogance, that Pārtha, is Tāmasic. Gita 18.35
Hindu shāstras speak of four goals or purposes of human existence: Artha (material security or physical well-being), kāma (pleasure), dharma (virtue, doing one’s duty), and Moksha. Krishna states that steadfastness which aims at Moksha is Sāttvik, because it results in the highest of these four goals of human life. One who is resolute in his pursuit of wealth, fame, glory, pleasures as long as Dharmic principles are not violated is said to have rājasic steadfastness. In fact, even he who resolutely performs his duties and practices virtues with the desire of a better afterlife (upon rebirth or in heaven) is said to have rājasic
steadfastness as well. It is to be assumed that he who practices Dharma resolutely without any desire for fruit too has sāttvik steadfastness.
An example of Sāttvik steadfastness is that of a person who forsakes the comforts of his home and perseveres with his spiritual activities for several years in order to reach Brahman. A modern teacher explains-
“A thread is made up of innumerable fibers. Even so, Dhṛti is the outcome of the combined sublimated activities of the mind, the Prāṇa and the senses. The fibers at the end of a thread ought to be twisted to convergence in order to pass it through the eye of a needle. But if that eye be blocked with dirt, the pointed thread would bend instead of passing through it. And this is due to lack of stiffness in the thread. But the dhriti of the yogi is as pointed as the end of a thread and as stuff and penetrating as a sharp needle. Such a carefully cultured dhrti is dedicated by the yogi for the benign invocation of Ishvara. It is in no way prostituted for any other purpose. As the needle of a compass always points to the north, the resolve of the yogi is ever directed to the Lord. It is therefore unswerving. This dhrti is Sāttvika in its make. It leads the sadhaka to the Supreme.”
Examples of Rājasic steadfastness would be disciplined athletes who practice and coach strenuously for several years with the goal of winning an Olympic medal. Or someone who donates large amounts of money to orphanages and temples regularly in the hope that he will be reborn into more fortunate circumstances in his next life.
In contrast to the above two categories, some people live without any aim or purpose in life. They have no desire to pursue any of the four Purushārthas. They do not want to advance in their life in any way whatsoever. In fact, they revel in their misery. These people are depressed, lazy, anxious, fearful, grieving and the like always not because of any medical causes but because they refuse to help themselves, or accept help from others. They are obstinate and out of dull-wit, arrogance and pride, they refuse to heed to good advice to improve their lot physically, mentally, financially, morally or spiritually. Even if someone tries to give them good counsel out of love, they allege or imagine that he has a selfish interest in doing so. To an onlooker, it appears that they have made a mental resolve to live in their delusion and squalor. Examples from modern society are individuals who refuse to work hard and prefer to life on social security and government benefits that are funded by working taxpayers. Krishna says that these obstinate and dull-witted people have a tāmasic steadfastness. Again, Swami Chidbhavananda explains-
“The blind king Dhrtarashtra is a typical example of a man of Tamasika firmness. His blindness was the physical symbol for the lack of discrimination and forethought. And his sons, Duryodhana and others, befitted his make up. For, evils are all born of ignorance. The blind king was inordinately attached to the empire though he was physically unfit to reign. The fear lest the empire should slop out of the hands of his sons, lurked in his heart. Hearing of the atrocities perpetrated by his unscrupulous sons, he was very much grieved. Still, he took no stern action against his unworthy sons. Pondering over the ill-fame to which he was exposed, he became overwhelmed with despair. Still, he was not prepared to be guided by the counsel of Bhishma, Drona and Shri Krishna; for the conceit that he was the monarch over all of them lay concealed in his heart. The firmness of king Dhrtarashtra was verily steeped in Tamas and therefore producing nothing good.”
6.5.2 Sukhā Karmayoni
In the Kapilāsurisaṃvāda, Sukhā is defined in the following words:
Sukhā is a source of action. He who desires happiness performs atonements with the greatest effort. E.g. A virtuous deed towards the Brahmanas and cows when overcome with passion and anger. Repeating the Gayatri and many other mantras may enable even those born of a marriage in which the woman is from a higher caste than the man to attain Brahmaloka. Thus it is said, ‘Exerting in action, austerity or acquisition of knowledge, and performing atonements and austerities are characteristic of the efforts to gain happiness.
In short, the characteristic of Sukhā Karmayoni is the desire to increase one’s happiness in this life and in the next.
Pursuit of joy, pleasure, happiness and the like are fundamental to human nature. But the motivations and purpose of these pursuits of happiness can vary. Accordingly, ‘happiness’ as a motivation for action too can be classified along the three guṇas, as taught by Krishna-
Now hear from me Arjuna, the three kinds of happiness. Gita 18.36ab.
That happiness in which one rejoices after long practice, and in which one reaches the end of his sorrow, which is like poison in the beginning and like nectar at the end, which springs from the tranquil joy of the intellect that is merged in the ātmā – know that happiness to be Sāttvic. Gita 18.36cd-37
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses and their objects and which is like nectar at first but like poison at the end – that happiness is declared to be Rājasic. Gita 18.38
That happiness which deludes the ātman both at the beginning and at the end and which arises from sleep, indolence and negligence – that is declared to be Tāmasic. Gita 18.39
6.5.3 Shraddhā Karmayoni
Shraddhā, or one’s faith or deeply held values manifest in our actions and behavior in many ways.
Kapilāsurisaṃvāda defines Shraddhā in the following words:
“Shraddhā is a source of action. He who practices faith performs his deeds without any cavil (faultfinding, or excessive fruitless questioning), controlling his senses, and acquires knowledge whether living as a celibate student in the abode of his Guru, or as a householder, or as a Vānaprasthī; by giving charity, studying the Vedas, accepting gifts, chanting mantras etc., and by exercising restraint following unbroken rules in order to attain spiritual good. Thus it is said, ‘Shraddhā is defined by practicing celibacy without finding fault (or being envious), giving charity, studying scriptures, practicing austerities, performing Yajnas for oneself or for others.’”
Faith indeed defines who we are, and determines our core values, our desires and the actions we seek to perform-
Krishna said:
In accordance with their intellect does their faith of everyone become, O Bhārata. Man is constituted of faith - Whatever his faith, so indeed he is. Gita 17.3
Faith determines who we worship, what we eat, with what intention we worship, which austerities we perform and so on. All these acts are also three-fold according to their predominating Guṇa, as described in the Bhagavad Gita-
Sattvic people worship the Devas, Rajasic people worship the Yakshas and Rākshasas. Other people who are Tamasic, Worship hosts of spirits of the dead and ghosts. Gita 17.4
Those persons who scorch themselves with austerities that are not directed by the scriptures and are terrifying, engaged with arrogance and ego, Impelled by desires and infatuations. Gita 17.5
Tormenting the bodily elements, to the extent of mortifying them (or with a morbid mindset), And Me too, abiding within their body – Know them to be Āsuric in resolve. Gita 17.6
Even the food that everyone prefers (or loves) is of three types, and so also worship, austerity, charity. Hear from me the distinctions in these (three types). Gita 17.7
Enhancers of lifespan, mind, strength, health, happiness and cheerfulness, Juicy, fatty, wholesome and hearty foods are dear to the Sattvic type of persons. Gita 17.8
Bitter, sour, salty, very hot, spicy, dry and burning foods are desired by Rajasic persons, and these cause distress, grief and sickness. Gita 17.9
Food that is cooked 3 hours before consumption, has become desiccated, and also which is putrid and decomposing, also leftover and defiling (or not fit for Vedic sacrifice), is liked by Tamasic persons. Gita 17.10
The wise say that all these five elements of the Yajna must be performed appropriately for the ceremony to yield its full result – appropriate application of the mantras, follow scriptural injunctions perfectly in the yajna’s performance, give the required dakshiṇā (priest fees), give food as alms and perform the rite with full mental focus (manasaḥ samādhiḥ). Mahābhārata 12.201.18 Yajnas that are performed without desire for their fruit, according to the directly seen procedures in the Vedas, ‘These must be performed’, with the mind focused on this conviction – That Yajna is Sattvic. Gita 17.11
O best of Bharatas, Know that Yajna to be Rajasic, Which is performed with desire for its fruits, And also for the sake of one’s arrogant pride. Gita 17.12
Performed without regard to scriptural procedures, distribution of food, without chanting of mantras or giving of remuneration to the priests, Bereft of faith – That Yajna is considered as Tamasic. Gita 17.13
Worship of the Deva, Brahmana, Guru, and the wise, Cleanliness, simplicity (straightforwardness), Celibacy and non-violence, Are termed as the austerity of the body. Gita 17.14
Speech that does not cause agony, And is true, pleasing and beneficial as well, And indeed practicing the recitation of the Vedas, Are termed as the austerity of speech. Gita 17.15
Mental satisfaction and joy, gentleness, Silence, self-restraint, And the purity of emotions – These are called the austerities of the mind. Gita 17.16
This three-fold austerity practiced arduously by men imbued with the highest faith, having no desire for the fruits, and steadfast (in Yoga) – They regard as Sattvic. Gita 17.17
Austerity which is practiced with hypocrisy, for the sake of honor, respect and reverence, That here in this world is said to be Rajasic, unsteady and impermanent. Gita 17.18
Austerity, which is performed with a deluded notion, With torture to oneself, With the purpose of uprooting someone else – That is declared to be Tamasic. Gita 17.19
The charity which is given with the sentiment ‘It ought to be given,’ To one who may not have done us a favor in the past, or will not return the favor, In the proper place and time, to the appropriate person – That charity is considered to be Sattvic. Gita 17.20
But charity, which is given with expectation of a return favor, Or with a desire for the fruit (of doing the good deed), And which is given with a grudging mood – That charity is considered to be Rajasic. Gita 17.21
The charity, which is given at the wrong place and time, To unworthy persons, Without respect and with contempt (or indifference) – That is declared to be Tamasic. Gita 17.22
6.5.4 Vividiṣhā Karmayoni
Its description in Kapilāsurisaṃvāda in the Shānti Parva of the Mahābhārata is as follows:
“The desire to know (vividiṣhā) is a source of action. It is the state of having the desire to know everything. A person with this desire acquires knowledge of different branches of learning, he aspires to understand the different Shrutis asking ‘Where is Knowledge, where is there no knowledge?’ Thus it is said, ‘Having known all this in detail, he who then begins to act – that source of action is named as ‘Vividiṣhā’.’”
The Yuktidīpikā under Sāṃkhyakarikā 29 gives a somewhat different definition by explaining what ‘knowledge’ really means-
Duality (Prakriti and Purusha), unity (of the material cause of the university), distinction (of different Purushas), eternal nature (of Purusha), sentient (nature of Purusha), insentient (nature of Prakriti and its evolutes), subtle (nature of Prakriti), pre-existence of cause in effect, non-existence of cause in effect – the desire to know all these is the characteristic of Vividiṣhā.
The desire to know results in knowledge. And Krishna describes three kinds of knowledge whereupon we can classify Vividishā also into three categories-
The Jnāna by which one sees the One Imperishable Being in all beings, undivided in separate beings – know that Jnāna to be Sāttvic. Gita 18.20
Swami Chinmayananda gives the following illustration,
“Just as an electrical engineer recognizes the same electricity flowing through all the bulbs, a goldsmith recognizes the one metal ‘gold’ in all ornaments, and every one of us is aware of the same cotton shirt in all shirts, so also, the intellect that sees the screen upon which the play of life and the throbs of existence are projected as the Changeless One has the “knowledge” that is sattvic.”
Swami Tejomayananda gives another example,
“Therefore, it is the sāttvika vision alone that can bring harmony. Most parents have this vision. They tend to think of the welfare of the entire family and treat all their children alike. At times there may be a need to give more to one child over another. But this does not mean that the parents love one child more than the other, they simply think of the welfare of all. However, if parents begin to favor one child excessively over another then they are developing a rājasika or a tāmasika vision, which will hurt the entire family.
We see similar situations in large corporations. Each of the department heads wants more funds and resources for their divisions. However, if the managing director has the interest of the entire company at heart, he will always act with a sāttvika vision, and not favor one division over another.
He will allocate the resources in such a way that the welfare of the entire organization is kept in mind. Such objectivity is required for a company to progress.”
Similarly, we have the Rājasic category of Jnāna-
The Jnāna which sees in all beings separate entities of various kinds due to their differentiation – know that Jnāna to be Rājasic. Gita 18.21
An example would be scholars who focus on differences between various religions and schools of philosophies and completely ignore taking a harmonious view of their teachings or understanding their common bases.
Likewise, the Tāmasic variety is defined below-
But that Jnāna which is attached to a single effect as if it were whole without concern for the (real) cause, without grasping the real truth, and trivial – that Jnāna is declared to be Tāmasic. Gita 18.22
Swami Chinmayananda gives the following example and contrasts it with its Sāttvic opposite,
“…..A typical example that can at this moment be remembered is individual nursing his own wounded limb. As soon as, say, your left toe strikes against some furniture in the house and gets wounded, the entire body bends down to nurse it. Herein, there is neither any special love for the left leg nor any particular extra attachment for it, as compared with other parts of the body. To an individual the whole body is himself, and all parts are equally important; he pervades his whole body.
In the same fashion, an individual with a sattvic intellect that has recognized the All-pervading One, lives in the Consciousness of the One Reality that permeates the whole universe, and therefore, to him the leper and the prince, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor are so many different parts of his own spiritual personality only. Such an individual serves the world in a sense of self-fulfillment and inspired joy.”
Another example of Tāmasic Jnāna is that of fanatical religious doctrines that regard their own trivial and even false insights as universally true and binding upon all humanity and thereby hate the ‘non-believers’ leading to religious wars and forcible conversions that we have seen in abundance in the last two millennia.
6.5.5 Avividiṣhā Karmayoni
The Kapilāsurisaṃvāda in the Shānti Parva of the Mahābhārata defines this Karmayoni as:
“The desire not to know (Avividiṣhā) is a source of action. It is the state of having the desire not to know anything. It is the cessation from all acts. Thus it is said, ‘Having known everything, he ceases to perform acts. That source of action is named as Avividiṣhā.’”
The Yuktidīpikā, under Sāṃkhyakarikā 29 gives the following definition-
An absence of desire to obtain knowledge, as in a person who has consumed poison, or is in deep sleep or is in a state of stupor is referred to as Avividiṣhā.
We might define the Sāttvic variety of Avividiṣhā as in Kapilāsurisaṃvāda where the subject is already very knowledgeable and spiritually elevated. Therefore, he has no desire to know anything nor does he need to accomplish anything by performing any action. Another Sāttvic version of Avividiṣhā would be a lack of desire to know the secrets of others for the sake of gossiping and respecting the privacy of others. Or having a complete lack of interest in knowing about things that lead to evil consequences.
Example of Rājasic variety would be shying away from knowing something out of fear, like not calling up the physician to know the blood test results fearing that they might be positive for some disease.
Example of Tāmasic Avividiṣhā is someone who is completely engrossed in materialistic desires and has absolutely no wish to acquire any kind of higher knowledge that benefits the mental and spiritual aspects of his character. This approximates the definition of Avividiṣhā given in the Yuktidīpikā.
The Yuktidīpikā emphasizes that we must employ all the five Karmayonis only as a source of adhering to Dharma. In other words, we must stick to the Sāttvic variety of all the five Karmayonis.
7.0 The Mechanics of Voluntary Karma (Puruṣhakāra Karma)
Now we can summarize how Puruṣhakāra Karma is performed in a more precise manner.
The knower, knowledge and the object of knowledge – these three motivate action. Even so the doer, the organs and activity – these are the three constituents of action. Gita 18.18
There are threefold instigators of Karma. First, the mind generates the thought. Then, the intellect takes a decision (and results in the action). And finally the heart (the ātman seated in the heart) has pleasurable and non-pleasurable experiences (due to the actions taken). Mahābhārata 12.248.1
In the light of the above verses and the preceding sections Puruṣhakāra Karma (Voluntary Action) is completed in the following steps:
1. Object of Knowledge (Jneya): First, a cognition (through one of the sense organs) or a thought (new or from memory or in a dream) in the mind (manas) appears.
2. Knowledge (Jnānaṃ): This Object of Knowledge is presented to the Buddhi and is interpreted by it through the filter of five Karmayonis. This interpretation results in ‘Knowledge’ of that object and a decision on the action. The Bhagavad Gita gives a useful tripartite classification of the different kinds of knowledge to emphasize that we should choose the Sāttvik variety and we repeated these verses below-
The Jnāna by which one sees the One Imperishable Being in all beings, undivided in separate beings – know that Jnāna to be Sāttvic. Gita 18.20
The Jnāna which sees in all beings separate entities of various kinds due to their differentiation – know that Jnāna to be Rājasic. Gita 18.21
But that Jnāna which is attached to a single effect as if it were whole without concern for the (real) cause, without grasping the real truth, and trivial – that Jnāna is declared to be Tāmasic. Gita 18.22
3. Desire and Resolve (Karmayoni and Saṃkalpa): The object interpreted by the Buddhi, creates a motivation or desire (Karmayoni) about the necessity of performing the action (samkalpa). The decision of the Buddhi can influenced by Chitta (the reservoir of Vāsanā-s), Ahaṃkāra and the Senses through the Manas as follows but the overall decision lies with the Buddhi:
“The manas also collects and organizes data from ahamkara. Information from the ahamkara can be valid and useful, but its inherent bias must be taken into account……the individual consciousness of ego is born when an infant begins to view existence exclusively in terms of subject and object. This limited “I” perceives every object or relationship as either pleasant or unpleasant. Left undisciplined, the unruly ahamkara continually reinforces a human being’s alienation from the One Absolute Reality.”
“As the manas debates whether or not to take an action, information retrieved from the unconscious portion of the mind (chitta) is added to the various suggestions of the ahamkara and senses. The chitta is analogous to a computer’s hard drive – a reservoir of all your samskaras and the storehouse of information defined as useful in fulfilling your desires.”
“The buddhi is the only function of the mind that has the competence to discriminate and decide. It has the potential for great wisdom. However, without sufficient exercise and purification through sadhana, the buddhi may reflect the limited perspective of the senses, ahamkara and chitta instead of the wisdom of the superconscious mind. This is a perfect example of the “squeaky wheel” theory. Sometimes the loud insistence of the ego, senses, memories, imagination, fear, anger and selfish desires can become the sole basis upon which buddhi makes a decision.
When employed regularly, however, the purified buddhi has the reflective quality of a well-polished mirror. It is the instrument through which the conscious mind can know the will of the Divine Reality. With the regular practice of seated meditation, the buddhi increasingly reflects the intuitive library of knowledge of the superconscious mind. The purified buddhi can always discriminate between the preya [worldly, temporary happiness] and the shreya [spiritually beneficial]. When the manas presents us with the choices that echo the calls of the senses, ahamkara (ego), and chitta (unconscious mind), the purified buddhi will unerringly define and endorse the shreya – that choice will lead us for our highest and greatest good…..”
4. Knower (Pari-Jnātā): The Buddhi (organ) presents the knowledge to the ātmā, which is the true knower.
5. Doer (Karttā): The ātmā, under the influence of the ego (ahaṃkāra) thinks that it wants to perform the action and desires the fruit of that action. The ātmā itself is devoid of the three Guṇa-s but Ahaṃkāra which is comprised of the same. Accordingly, the Karttā is classified into three categories by the Gita to emphasize that we must be of the Sāttvik variety-
The doer who is free from attachment, who free from speech of egotism, full of steadfastness and enthusiasm and who is not perturbed by success or failure – he is said to be a Sāttvic doer. Gita 18.26
The doer who is swayed by passion, who eagerly seeks the fruit of his karma, who is greedy, violentnatured, impure, who is moved by joy and sorrow – he is said to be a Rājasic doer. Gita 18.27 The doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, wicked, deceitful, lazy, despondent and procrastinating – he is said to be a Tāmasic doer. Gita 18.28
6. Organs and Activity (Karaṇa): The samkalpa in the Buddhi then causes the mind and the prāṇas to cause the organs of action act in a particular manner (kṛti). Or if the action is mental, then the samkalpa causes the mind to construct specific thoughts or mental actions.
7. Fruit of Action (Karma): The performance of the action generates saṃskāras that reside in chitta (the subsconscious mind) and will result in Karmaphala at a later time. The Gita gives a useful tripartite classification of Karma to recommend the Sāttvik variety-
That karma which is ordained and is performed without attachment, without desire or hate, with no desire for its fruit, is said to be sāttvic. Gita 18.23
But that karma which is performed by one who wants to satisfy his desires, with great effort and with ego, is declared to be rājasic. Gita 18.24
That karma which is undertaken because of delusion, disregarding the consequences, loss or injury, without regard to one’s own ability, is termed as tāmasic. Gita 18.25
In the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā school of Prabhākara48, a similar sequence of steps is given regarding performance of voluntary Karma-
“1. Kāryatājnāna- It is the sense of duty which consists in the desire for the realization of the good as appropriated by the self and this tells the man that something is to be done.
2. Kṛtisādhyatājnāna – It is the cognition that it can be done by an effort of will (volition).
3. Svavisheṣhattāpratisandhāna – In this stage the self identifies itself with it.
4. Chīkīrṣhā – then the desire to execute the act takes place.
5. Cheṣhtā – the motor impulse of the body works for the execution of the act.
6. Kriyā -Here the action is executed.”
Hindu spiritual traditions lay a great emphasis on the purification of Buddhi by practicing various spiritual disciplines that restrain the Manas, Chitta, Ahaṃkāra and the Senses. A Buddhi that is pure is essentially Sattva Guṇa (which is why Sattva and Buddhi are used synonymously), not tainted with the Rajas at all. Such a Buddhi therefore lacks any of the five-Karmayoni-s and a person whose Buddhi is completely pure is really a ‘Non-Doer’ through whom the Divine Will flows in whatever actions he performs.
“Purifying the buddhi is essential. The more you cleanse and clarify the buddhi- by the practice of seated meditation and all forms of meditation in action – the greater will be your access to the superconscious mind.”
“Yoga science recognizes a parallel in human life. The collective noise of the senses, the opinions of the ego and the power of chitta’s memories and imaginations are so loud that they often drown out the quiet but resolute signal of the buddhi. In order to hear the signal and to heed its message, the yoga scientist must first be able to turn down the noise of the manas (and senses), ego and chitta. Controlling and directing attention accomplishes this.”51
The chariot analogy given in the Katha Upanishad 1.3.3-4 as depicted pictorially, is very useful to understand this concept.
A modern scholar uses this analogy from the Upanishads to explain-
“This image has many important implications. First, it’s the role of the buddhi to keep you headed in the best direction. The mind serves as reins to steer you for your highest and greatest good. When all the major functions of your mind are coordinated to work in harmony, the real Self makes all the decisions. The buddhi, reflecting the will of the Divine Reality, communicates this wisdom to the mind, and the senses and body obey. But when the senses are uncontrolled, they immediately take to the road of desire that promises pleasure. Then we are not determining our destiny. We are enslaved to the whim of our
horses.”
“If you are ignoring your Divine Nature at the moment a thought, desire or emotion appears in your awareness, you are likely to disregard or overlook the wise and good counsel of the buddhi and fall sway to the siren call of the senses, ahamkara and chitta. You may even be fooled temporarily into believing that you are choosing the preya through your own free will, but actions chosen on the basis of fear, anger and greed will always result in disease.”
8.0 Classification of Puruṣhakāra Karma: A Time Perspective
Karma performed in the present time results in latent effects called ‘Saṃskāra-s’ which are of two types – Karmāshaya Saṃskāra-s and Vāsanā Saṃskāra-s (See Section 11 below). These ripen (Karmavipāka) at an appropriate time to give us the ‘fruit’ (Karmaphala) in future time. These latent effects as well as fruit of old Karma in turn influence our future actions. Likewise, our present Karma is influenced by the fruit/latent effects of our past Karma. What this means is that it is not accurate or feasible to divide our Karma easily into ‘action’ and ‘fruit’ very easily. As a modern saint says:
“Karma is far greater than the mere sum of a person’s actions, for it includes both the effects of those actions which are the causes, and the impressions or tendencies created in the subconscious mind by those actions. We speak of the cause and effect relationships between actions and their results as the Law of Karma. This law governs on the plan of human life and consciousness with the same exactness as do the laws of mechanics on the physical plane. Key factors in the working of karmic law are the samskaras, or “impressions” deposited in the lake of the subconscious mind as a person’s character, circumstances and activities….”55
For this reason, action and its latent effects and result (samskāras/karmaphala) are both often designated with the same term ‘Karma’ in Hindu literature. For example, when we say that ‘Rama’s Karma is good’, it could mean either that ‘Rama performs good Karma,’ or it could also mean that ‘Rama’s stock of Samskāras/Karmaphala from previous virtuous deeds is good.”
And because Dharma itself primarily comprises of performing Karma, the same logic applies to the twofold use of the word ‘Dharma’. In other words, ‘Dharma’ stands not merely for doing one’s duty (or performing virtuous acts) but also stands for the fruit of Dharmic acts. In fact, the words ‘Dharma’ and ‘(good) Karma’ are often used interchangeably.
The model of Sanchita, Prārabdha and Āgāmī Karma explains well the duality of Karma as the action, as well its fruit, and influences in future action. Diagrammatically, this model may be depicted below:
This is the sum total of all the accumulated karma (samskāra-s) from one’s past lives as well as the past in the current life. A portion of it, namely vāsanā samskāra-s as will be explained later, manifests in the individual’s overall behavior or character, his attitudes, tendencies, proclivities, desires, aptitudes, innate skills and so on. Another portion of the Sanchita Karma becomes the Prārabdha Karma.
8.2 Prārabdha (‘set into motion’) Karma
It is that part of the Sanchita Karma which results in the present body. It is what we call our ‘fate’ in the present life. We have no control over it once it comes into effect. In fact, even spiritually enlightened saints have to suffer the results of ripened Karma that have started taking effect. That is why we see even virtuous people suffer, and even saints sometimes have miserable lives or die painful deaths.
There is a misconception that Prārabdha relates only to effects of Karma-s performed in previous life that were added to the stock of Sanchita Karma. Even in our current life, we are constantly performing Karmas that become a part of the Sanchita Karma and even fructify. All this Karma that fructifies in the present
life constitutes Prārabdha. Therefore, in essence, Prārabdha refers to all Sanchita Karma, whether performed in this life or in the past lives, which have ripened due to ideal conditions and have begun to yield fruit.
In Panchadashī 7.152-165, Swami Vidyāraṇya (1296-1391 CE) classifies Prārabdha into three categories to explain how the ordinary as well as spiritually enlightened people experience this Karma that has ripened and has started its course-
1. Icchā-Prārabdha: Even enlightened human beings know that actions have specific consequences. For example, we know that stealing will result in misery like arrest and jail-time. Nevertheless, overcome by attachments and desires (‘icchā), we perform good or bad actions, exercising our freewill, and face the consequences. As an example, in the Mahābhārata, Yudhishthira knew that gambling is a harmful addiction. Yet, he indulged in it recklessly due to which he lost his kingdom and caused himself and his family considerable suffering. In this example, the Prārabdha resulted from actions resulting in his present life itself, and they bore fruit in the same life. As another example, Rishi Vishvamitra was overcome by lust and disrupted his meditation to bear a child from an Apsarā, or a celestial nymph. In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, we read about Rishi Saubhari breaking his underwater meditation upon seeing two fish mating and decided to get married. An illustration of someone reaping fruit in the next life is a person who is extremely attached to violent acts, due to which he is reborn as a violent creature, like a tiger.
2. Anicchā-Prārabdha: The overpowering influence of Vāsanā-s from the past can make one act in injudicious ways, even though he really doesn’t want to (‘anicchā’) and thereby suffer the consequences. Conversely, a Yogabhraṣhṭa individual who had made great spiritual progress in previous lives, but had somehow got tempted due to worldly attractions, will continue to be drawn towards spirituality later in a future life because of this overpowering latent influence of his dominant past efforts. For example, we see that children born in uncivilized and criminal families sometimes show the character of a saint.
3. Parecchā-Prārabdha: Sometimes, enlightened persons perform actions for the sake of others, even though these actions bring personal suffering. For example, a knowledgeable Rishi chooses to impart his knowledge to his students even though his altruistic efforts might draw derision from the society around him (‘What a fool he is to impart his knowledge to ungrateful people for free’). This category of Prārabdha is found in enlightened person who desire to do good to others without any selfish motives. Their desires and corresponding actions do not result in any fruit, just like roasted grains look like unroasted grains but the former will not germinate whereas the latter will. The ‘desires’ of enlightened persons are therefore not really ‘desires’ in the ordinary sense of the word, but a spontaneous outpouring of their own elevated nature that has become a channel for Divine Will.
It is often difficult to determine which category of Prārabdha the enlightened Sage is experiencing. But whatever may be the case, Swami Vidyāraṇya points out that for the enlightened person, this suffering or rejoicing manifesting as Prārabdha is unreal. This is because the Sage has surrendered his entire being to the blissful Lord and has mentally detached himself completely from his physical body. Therefore, the pure, enlightened ātmā of the Sage does not experience any suffering even though his body and mind might be
in pain. As examples, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi in our times had what we’d call painful last days due to cancer and tumor respectively. But they remained peaceful and cheerful, having understood that the entire material world including their body, mind, pain etc. are all transitory and unreal, but their true nature, the ātmā, is Divine, eternal and free from any pain.
8.3 Āgāmi Karma
It is that karma which will be performed in future, and that which is being performed currently. Sometimes, the Āgāmi Karma itself is split into two – Kriyamāna (‘being performed’) Karma and Āgāmi (‘future’) Karma. The former is the fresh Karma that we do in this lifetime; the latter represents our intended actions for future, or our future plans that we have not acted out yet, and which are currently in the form of our thoughts. We may or may not eventually carry out our plans, but the very fact that we thought about them results in some fruit. For e.g., we may plan to kill someone we hate, but do not actually carry out the crime. Nevertheless, the evil thought that we harbored results in bad Karma whose consequences we will have to bear sometime in future.
Some define Āgāmī Karma in yet another way as -
“….karma or future actions which will be caused by our present actions. Effects of one’s actions can become causes for his future actions and reactions…..”
However, future actions may or may not be the effect of present actions. They may not be related to present actions at all. All these actions can perhaps be treated as Āgāmī Karma.
Sometimes, but quite rarely, another distinction is made between Āgāmi Karma and Kriyamāna Karma. The former is that Karma whose fruit will result in future lives, or in other words, will be added to the stock of Sanchita Karma, whereas Kriyamāna Karma is that whose effects will be experienced in the near future, and definitely in the present lifetime. But this distinction reminds one of the Drishta Phala Karma and Adrishta Phala Karma discussed later in Section 10.1 and therefore we will ignore this definition of Āgāmi Karma and Kriyamāna Karma.
8.4 Analogies to explain the Relationship between Sanchita, Prārabdha and Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karmas
The following analogy is given to explain the relationship between these three types of karma and the level of control that we have over them:
In this analogy, a hunter has a quiver full of arrows on his back, which represent the sanchita karma.
“Imagine a bowman, with a quiver of arrows, taking aim at a target. He has already sent a shaft; and another arrow he is about to shoot. The bundle of arrows in the quiver on his back is the sanchita; the arrow he has shot is praarabdha; and the one which he is about to send forth from his bow is aagaami. Of these, he has perfect control over the sanchita and aagaami; it is but the praarabdha that cannot but take effect. Man has the freedom to reform his character and alter his ways. Only the past which has begun to take effect he has to suffer.”
Elaborating the Prārabdha Karma further,
“…The arrow shot by him is his prārabdha karma. Once the arrow is released from his bow he does not have any more control over it. It keeps on going through the air and drops to the ground when its energy is completely exhausted. Prārabdha karma is like the arrow over which the hunter does not have any more control. Prārabdha karma creates a man’s body and goes on bringing pleasure and pain until all its karmic force is exhausted and then the body dies. Even saints are not exempted from this process.” Another analogy given is that of a granary:
“….The granary represents the Sanchita Karma; that portion taken from the granary and put in the shop for future daily sale corresponds to Agami; that which is sold daily represents
Prarabhda.”
We can explain the relationship between these four types of Karma with the help of another example that is more contemporary: Sanchita Karma is our total bank balance deposit including the amounts in all of our accounts. Prārabdha Karma is that portion of our bank balance that has matured (e.g. a CD or a DD that has matured). Kriyamāna Karma is that money which we have earned and are in the process of depositing in our bank account. Āgāmi Karma is the money that we plan to deposit in the future, even though we may or may not actually deposit that amount in the future.
A modern teacher explains how we can use the wisdom of the distinction between these four types of Karma to make the right choices-
“We create our own destiny by the choices we make. But while we are free to make choices, once we have acted on them, we are bound to live with their consequences. That’s karma. You may choose to get on a plane to Washington, D. C., but once the plane takes off, you can no longer choose a different destination; you’ll have to disembark in D. C. Still, you can make new choices as to what to do while you’re on the plane or after you arrive. The practical lesson in all of this is that no matter what challenges await us, how we choose to respond to them determines our destiny in this life and in the next.”
9.0 Types of Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karma
With regard to present, Sanchita and Prārabdha Karma exist as Saṃskāra-s whereas the Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karmas are pure energy/action. Kriyamāna or Āgāmī karma may be classified into several categories as described below:
9.1 Nitya Karma
These are deeds that must be done daily. Their regular performance does not necessarily result in merit, but it does counter our bad karma. Non-performance of Nitya Karma results in pāpa or a negative result.
There are three different activities included in this category:
9.1.1 Shārīra Karma
Mundane activities needed for the maintenance of one’s body, such as eating, wearing appropriate clothing, bathing and so on. There is a fine line between bare maintenance of the body, and accumulation.
Free of all expectations (in the results of karma), with his ātman and mind under control, having given up all desires to acquire possessions, performing bodily karma alone, he incurs no evil. Gita
4.21
For example, the sacred books ask us to bathe regularly. If we do, no religious merit is credited. But if we don’t, it will result in illness.
9.1.2 Sādhāraṇa Dharma or Sanātana Dharma
Universal precepts of Dharma that are required to be practiced at all times and places, with a few exceptions – like speaking the truth (except when it harms a virtuous person), giving alms, not stealing and so on.
9.1.3 Panchamahāyajnas
For specific stages of life, certain Karmas like the Panchamahāyajnas in the case of householders, ought to be performed regularly, without break, to the greatest possible extent. Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 25.5 states that
he who does not perform the Agnihotra even though he is capable of performing it is displaced from both heaven and earth by the Devas.
These five great daily yajñas prescribed in the Vedas and the Smritis are:
1. Brahmayajna or Rishiyajna: Studying, reciting and teaching scriptures daily to repay the debt to Brahman and to the Rishis to whom the Vedas were revealed.
2. Devayajna: Perform Agnihotra and other acts of worship with offerings to Devas to repay their debt, and their assistance in running the cosmic processes under Divine supervision.
3. Pitriyajna: Serve the elders in the household and perform periodic shrāddha ceremonies where food offerings are made to departed ancestors.
4. Atithiyajna: Serving and feeding guests, the hungry, and learned members (including teachers) of the society.
5. Bhūtayajna: Feeding destitute humans who are afflicted with deadly diseases, jailed criminals, stray animals, birds and insects with dignity
The reason for their performance is that all living beings are connected together in a cosmic web of relationships involving give and take even though this might not be apparent. And therefore we must give back to others just as we benefit from their gifts. The Vedas and other sacred texts therefore mandate that each householder who is capable, shall perform these five great acts of worship (yajna) every day or else they are tainted with demerit-
Five are the great yajnas that have to be performed every day. They have to be started and completed every day. These are the Deva Yajna, the Pitr-yajna, the bhūta-yajna, manushyayajna and brahma-yajna. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 2.10.1
A false man is he who does not worship the Devas, Pitars or humans (Atithis). Rigveda, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 32.8
Krishna said:
In ancient times, Prajāpati created humans together with Yajnas and said, “By Yajnas you shall procreate, let this (Yajnas) be the cow that fulfills your desires.” Gita 3.10
By this yajna, you shall sustain the Devas, so that the Devas sustain you. Sustaining one another, you shall obtain the supreme good. Gita 3.11
The righteous, consuming what is left after the Yajnas, are freed from all evil. But the wicked who cook only for themselves indeed eat only evil. Gita 3.13
Nakula said to Yudhishthira: The householder who does not perform yajnas despite being rich and having abundant grains and animals perpetually falls into an evil state.
Mahābhārata 12.12.23
He is called a Vighasāshī (eater of remnants of Yajna) who consumes his food only from remnants after offering food to the Devas, his parents and other elders, Atithis and his servants. Mahābhārata 12.221.15
He who cooks food for himself alone eats nothing but evil because it is prescribed (by
Vedas) that whatever is left after performance of Yajnas alone shall be the food of virtuous.
Manusmriti 3.118
9.2 Naimittika Karma
These are Karmas that are done only on specific occasions or for specific reasons. These are divided into the following two categories-
9.2.1 Shrauta or other Ceremonial Actions
E.g. the worshippers of Vishnu fast on the Ekādashī day. Or perform annual shraddha ceremonies, yajnas performed on full-moon nights etc. Saṃskāra-s performed at different milestones in the journey of life.
9.2.2 The Smārtta or Varṇāshrama Dharma
Duties that are specific to certain social classes (varṇa dharma) or stages of life (ashrama dharma).
This is indeed the antidote for the ātman in humans – acquiring the knowledge of the Veda, and the due performance of one’s duty. Performance of one’s own duty means pursuit of duties of the āshrama (stage of one’s life) to which one belongs. Duties of āshrama are like the trunk of a tree, and all other duties are its branches. By performing these duties, one is uplifted, otherwise one gets goes downward…..Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad 4.3
He who follows any of the four different Āshramas with determination, with faith and in the proper manner eventually attains Moksha. Anugita 20.45
The first two categories, namely Nitya and Naimittika Karma are collectively referred to as Niyata (‘Allotted’) Karma or Svadharma (personal duty) by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Hindu scriptures declare that regular performance of Niyata Karmas purifies one’s mind and intellect so that they become Sāttvik due to which the person becomes receptive to and imbued with Jnāna. Otherwise, their performance does not have any other tangible benefit or fruit leading to joys and sorrows. However, their nonperformance leads to papa – evil or negative consequences.
Performing one’s work alone should one desire to live in this world his full-life span of a hundred years. This is the only way one does not get tainted by karma, and there is no other way. Yajurveda, Ishāvāsya Upanishad 2
The Brahmanas seek to know the Ātman through the study of the Vedas, yajnas, charity and dispassionate enjoyment of sense objects. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad 4.4.22̣
By performance of Dharma, one is freed of all evil. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 10.22.1
Upon the exhaustion of the fruit of evil Karma, knowledge arises in the hearts of men, just as one can see himself in the mirror after wiping the dust covering it. Mahābhārata 12.204.8
Upon being free from the bonds of prior evil karmas and after performing good karma, the person becomes pure and gets engaged in Yoga and austerity. Mahābhārata 3.209.39
Krishna said:
Acts of Yajnas, Austerity and Charity must not be forsaken and they must be performed. Yajnas,
Austerity and Charity are indeed the purifiers of the wise thinkers. Gita 18.5
Indeed, the renunciation of allotted karma (obligatory duties) is not appropriate. Forsaking them from delusion is said to be a Tāmasic relinquishment. Gita 18.7
He who relinquishes karma because doing it is painful, or because of the fear that it will cause bodily suffering, his relinquishment is Rājasic, and he does not obtain the fruit of relinquishment.
Gita 18.8
He who does his obligatory karma (duty) because it ought to be done, forsaking attachment and also its fruit, his relinquishment is regarded as Sāttvik. Gita 18.9
Krishna said to Sañjaya:
Only those branches of learning that generate some activity bear fruit, and not other branches of learning. Between the two – karma and knowledge, one can see directly only karma yielding a beneficial result in this life. A thirst person becomes pacified only after drinking water (not by merely knowing about water). Mahābhārata 5.29.9
Knowledge has been prescribed along with Karma (in the Vedas), and therefore, Karma pervades even knowledge. But he who considers the abandonment of karma as superior to doing karma, he is weak, and I consider his words as devoid of any worth. Mahābhārata 5.29.10
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna emphasizes that one’s Svadharma depends on one’s inborn or inherent qualities or nature (sahajaṃ karma). Some of these duties have negative side effects, just as fire is associated with smoke. Nevertheless, these, one must continue to perform or Divinely ordained duties diligently, with faith and as an act of worship to the Lord rather than switch to someone else’s Svadharma that is perceived to be more glamorous. He specifically refers to Varṇa Dharma and says-
Devoted each to his own duty, a person attains perfection. Hear then how one who is engaged in his own duty attains perfection. Gita 18.45
He from whom the natural activities (or duties) of all beings arise and by Whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty does a person attains perfection. Gita 18.46
Better is one’s own duty, though imperfect, than the duty of another carried out perfectly. Gita 18.47 One should not abandon the duty which is inborn even though it may be defective. Son of Kunti, all karmas (done with a selfish purpose) are enveloped by defects, as fire by smoke. Gita 18.48
Some analogous verses from the Manusmriti and Mahabharata are listed below-
It is better to perform one’s own allotted duty incompletely than to perform completely that of another because he who lives by performing the duties of another soon falls from his caste. Manusmriti 10.97
There is no object that has only good qualities. There is no object that has no good qualities. Every act has a good as well as an evil aspect to it. Mahābhārata 12.16.50
None can practice pure and unadulterated Dharma whether he be devoted to Dharma, is a householder, a celibate student or a King (because every action is tainted with a portion of evil). Mahābhārata 12.75.28
An act that appears to insignificant but is very meaningful is a truly great. It is better to act than not to act because there is no greater sinner than one who does not perform his duty. Mahābhārata 12.75.29
9.2.3 Paurāṇic Karma
In addition to Shrauta and Smārtta karma-s are also the Paurāṇika acts which are described first in detail in the Purāṇa-s. Like numerous Vrata-s.
9.3 Kāmya Karma
These are karma that are done with a specific goal in mind. For example, specific Yajnas performed by a childless couple for the sake of giving birth to a child. The Vedic scriptures prescribe several ceremonies to achieve specific goals or gains. For instance, “One who desires heaven should perform yajna” (Rigveda, Shānkhāyana Brāhmaṇa 4.11). In the secular world, an example would be working extra hours so as to get a promotion at work.
Svadharma done as a part of one’s family life (e.g., taking care of one’s spouse and children, or aged parents) or the one’s varṇa (social class) duties are NOT included in this category. But when they are done with the desire for a renumeration of a specific benefit, they are not Kāmya Karma. For instance, when a Brahmana teaches the Vedas to other for a fee, it is kāmya karma. But when he does them as his duty, it is not kāmya karma.
It is not obligatory to perform Kāmya Karma because they are not required absolutely by the scriptures. They are performed solely with the purpose of fulfilling certain desires and their non-performance does not result in any evil. However, their performance does have some evil side effects. For instance, Kāmya Yajnas could involve violence through the ritual slaughter of an animal. These side effects taint kāmya karmas, and in addition to reaping the good and intended result of these acts, one must also face the negative sideeffects of consequences as well.
9.4 Vikarma or Pratishiddha Karma (Evil and Prohibited Karma)
This is evil or prohibited Karma which will result in bad fruit. We should not perform these types of Karma unless the circumstances force us to do them. These acts are forbidden by the Shāstras and have negative consequences. Hindu scriptures list the following major Pratishiddha Karmas that should not be performed physically, verbally and mentally-
Coveting the possessions of others even if through unjust means; desiring to do sinful actions; obstinacy in sticking to wrong notions – these are the three mental sins. Manusmriti 12.5 Speaking harshly; speaking lies; backbiting; speaking irrelevant words without any purpose – these are the four verbal sins. Manusmriti 12.6
Using the possessions of others without receiving them as gifts; indulging in non-permissible violence; having sex with the wife of someone else – these are three physical sins. Manusmriti 12.7
Evil Karma can be classified into several categories depending on the gravity or intensity. In general, physical misdeeds are more severe than verbal misdeeds which in turn are more heinous than mental misdeeds. Beyond this principle, sacred Hindu literature classifies evil deeds in the following descending order of gravity, noting here that different texts give different classifications-
1. Mahāpātaka Karma: According to Chhāndogya Upanishad 5.10.9, this includes five deeds – stealing gold, drinking liquor, adultery with Guru’s wife, murdering a Brahmana and associating with one who has committed these crimes.
2. Upapātaka Karma: These are of a lower gravity than the preceding evils and include killing a cow, adultery, forsaking one’s elderly parents and Guru, abandoning one’s child etc.
3. Pātaka Karma: These result in the loss of one’s social class and include evils like stealing foodgrains, smelling liquor etc.
4. Ashuchikara: Acts that lead to temporary impurity like stepping over the feces of an animal.
The lists given for these evils in ancient texts like Smritis are obviously dated and reflect the prejudices of their times, and are understood to be so. These lists obviously need to be updated with time and place. For instance, cyber-crimes will not be mentioned in ancient texts.
9.5 Prāyaschitta Karma
These are acts of atonement or penances/expiation done to counterbalance Vikarma or evil effects of Kāmya and other acts. In a way, Prāyaschitta Karma is also a kind of Kāmya karma, because it is done with the goal or the desire to cleanse one of the evil effects of bad deeds. Below are cited some verses elucidating different aspects of this category of actions in summary because this is a vast topic and a detailed discussion is beyond the scope of the present compilation.
By not performing the duties commanded by scriptures, by doing prohibited things, and by being led astray by uncontrolled senses, a person can become downfallen. It is the duty of such a person to perform an atonement, because doing so brings joy to his own conscience and also to his community. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.219-220
All Rishis describe a penance for an evil Karma that was unintentionally committed; some declare, on the evidence of the Shruti, that it may be performed even for an intentionally committed offence. Manusmriti 11.45
A sin unintentionally committed is expiated by the recitation of Vedic scriptures, but that which men in their foolishness commit intentionally, by various special penances. Manusmriti 11.46 Penance, they say, is a self-reflection, whereby reality is sought to be determined or it is a way of repentance for the sins of previous life. Garuda Purāṇa 3.21.3
Prāya is a penance wherein the mind is controlled. Hence, Prāyascitta (expiation) is a way of selfcontrol. It is not the tonsure of head which they do while entering penance. Garuda Purāṇa 3.21.4
Atonements are heavy or light depending on whether the evil act was committed knowingly or unknowingly respectively by the doer. Mahābhārata 12.35.45
Following scripture prescribed atonement procedures frees one of the results of evil actions. But these atonement procedures are meant only for him who believes in the scriptures and has faith. Mahābhārata 12.35.46
But they who have a prominence of hate and arrogance, and who lack faith or and do not adhere to scriptures, no procedure for atonement is prescribed for them in the scriptures. Mahābhārata 12.35.47
9.6 Akarma
These are karmas that do not generate any saṃskāra-s and therefore do not bear fruit. They include-
1. Karmas performed in childhood when one does not know the distinction between good and bad, between what is Dharma and what is Adharma.
Story: The Mahābhārata narrates the story of a Rishi Māṇdavya, who was falsely accused of a theft. He was arrested and the king ordered him to be impaled with a stake or a spike through his abdomen.
The Sage survived but lived the rest of his life in great discomfort and under humiliation. When he died and reached the gates of Yamarāja, he asked, “For what crime did I have to suffer this false allegation of being a thief, get impaled and live in great pain and misery?” Yamarāja replied, “When you were a little kid, you had pierced an insect with a thorn, causing it great pain and death. For this evil act, you had to suffer.” The Rishi replied, “You were very unfair in your retribution for an act that I did in ignorance as a little kid who did not know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. I curse you to be reborn as a human and live on earth for a hundred years.” It is said that as a result of this curse, Yamarāja was born as Vidura the wise. This story drives home the message that the actions of those who are incapable of making a rational choice between good and evil do not have any karmic consequences.
2. Karmas that are performed by an individual who is insane, intoxicated or who suffers from a psychological situation (e.g. hysteria). However, intoxication is a voluntary act which does not absolve one completely of an evil act because one must be responsible nevertheless to understand the potential consequences (i.e., losing control over oneself and indulge in evil acts) of consuming intoxicating substances.
3. Karma of non-human beings, be they lower life forms (e.g. animals) or higher life forms (Devas in heaven). Lower lifeforms are tied to their inherent nature and do not have the ability to overcome it by making better, ethical choices (in human terms). For example, a tiger cannot decide to make the moral choice to stop hunting and instead eat only that food which he can procure without violence. The nature of each creature is ingrained in their DNA and only human beings and creatures above the human state can overcome their nature to aspire for higher goals of Dharma and Moksha.
4. The Karmas of Avatāras and Devas too do not produce any phala, and if it appears so, that is merely a play of the Avatāra meant to set a good example for humans. In common parlance, Hindus often interpret the suffering of Avatāras (e.g. Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, having to disappear into the ocean for several aeons) to the fact that Vishnu had punished the wife of Rishi Bhrigu for having covertly supported the Asuras in their battle with the Devas. Angered by the loss of his wife. Bhrigu then cursed Vishnu that he too shall lose his wife Lakshmi and grieve just as he had to. Likewise, the kidnapping of Sita and her recovery by Rāma with great effort is also sometimes attributed to the same incident of Vishnu killing Bhrigu’s wife. Although these narratives are present in the Rāmāyaṇa (Uttarakāṇda) and in other texts, they are not to be taken literally. They are only meant to emphasize to us humans that the Law of Karma is inviolable because ‘even if the Devas have to face consequences of their Karma, then how can we humans dodge the Law of Karma?’
5. Niṣhkarma: These are actions that are performed along the path of Karmayoga due to which they do not produce any results. See below for more details.
Akarma also means not doing any Karma at all. According to Bhagavad Gita, not doing our duty is actually Adharma or Vikarma. Note that involuntary and reflex actions do not fall within the category of Puruṣhakāra Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karma because they are not conscious choices of one’s mind. These nonactions also do not leave any saṃskaras in our minds.
The Gita declares that it is impossible for a person to be truly action-less at all times.
Krishna said:
No one can remain without doing karma for even an instant. Compelled by Gunas that are born of Prakriti, everyone is compelled to do karma. Gita 3.5
You must perform your allotted karma (duty) because action is better than inaction. In fact, not even the sustenance of your body can be accomplished through inaction. Gita 3.8
For this reason, Akarma is not giving up action. It is giving up the fruit of action-
Krishna said:
It is indeed impossible for embodied beings to abstain from karma altogether. But he who gives up the fruit of his karma – he is said to be the relinquisher. Gita 18.11
At times, we make a conscious choice to not act at all. This non-action can also be in the category of Kāmya Karma or Vikarma and so on. These ‘pseudo’ Akarmas therefore can leave saṃskāras in our minds. Krishna points to instances where people pretend that they are not acting but are actually thinking about objects of senses and calls them people of false conduct or hypocrites-
Krishna said:
He who restrains his organs of action but whose mind continues to dwell on the objects of these senses is called a hypocrite (of one of false conduct) having a deluded ātman. Gita 3.6
In fact, the Jīvātmā becomes a doer when it is overcome by Ahaṃkāra. Therefore if it still possesses ego while not acting at all, it continues to be a ‘doer’.
Prahlāda said to Indra, “Just because one does not make any effort to act does not make him a nondoer. In this world, even a non-doer nevertheless has the ego that ‘I am the doer’”. Mahābhārata
12.222.16
Swami Rama, in his commentary on Gita 4.16-4.17, explains why inaction is also a form of action,
“Many people are overly cautious and afraid of taking actions, so they become inactive. Inaction makes one inert and is worse than wrong action. During the period of inaction one appears not to be performing actions, but he is actually reacting adversely to the situation he faces. He is in a sort of negative withdrawal that leads to slothful ideas: “Why do I need it; why should I do it; I can live without it; I’m not capable; therefore I should not even make an effort to do it.”
Another example would be a King looking the other way while bullies in his kingdom are exploiting the weak. The King cannot said to be action-less because he has chosen to abdicate his duty of protecting the weak in his kingdom and will therefore reap the fruit of his immoral inaction.
With respect to Akarma in general, one might recall the related concept of Avividiṣhā Karmayoni discussed above in section 6.5.5.
9.7 Niṣhkarma or Karmayoga
This is a special class of Akarmas wherein the mature and sane doer performs does his karmas consciously in such a way that they bear no fruit. The path of Karma Yoga teaches this skill on how one can live in this world actively and yet make sure that we will not get smeared by the fruit of our karmas.
Krishna said:
Having relinquished attachment to the fruit of Karma, ever content, without any kind of dependence, he does not perform any Karma, even though he is duly engaged in activity. Gita 4.20
The fruit of the karma of those who have not relinquished after they die is threefold – evil, good and mixed. But for the renouncers, there is none whatever. Gita 18.12
The knower of Brahman does not consider himself as the doer of his actions. Therefore, his karmas are considered neither as good deeds, nor as bad deeds. And they bear neither good fruit nor bad fruit. Mahābhārata 13.120.24
With a mind that is full of grace (or gratitude), the Yogi forsakes both good and evil karma. His whole being is blissful, and abiding always in the Ātman, he experiences infinite joy. Mahābhārata 12.246.10
By treading the path of Nivritti, undertaking pilgrimages, studying Vedas and Smritis and by chanting also one eliminates evil deeds. The Vedas declare that a renouncer (tyāgī) cannot do any evil and is not bound by births and deaths. Mahābhārata 12.7.37cd-38
Following is an analogy of Selfless Action:
“…If the doer does not want the fruits of his action, the fruits will never come to him….It is like a person who has deposited one million dollars in a bank with the instruction that the income from his investment must not be credited to his account; it should be given in charity to a church. In this case, the account holder is not expecting the fruits of his investment. The result of his investment – the interest income – will not come back to him. In the same manner, a person who works while disowning the fruits of his action will break a link in the chain of repeated births and deaths and will not be born again. In other words, he will attain liberation.”
The actions of the Yogī who acts without attachments, whose mind is free of all Kleshas, who does not desire for the fruit of his action and who has renounced all of his Karma-s to the Divine are neither ‘black’ nor ‘white’ and therefore they have no fruit.
Svadharma when performed without desire of the fruit falls within this category. Likewise, Shārīra Karma, when performed without concern for conserving one’s possessions and acquire more possessions than strictly needed for one’s subsistence are also Niṣhkarma. The path of Karma Yoga teaches this skill on how one can live in this world actively and yet make sure that we will not get smeared by the fruit of our karmas. Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna exhorts us to live ethically (i.e., reject Vikarma), give up inaction (i.e. Akarma), continue to perform the Niyata karma (Svadharma) without fail, without attachment for fruit or selfish motives; and also continue to perform kāmya karmas without a desire for their fruit for the sake of social harmony/cohesion and to set an example for others.
Bhārata, just as the unlearned do their karma due to attachment, so must the learned also act, but without desire and wishing the welfare of this world. Gita 3.25
Let the learned not create confusion in the intellect of the ignorant who are attached to karma. The learned should engage them in performing all Karma, while himself performing karma as a Yogi. Gita 3.26
10.0 Time Lag between Action and Result: Karmavipāka or the ‘Ripening of Karma’
Some Karma-s ripen to yield fruit after death, others ripen in this very life, yet other Karma-s either in this life or the next; the determining factor (in what the fruit will be) is the intent (in the mind of the doer while performing the action). Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.133
Just as the flowers bloom and fruit emerge at the right time, and no one can push a plant to flower and yield fruit, in the same way, the results of karma performed at the right time. Mahābhārata
13.7.23
If we throw different types of seeds on the same plot of ground, they will germinate at different times. And even after germination, they will generate fruit at different times. E.g. a coconut tree will take several years before its tree yields coconut, whereas wheat or rice will give grains within the same season. In fact, there is a slight difference in the time in which different grains of wheat will take to sprout even if thrown on the same plot of land. Similarly, fruit of our past actions are reaped only at the ‘right’ time, whether in this life or in the next. This is called ‘ripening of karma’.
There is a time lag – short or long, between when we do the karma, and when we reap its fruit. For example, if we are thirsty, we drink water, and the feeling of thirst is gone immediately. If we want to gain or lose weight, we must go on a diet and exercise regime. It will take some time (several weeks or months) to reach the desired weight. Another illustration explains this time-lag:
“Adding a gallon of clear water to a filthy swimming pool won’t make the pool appreciably clearer. However, if there is a slow and steady flow of pure water coming into a reservoir, and dirty water is flowing out at the same rate, the clarity of the accumulated water necessarily will keep improving until it is almost crystal clear. Similarly, it generally takes weeks or months to lose an appreciable amount of weight. The same applies to a “sin-loss” program or a commitment to transform one’s thinking. Sometime usually will pass before we see the positive effects reflected in our life.
Another illustration of the same type of action leading to fruit immediately and after some time is given below-
“The stored impressions wait for an opportunity to come to the surface and bring their reactions. You do not always get the reactions in the same order in which you perform the actions; it depends on the nature of the actions performed. If you eat some undesirable food and soon thereafter put your finger into a candle flame, your first Karma is eating the food and your second is putting your finger into the flame. But the second Kama brings a result immediately. The first Karma may not germinate for one or two days; then you will get a stomach-ache. Whatever you have done, you will surely have to get the reaction. There is no getting away from Karma. It is like a boomerang that comes back to one who throws it.”
And if we want to purify our ātmā, it takes years of spiritual discipline to do so. In fact, it may take several lifetimes. Some immature and short-sighted people think that they can cheat the law of karma because other
evil-doers are not seen to reap the fruit of their evil actions. Our sacred texts warn us not to fool ourselves in this regard and remain steadfast on the path of doing virtuous deeds -
Sage Shukracharya said – Adharma does not yield fruit quickly, just as the cow yields milk only after being looked after for a long time. Instead, Adharma gradually gnaws at the roots of the doer. Mahābhārata 1.80.2
Sage Lomasha said to Yudhishthira – O King, Adharma initially causes one’s progress, gets the doer riches that cause happiness, enables him to conquer his enemies but eventually leads to his complete ruin down to the roots. I have seen many demons etc. become powerful through Adharma in the beginning, but they eventually get destroyed. Mahābhārata 3.94.4-5
Let him, though suffering in consequence of his righteousness, never turn his heart to unrighteousness; for he will see the speedy overthrow of unrighteous, wicked men. Manusmriti 4.171
Unrighteousness, practiced in this world, does not at once produce its fruit, like a cow does not yield milk right after its birth; but advancing slowly, it cuts off the roots of him who committed it. Manusmriti 4.172
He prospers for a while through unrighteousness, then he gains great good fortune, next he conquers his enemies, but (at last) he perishes branch and root. Manusmriti 4.174
Yudhishthira said - Do not have doubts about Dharma or about the Devas if you do not see results of your good deeds promptly. Instead of finding faults with Dharma or the Devas, continue to perform worship and give charity diligently. Mahābhārata 3.31.38
Certain types of Puruṣhakāra karma like extremely heinous crimes (e.g. killing a saint, or a woman) typically bear a negative result within this very life. But most of the good or bad actions are quite trivial and they may or may not bear result in this life, or much later in the same life. If they do not bear result in the present life, they get added to the store of sanchita karma.
10.1 Drishta Phala and Adritsha Phala
Karma that results in a tangible result or fruit within a short time in the present life itself is called ‘Drishtaphala Karma’. On the other hand, those Karma whose fruit is reaped in a future lifetime are called ‘Adrishtaphala Karma’. Or in other words, if we are unable to trace any pain or pleasure today to something that we did in our present life, then we term it as Adrishtaphala Karma. The distinction between the two may be described using the following practical examples:
“During an average lifetime a doer performs innumerable deeds the effects of which are equally countless. All the effects of his actions do not immediately return to him, although some of them may. For instance, if a person plants an apple sapling in his orchard it will be years before he can get the fruits. But if he puts his hand into fire it will have immediate effect; his hand will be burnt.”
Other examples from the classical Hindu tradition are - King Dasharatha accidentally killed Shravaṇakumāra, the sole son of aged and blind parents, while hunting. Several years later, his own favorite son Rama left for the forest for fourteen years, leaving the desolate King, who died of grief within six days. Krishna lengthened the Sari of Draupadi endlessly as she was being disrobed forcibly because in a previous
life, she had torn the helm of her Sari to bandage the bleeding injury of a person. The first is Dṛṣhṭa Karmaphala whereas the latter is Adṛṣhṭa Karmaphala.
Examples of Adṛiṣhṭa Karmaphala
The concept of Adṛṣhṭa (invisible or unseen) as a force that causes past Karmas to cause some result in a distant future without any apparent connection between the Karma and it result is quite well developed in the Vaisheshika and the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Darshana-s. The Vaisheshika Sūtra gives the following examples of invisible results of Adṛṣhṭaphala Karma:
The rising of mind and prāṇas from the body upon death, their entry into the food and procreative elements of the parents, abiding in the embryo and the union of the ātmā with the embryo are also due to the invisible result (merit and demerit) of actions. Vaisheshika Sūtra 5.2.17
Bathing (in sacred waters like Ganga), fasting, celibacy, residence in the school of the Guru, living in the Vānaprastha state, performance of Yajnas, charity, ritual sanctification of grains (before eating), following rules pertaining to directions, constellations, employment of mantras and time result in the production of the invisible results (merit and demerit) of actions. Vaisheshika Sūtra 6.2.2
The invisible result (merit or demerit) of actions also originates from following the rules of the four stages of life (āshramas), defects (like attachment or aversion) or lack of defects (e.g., having faith) in the performance of actions. Vaisheshika Sūtra 6.2.3
A contemporary Hindu teacher uses the following story as an illustration to explain this type of Karma and Karmaphala-
“A gentleman who lived with his wife and two sons got initiated by a monk of a high order. The elder son was given to evil ways while the younger was spiritually inclined and liked to spend his days in studying the sacred scriptures. One day, a learned man came to that village and it was arranged that he should give a religious discourse. All the people of the village went to hear the discourse. The elder brother, however, did not attend, though he was asked by his younger brother, to avail himself of the opportunity to hear a good religious discourse. When the father returned after hearing the discourse, he found that his younger son had not returned. The elder son, however, came back and handed over a lump of gold to his father, saying that he had picked it on his way whole returning home. The father and his elder son went with the servants in search of the younger son. They found him lying unconscious under a banyan tree. He was brought home and when he regained consciousness, he said that while coming back from the religious discourse, hi foot had stuck violently against the stump of a tree and he had fallen down unconscious.
The father found it strange that the sun who never thought of God even once in a day had found a lump of gold whereas the boy who was deeply devoted to God had met with an accident while returning home. Next day when his Guru came, he told him all that had happened and then spoke about the doubt that had entered into his mind. He said that it seemed to him useless to say his prayers and worship God if he was going to be awarded in this fashion. The Guru sat silent for a while engaged in deep concentration and then said that the past Karma of the elder son was so good that he could have become a king but that his evil conduct in the present life had reduced the good luck to his finding a lump of gold on the previous day; while the younger brother had been fated to die at the time the accident had taken place, but through the grace of God, he had survived after meeting with a trifling accident.”
Most of the religious ceremonies (like various yajnas) that are performed fall within this category. For instance, if a person performs a Yajna to go to heaven, the result is not seen in this lifetime. He does not start levitating towards heaven right after performing the yajna. The intended fruit is available to him only after his death.
Example of Drishta Phala
“On his return to India after one of his international trips advocating independence for India, Gandhi was traveling to Delhi. As he stepped onto the train, one of his sandals slipped off and fell to the ground below. Immediately, just as the train started to move off, he removed the other one and threw it down.
“Why did you do that, Babaji?” asked one of his companions.
“The beggar who finds one, shall benefit from two.” Gandhi replied. They continued on their journey.
Twelve months later Gandhi visited a town for celebrations to Goddess Lakshmi. It was crowded and he had, without meaning to, become separated from his companions. As he looked about for his party, he heard a voice shouting abuse behind him, “You are destroying our beloved Bharat!” Before Gandhi could turn around, he felt himself knocked to the ground and kicked in the side.
“Leave him alone!”
Gandhi heard a shuffling beside him and as he opened his eyes he saw a familiar sight, the sandals that he had left on the train line. Strong hands reached down to him and gently lifted him up. “Take no notice of that ruffian, Babuji, he’s a fool and up to no good. I was like that until a year ago.”
“What happened to change you?” Gandhi asked, and he brushed the dust off his clothes as the story unfolded.
“I had nothing and was too full of resentment to do anything about it. However my friend wanted me to accompany him to a celebration.”
“This is your opportunity to improve yourself,” my friend said. “Join in the praise for Lakshmi, and the Goddess of prosperity will assist you.”
“It’s a long walk,” I replied. “You at least have sandals to protect your feet. I have nothing and am not likely to get anything.” Then just at that moment, as we were walking along the train line, I noticed a very fine pair of sandals indeed.
“You have no excuses now,” my friend said, and laughed as I put them on.
“We walked there together and joined the celebration. There was much work to be done and with my new sandals, came a new attitude. Normally, I would begrudge anyone anything but now I helped everyone. In fact, one of the organizers of the celebration was so impressed that he gave me a job that I still have, to assist him with all the celebrations here and in neighboring towns. Now I am a respected person in the community.”
Gandhi looked into the man’s eyes and said softly, “Thank you.””
10.2 Karma and Punarjanma (Rebirth)
Karma is the cause of the production of the body and therefore its union with the ātmā. Nyāyasūtra
3.2.70
In Hindu Dharma, the doctrines of Karma and Rebirth are two sides of the same coin and complement each other. We do not reap the fruit of all our deeds in our present life, and therefore we are reborn to reap them.
In our present life, our experiences, challenges or good luck does not often correspond to the good or bad actions that we have performed. The non-conforming experiences are explained as a result of actions done in previous lives. Likewise, inequalities from birth, innate/congenital skills or deficiencies etc., are all explained comprehensively in Hindu Dharma by pair the doctrine of Karma as a natural precursor to and complement to the doctrine of rebirth. In fact, the pairing of Karma with Rebirth is essential to provide a rational explanation for the problem of evil and suffering in the world, as explained by a modern Hindu teacher -
“One of the most powerful inferential arguments for upholding the fact of reincarnation is that, without the existence of reincarnation and karma (reincarnation and karma are inseparable in the philosophical system of Santana Dharma; you cannot have one without the other), the existence of human suffering has no satisfactory explanation and no coherent meaning. Logically speaking, we can only explain the meaning of suffering that we observe in the world by inferring the fact of reincarnation and karma.”
“The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) especially find it difficult to explain the reason for suffering and evil. Throughout the two-thousand-year history of Christian philosophy, for example, Christian philosophers and theologians have attempted to create innumerable explanations for the existence of suffering – so many, in fact, that these attempts at explanation became a whole category of philosophical argument called “theodicies”. None of these attempts, however, have ever been proven philosophically sustainable, demonstrable or satisfactory. The reason why this is precisely because it is impossible to explain the existence of suffering without turning to the concepts of karma and reincarnation.
Without the soul being an eternal reality that existed before the creation of the material body, there is no explanation whatsoever that can be offered for why a good, merciful, all-knowing and allpowerful God would allow some of His children to be born less than whole. Only the Dharmic path can give in intellectually satisfactory and spiritually comforting explanation for this reality of human suffering.”
From the above discussion, it follows that when we are born, we inherit from our previous lives the samskāras of karma done on previous lives. In our present lives, we experience the pleasant and unpleasant results of some past karmas (whether done in past lives or in the next) and accumulate the results of newer karmas that we perform. When the present body dies, Brahman who is the witness of our karma-s, causes us to be reborn appropriately in a new, different body. Once again, we experience results of some of our past karmas, and generate new ‘non-ripened’ karmas, causing us to be reborn.
This cycle of birth, death and rebirth has no beginning. Under the influence of our Karma, and the guidance of Brahman, who witnesses our Karma from within our hearts, it continues endlessly. This endless cycle is often compared to a wheel that is rotating endlessly and is called ‘samsāra’ in the Hindu scriptures. In the
Hindu worldview therefore, truth of repeated births naturally follows from the science of karma. They are like two sides of the same coin.
11.0 From Karma to Karmaphala: Saṃskāra-s or Intermediate Subtle Effects of Karma
As stated above, voluntary actions with an ethical dimension yield a result. Sometimes, multiple Karmas yield a single result. For example, to grow food grains, the farmer will plow his fields, sow the seeds, irrigate and fertilize the fields and finally, harvest the crop, followed by thrashing the grain to remove the husk. Conversely, a single Karma can result in multiple fruit. For example, meditation has spiritual as well as health benefits. But actions do not result in fruit directly. Unless the result of an action is instantaneous, actions and their fruit are typically separated by an intermediate latent effects called ‘Saṃskāra-s’.
11.1 How is Puruṣhakāra Karma converted into its Fruit? Samskāra, Vāsanā/Karmāshaya
11.1.1 Samskāras
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gives a beautiful analogy to explain the concept of samskāras. The human being is like a palm tree and the mind is like the trunk of this tree. Leaves of karmas keep sprouting from the trunk as it grows upwards. After each leaf has lived its lifespan, it dries, and drops off from the trunk with its stalk. Before the leaf falls off, it contributes to the growth of the tree trunk. Upon falling off, each stalk leaves a mark on the trunk where it was attached. Each such mark fades with time as the trunk grows taller and taller, but nevertheless the mark remains there, and is a part of its overall structure and appearance. In a similar way, every karma produces a samskāra that outlives the life of the karma. And a collection of these samskāras determines the overall appearance and structure (i.e., overall character of a human being or svabhāva) of the trunk.
According to Hindu scriptures, Samskāras are also comprised of the three guṇas of Prakriti and they are extremely subtle.83
Samskāras are of two types: Karmāshaya and Vāsanās. These two types influence each other. It might be noted that whereas traditional Hindu Dharma gives equal importance to both these types of Samskāras, the modern Hindu teachers as well as New Agers tend to focus more on the Vāsanā Samskāras, or the psychological effects of Karma/ Samskāras.
Following describes the significance of Samskāras:
Samsakaras are the dormant traces of our past karmas, actions, thoughts, desires and memories….samskaras link the soul with the subconscious mind. When the life breath ceases, the subconscious mind and the soul separate from the body, the five active organs, the five senses and the conscious portion of the mind. This separation does not mean complete annihilation. Our samskaras, having all the potential of past memories, thoughts, and deeds, remain latent in our subconscious mind. It is the subconscious mind which is the vehicle in which the soul travels from this plane of life to another. Death is actually a mere separation.
11.1.2 Karmāshaya Saṃskāra
Also referred to as ‘Trivipāka Samskāras,’ it is a collection of those Samskāras which is capable of modifying three things – birth (genus or jāti), life span (āyus) and experience (of pleasure and pain). Both Puruṣhakāra Karma (voluntary action) and Bhogabhūta Karma (involuntary action) in the present life are influenced by the Karmāshaya from the past.
However, some of these Trivipāka Samskāras are primary, and the others are secondary as explained below:
“Among the latencies [samskāras constituting the karmāṣhaya] some are primary and others secondary and supplementary to them. The dominant karmāṣhaya which takes effect first and marks off the broad outlines of the next existence is the primary one. The weaker Karmāṣhaya which functions as supplementary to the dominant Karmāṣhaya is the secondary one. Primary or dominant Karmāṣhaya is formed out of acts repeatedly done or out of the intensity of feelings arising out of them. Other Karmāṣhayas are secondary ones.”
11.1.3 Vāsanā-s
These are Samskāras which are only in the form of memories. They result in recollection alone, and arise from the feelings related to pleasure and pain, experiences in a specific genus (life form) and the entire span of life. Their impact is psychological – likes and dislikes, aptitudes, phobias, philias, innate skills, natural talents and so on.
Of these two souls, the individual soul in its different bodies performs acts of Dharma and Adharma – some on its own, some impelled by its nature (related to the body that it has assumed) and others due to its practice of doing particular things over several lives. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.68
Swami Sivananda explains-
“Actions produce [Vāsanā] Samskāras or potential impressions that coalesce together and form tendencies. These tendencies develop into habits and character. Karmas manufacture character and character manufactures will.”
Another modern philosopher also notes, using the generic word ‘saṃskāra’ for vāsanā -
“…karmic consequences are often understood in terms of the saṃskāras created in the doer of the action. Saṃskāras [Vāsanā-s] are the invisible, stored tendencies and dispositions in the agent to
repeat the kind of action which was done, whether good or bad, at some subsequent, appropriate time….For example, an action performed out of greed creates or enhances a greedy disposition. The karmic consequences accumulate in the sense that the tendencies get stronger and bear fruit. An individual’s karmic residues, on this account, appear as a pool of dispositions which has been filled by prior actions of the individual. The pool is composed of specific tendencies: tendencies to be greedy, generous, cruel, loving, jealous, forgiving, forgetful, lustful, and so on. This pool continues to be affected by the ongoing free actions of the individual. A person may add to this pool by performing actions, either right or wrong, consonant with the primary character of the pool. The pool may also be drained by actualizing the karmic residues already in it. Or by performing actions to counteract the karmic residues already in the pool a person may dilute the pool, wrong actions diluting the good pool, right and bad….”89
Vāsanā-s fructify intermittently over several lifetimes. Karmāshaya fructifies over a single lifetime as a part of the Prārabdha. However, all experiences and actions do not necessarily lead to Vāsanā Samskāras:
“It is true that certain events or things cannot sometimes be properly recalled, but this is an exception which proves the rule. In cases in which they cannot be properly recalled, there exist reasons for such lapse of memory. The reasons for lapse of memory are: (a) perception or conception not being very keen, (b) lapse of considerable time, (c) change of condition or environment, (d) confused ideation and (e) absence of proper exciting cause. If these causes hampering recollection are absent and if all or any one of the following factors, viz. keenness of perception, the intervening period being not very long, like condition of mind, distinct (especially made clear by Samādhi) cognition, presence of suitable exciting cause, are or is present, all impressions retained in the mind can be recollected.”90
Vāsanā-s can be Kliṣhṭa (tainted with the five Kleṣha-s, or mental afflictions) or Akliṣhṭa (free of the five Kleṣha-s). The five91 Kleṣha-s are:
1. Avidyā: False knowledge or understanding whereby one confuses the
a. Ātmā with the non-ātmā: Identifying oneself with the body or mind or senses etc., not realizing that the real ‘I’ is the unchangeable, eternal spiritual self.
b. Permanent with the Ephemeral: Only the ātmā is permanent and immutable, the rest is temporary and subject to a constant change.
89 Bruce R Reichenbach (1990), p. 19-20
90 Swami Hariharananda Aranya (2000), p. 651
91 The five-fold Avidyā is collapsed into three categories in the Nyāya Vaisheshika – Rāga, Dveṣha and Moha in Nyāya Bhāṣhya of Vātsyāyana 4.1.3. In this formulation, the Asmitā and Abhiniveṣha of Yoga Darshana are subsumed within ‘Moha’ which is also the cause of Rāga and Dveṣha.
Rāga or attachment also includes other emotions like kāma (lust), mātsarya (jealousy), spṛhā (desire to possess worldly items), tṛṣhṇā (desire leading to rebirth), lobha (greed for that which belongs to others), māyā (crookedness for deceiving others) and dambha (boasting to gain worldly acceptance and fame).
Dveṣha (hatred) includes and manifests in krodha (anger), īrṣhyā (feeling impatient when others enjoy worldly goods), asūyā (feeling jealous at the positive qualities or abilities of others), droha (enmity), amarṣha (latent anger within which does not manifest externally) and hiṃsā (violence).
Moha means confusing eternal with transitory, ātmā with that which is not ātmā, pure with what is impure, and happiness with what is really a source of sorrow. It gives rise to Rāga, Dveṣha, the sense that ‘this is mine’, vichikitsā (doubt), māna (self-pride and conceit), pramāda (negligence in performance of one’s duty). See Kewal Krishna Anand (1982), p. 176
c. Pure with the Impure: Eating food earned with dishonest means believing that practices like bribe taking etc., are permissible and acceptable.
d. Pleasurable with the Non-Pleasurable: We see happiness in mundane things, in objects, in activities, in relationships. But all these associations are temporary and have some flaw in them or the other. From a Yogi’s perspective, all mundane pleasures are merely a form of sorrow. True bliss lies only in the state of Moksha.
2. Asmitā: ‘This is mine’, ‘This belongs to me’, ‘These are my people, those other not mine.’ Afflicted by Asmitā, one forgets that really nothing belongs to us, nothing is alien from us. We come with nothing and go to the yonder world nothing except our Karma etc., and even these are shed from the ātmā upon Moksha. The Bhakti traditions add that only the Lord is ours and we are His, all other relationships are temporary and imperfect.
3. Rāga: Due to prior happy experiences or our own imagination, we develop attachments towards specific individuals, activities or objects which clouds the accuracy of our judgments about them.
4. Dveṣha: Aversion, hatred, prejudice, dislike towards objects, people or activities on the basis of real or imaginary negative experiences with them.
5. Abhiniveṣha: The desire for self-preservation, prevention or postponement death or living in a state of denial of the fact that we are all mortal.
Karma-s that are tainted with Kleṣha-s generate Vāsanā-s that in turn lead to more Karma-s tainted with Vāsanā-s. These, in turn, lead to pleasure and pain as their fruit. These Karma-s are ‘shukla’ (white), ‘kriṣhṇa’ (black) or shukla-kriṣhṇa (mixed, black and white). Under Yogasūtra 2.13, Vachaspati Mishra says (in Taittvavaishāradī) –
The ground of the ātmā when sprinkled with the water of kleṣha-s becomes a field that produces fruit of karma.
Conversely, Karma-s that are not tainted with Kliṣhṭa Vāsanā-s (as in the Karmayoga path taught in the Gita, or activities performed following Jnānayoga, Bhaktiyoga or Dhyānayoga correctly) do not generate more Kliṣhṭa Vāsanā-s. These Karma-s are neither black, nor white nor even both, and do not produce any fruit.
In this way, Karma-s tainted with Kleṣha-s produce Karmaphala and Vāsanā-s, which in turn produce more Karma tainted with Kleṣha-s and this cycle continues. How then, do we attenuate or delete these Kleṣha-s?
The Yogabhāṣhya explains (paraphrased) under Yogasūtra 2.13,
Karma-s are like rice grains and they are encased in the husk of Kleṣha-s. When the rice grains are threshed to remove the husk, their germination power is considerably weakened and they will not yield much grain when planted. If these seeds are further burned, they will not germinated at all. Similarly, when the rice grains of Karma are dehusked of Kleṣha-s through Kriyāyoga, they will not produce much result of pain and pleasure. And if they are burned through meditation, then the old Kārmic residues will not germinate at all.
In this scheme, Kriyāyoga is defined in the Yogasūtra 2.1 as a combination of austerity (Tapa), Svādhyāya (study of spiritual texts and chanting of Om and other mantras) and surrendering oneself wholeheartedly to the Lord (Īshvara-prāṇidhāna) and equates to the Karmayoga of the Gita. While Kriyāyoga itself can lead to Samādhi, or the final state of Yoga, this is difficult. Therefore, Kriyāyoga (threshing of the rice grains) is followed by Meditation (= burning of the seeds) to completely make the Karma-s and Vāsanā-s incapable of perpetuating the Kārmic cycle further.
11.2 Interaction of Karmāshaya and Vāsanā
Vāsanā-s fructify intermittently over several lifetimes. Karmāshaya fructifies over a single lifetime as a part of the Prārabdha.
Vāsanās which are in the form of memories create likes and dislikes, and tendencies to prefer or reject certain things. Therefore, they mold the karmāshaya and accordingly modify the Puruṣhakāra Karma and Bhogabhūta Karma. As an analogy, Karmāshaya is like water, that takes the shape of the vessel (= vāsanas) into which it poured.
However, it is not only the Purushakāra Karmas that lead to vāsana-s. The reverse can happen too, under favorable conditions. Which is why, we see how a saintly person who has never committed a single wrong action in his life is suddenly seen to commit an evil act triggered by a particular set of conditions. We may cite the example of Rishi Saubhari, who after performing meditation for a long time nevertheless decided to break his vow of celibacy by the sudden impulse of seeing two fish copulating. The story occurs in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa.
Below are quotations from two modern teachers who describe the importance of vāsana-s, using the generic term ‘saṃskāra-s’ for them.
“From a psychological point of view, an action leaves a subtle deposit of impressions (samskaras) in the mind of the doer, and these impressions compel the person, at a future time and under similar conditions, to repeat that same action. Each such samskara alters the very texture of the mind of the doer.”
“…Our actions do not determine our thoughts. Rather, they are governed by the thinking process either at the conscious or the unconscious levels.
The thinking process, in turn, is regulated by the even finer and stronger cord of desire which lies beneath it. Below that lies the subtlest and strongest cord of all, the cord of impressions, or in Sanskrit, samskaras. These are the primitive emotions, urges, and tendencies that motivate our entire lives. They are the impressions carried from our past lives in our subconscious minds; they motivate our desires, and these in turn produce our thoughts and ultimately our actions. These cords are all intertwined in the rope of karma.”
“All deeds and actions are inspired by desire, and desire is motivated by samskaras.”
Therefore, due to the relative importance of and interrelationships between the two types of Samskāras, an accurate understanding of the Law of Karma takes both of them and their roles into account, not just one of them. Within the Hindu tradition, the Dharmashāstras (Codes of Dharma) that focus more on the right
way to act deal primarily with the Karmāshaya, or the Trivipāka Samskāras. The Darshanas (except the Pūrva Mimāmsā), on the other hand, focus more on the Vāsanā Samskāras.
Some modern scholars over-emphasize the importance of Vāsanā-s and ignore the Karmāshaya Saṃskāras, even denying the existence of the latter. But a Karma theory that ignores the latter cannot adequately explain the complexity of our experiences, as stated by a modern philosopher-
“Though appeal to a cumulative pool of dispositional tendencies provides an account of how our previous acts affect our current behavior, it would appear that a dispositional theory by itself is unable to account for all the evil (pain, suffering, dysfunction) which we encounter. It would account for the moral evils (evils for which the individual can be held morally accountable) that we do to one another and to ourselves. But it cannot account for the evils which are done to us which have nothing to do with our dispositions. Consider the following case. Suppose my house burns to the ground in a raging forest fire ignited by lightning. Since this is a bad experience for me, the karmic theorist would appeal to my previous karmic acts and/or the pool created by them to explain why it burned. But in this case, what causally links my previous actions and the karmic pool they created with the lightning and the forest fire? In what way did the previous act and/or pool function as the or a cause of the fire itself? What is there in the pool which made me suffer the burning of my house rather than another calamity? What caused the fire, not only to strike me, but to do so with the particular intensity it did? The causal link with the previous act and/or pool of karma we have accumulated does not seem to be in the realm of the saṃskāra-s [vāsanā-s], for it has nothing to do with my behavior. It would seem odd indeed to say that I have a disposition to have my house burned down by forest fires.”
11.3 Karmāshaya and Rebirth
The Karmāshaya is primarily shaped by the preceding life, and actions done earlier in the present life. As the individual is reborn repeatedly, his older karmāshayas become converted into vāsana-s. Therefore, the genus into which a person is reborn is determined primarily by his karma from the immediately preceding life, which in turn largely determines the karmāshaya. In short, vāsana-s are from a beginning-less time, whereas the karmāṣhaya is ‘unigenital’, or formed largely in the immediately preceding life. There are two exceptions to this rule that the karmāṣhaya is unigenital:
1. If a person dies in his childhood and does not live the entire normal lifespan, then the karmāṣhaya comprises of samskāras of not just his last life but also of preceding one(s).
2. Samskāras from earlier lives may be incorporated into the karmāshaya if they are of similar natures, whereas samskāras from the last life that are dissimilar from the bulk of the karmāshaya are left out.
11.4 Vāsanās and Rebirth
However, the Vāsanā Samskāras can generate strong desires at the time of death, and modify the primary Karmāshaya, thereby influencing the nature of the next birth.
“As long as the soul uses the subconscious mind, that storehouse of merits and demerits of our past lives, we cannot become free from our karmas at all. An analogy will clarify this. When the wind blows, it carries away the scent from a particular place or object, though the source of that scent is not carried away by that wind. When we leave our body, all memories in their subtlest forms are carried away by our subconscious mind, and we go to another plane of existence. These memories and subtle thought forms, which contain the seeds of motivation for our life after death, are responsible for rebirth.”
As an example, a dying person who is deeply in love with his family members tends to be reborn within the same family in his next birth. This is because his vāsanā samskāras generate a strong desire or longing to stay close to his previous life’s family even in the new life.
11.5 Vāsanā Samskāras and Svabhāva
“Every person, through each thought, word, and deed, is constantly changing and altering the shape of his or her psychophysical system, which the Bhagavad Gita refers to as svabhāva, or inner disposition…Our actions leave behind results that alter our inner disposition – for better or worse.”
We are all born with a unique ‘svabhāva’ due to the vāsanā samskara-s of karma performed in our past lives. Therefore, svabhāva is the psychological counterpart of our Bhogabhūta (involuntary) Karma. In our present life, our svabhāva can be modified through education, newer karma, upbringing by parents etc. The importance and existence of svabhāva in our life can be demonstrated through the following two examples:
1. If we drive the car on the same route every morning from home to office, after sometime (say after a few weeks), the morning drive becomes automatic. We no longer have to make the correct turns consciously to reach our workplace, because the route is imprinted in our inner mind. Even as we listen to music while driving, or talk on our cell phone, our hands turn the steering unconsciously in the right direction, and we reach our office or workplace without much conscious effort!
2. While preparing for a dance performance, the performers are asked to practice the same steps over and over again for hours, for several weeks beforehand. The reason for this is that when they do the actual performance on the stage, their practice will ensure that the sequence of their dance steps flows automatically, and the dancers do not have to keep thinking about every next step of their performance.
11.6 Pre-Natal Samskāras
Numerous stories are narrated in the Hindu tradition about how the fetus developed pious saṃskāra-s by exposure to noble persons or sermons.
Bhakta Prahlāda: Hiranyakashipu, the evil Asura King, invaded heaven and humiliated Aditi, the mother of Indra, who was the King of Devas. A soldier of Hiranyakashipu snatched the earrings from the ears of Aditi. Indra was furious and resolved to take revenge.
Once, when Hiranyakashipu was away from his capital the Devas attached the Asura capital and plundered it. They also captured Kayadhu, the noble Asura queen who was pregnant with the Asura king’s child. Indra’s soldiers took Kayadhu to their capital Amravati. But Narada intervened and scolded Indra, “It is wrong to hurt any virtuous women, and in face any lady who is pregnant. I want you to release her. The child that she is carrying will grow to be a great bhakta of Bhagavan Vishnu.”
Kayadhu went to the āshrama of Rishi Narada. There, she served him and other Rishis and listened to their sermons. Living in the vicinity of Rishis had a very beneficial effect on the unborn child. Right inside the womb, he developed
faith and devotion for Bhagavan Vishnu. After his birth, the child grew up to be Prahlāda, one of the greatest of all Bhaktas.
Another story is that of Ashtāvakra, who could correct his father even while he was still in his mother’s womb.
Hindu traditional strongly recommends expecting mothers to spend their time in noble tasks and listen to religious and spiritual words so as to benefit the fetus growing within their womb. Likewise, the sacred texts prescribe numerous rites of passage that are performed by parents of the growing fetus to counter any negative genetic saṃskāra-s that might be afflicting the conceived child-
Performance of purifying Homas, Jātakarma, tonsure ceremony and investment of the sacred thread
– these ceremonies purify the defects inherited genetically from both the parents. Manusmriti 2.27
11.7 The Role of Meditation in destroying the Samskāras
Due to accumulated Saṃskāra-s, we are reborn and show certain psychological tendencies, as explained above. Unearthing these Saṃskāra-s during meditation or via hypnotism can lead to past-life recollection:
“All experiences that you have had in various births remain dormant in the form of impressions (samskaras) in the subconscious mind. They remain in a very subtle form, just as sound remains in a subtle form in C.D. cassette. These subtle impressions assume the form of waves and you get the memory of past experiences. Therefore, if a yogi can do saṃyama on the impressions of past experiences, he can attain the knowledge of all the details of his past lives. This power can also be directed toward other minds for acquiring the knowledge of their past lives. There have been many instances in India of Yogis who knew not only their past lives but also correctly those of others. For example, on that night when Buddha attained enlightenment he went through several stages of awakening. In the first, he recollected his previous lives. He tells us: I remembered many, many former existences I had passed through…..a hundred thousand, in various world-periods. I know everything about these various births….with exact characteristic features and circumstances…..”
It is important to get rid of these accumulated Saṃskāras otherwise they can resurface at the right opportunity. The story of Saubhari has already been stated above.
“The impurity of the mind is primarily caused by the accumulated thoughts of the past. According to Rāja Yoga, not a single thought is every lost. Every thought eventually goes down to the subconscious level and remains there as an impression. There are innumerable impressions of past thoughts in the subconscious level of an average mind. These impressions are called samskāras in Sanskrit. The techniques of Rāja Yoga, such as meditation or dhyāna, can help cleanse the mind of these samskāras.
An analogy will make this idea clear. Let us suppose a person is standing on the shore of a lake with a roll of absorbent paper towels. He starts throwing the paper towels one by one into the lake. The towels first float on the surface for a few minutes and then sink and settle at the bottom of the lake, layer by layer, one on top of the other.
The lake is the mind and the paper towels are the thoughts. The paper towels when floating are thoughts at the conscious level of mind. In their submerged state at the bottom of the lake, they are samskāras or impressions of past thoughts in the subconscious level of mind. These impressions are like so many negatives of photographs. They have the ability to produce picture prints under favorable circumstances. Similarly, the samskāras have the potential to become conscious thoughts again if a suitable mental environment is created for them.”
Meditation can help expose and cleanse out these Saṃskāras. The process is described in the Yogasūtras of
Patanjali and Vyāsa’s commentary thereon and is summarized below-
“Meditation is contemplation done with great mental concentration. When a person meditates, his concentrated thought, like a laser beam, penetrates through the inner layers of his mind and arrives at the bottom where the samskāras are. The concentrated thought, like an underwater probe, starts disturbing the accumulated samskāras. As a result, they gradually get dislodged and rise one by one to the conscious level. They become conscious thoughts again. The meditator should watch the rejuvenated thoughts like a disinterested observer and must not act upon them. The old thoughts, once they have risen to the conscious level, burst like so many air bubbles and disappear. This is how, through the practice of meditation, one can purify one’s mind by gradually getting rid of old impressions or samskāras. If however, the meditator acts upon these rejuvenated thoughts, he will create new samskāras and his mind will not be cleansed.”
12.0 Karma-Phala or Bhoga: The fruit of our Purushakāra
All Karma that is performed voluntarily and has an ethical dimension to it leads to some fruit (phala).
Men of several social classes and life-stages, each devoted to their respective duties, reap the fruit of their actions after death, and then by the residual (karma) attain to births in superior countries, social classes and families, possessed of relative superior Dharma, span of life, learning, conduct, wealth, happiness, and intelligence. Āpastamba Dharmasūtra 2.2.2.3
By enjoying (or suffering) the results of his past karma, his stock of fruit of Karma diminishes. Simultaneously, he performs new karma which augment his stock of fruit of karma. As long as a person does ascend the path towards Moksha, this cycle of karma-fruit-karma continues. Anugita 3.13
Karma indeed is producer of all causes (of joys or sorrows). The doer certainly experiences the fruit of his evil or excellent deeds. Rāmāyaṇa 6.52.7
Bhīshma said - Sorrows result from one’s Karma, and happiness to results from Karma performed by oneself earlier. The soul starts experiencing joys and sorrows as soon as it enters the mother’s womb due to deeds performed in its previous lives. Mahābhārata 12.322.14
All people bear the fruits of their own actions. The good and evil deeds do not disappear or abate even after the elapse of million kalpas (aeons). It is due to the influence of karmas that a being is born in the realm of Brahma, Indra and Surya; It is due to karma that a being is born among human beings and it is due to karmas that it takes birth as an animal etc. and due to karmas goes to hell and heaven. Due to one’s karmas, one becomes a great king or a servant. It is on account of karmas that a person becomes beautiful or diseased…Karma makes people rich and poor, karma causes a person to be born in a high family and it is due to karma that a person becomes a thorn-like relation. It is due to one’s own karma that a person acquires an excellent wife and a good son and remains happy. It is due to one’s own karmas that a person is without a son, has an evil wife or is a widower.
Brahmavaivarta Purana 3.11.19-24
One gets, at the appropriate time, the good and bad results of his karma in the form of happiness, sorrow, wealth, grief, worry. Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa 4.6.30-31
Puruṣhakāra Karma, or the voluntary actions performed by us have three important effects on us in the future. All of these effects are experienced by the doer of the karma in the form of happiness (sukha) or sorrow (dukha).
These three effects are given below. Of these, the first two are effects of the entire Sanchita Karma. The last one is specifically the result of that portion of Sanchita Karma that has ripened, in other words, that of our Prārabdha Karma (destiny, or fate). Or if we look at the effects from the perspective of Samskāra-s, the first is the effect of the entire reservoir of Samskāra-s, the second is the effect of Vāsanā Samskāra-s, and the third is the effect of primary Karmāshaya Samskāras modified by Vāsanā-s.
12.1 Spiritual Effects - The Cycle of Rebirths
We are unable to reap the fruit of all our un-ripened Karma from the present and our past lives in our present life itself. This causes us to be reborn after death, so that we reap the fruit of our residual, un-ripened Karma in that new life.
In this world, good and evil karmas do not get destroyed till they have reaped their fruit. The fruit of every karma depends on the karma (whether it is good or evil) and due to this, the soul assumes another body upon the death of its previous body so that it can reap the fruit of its karma done in the past. Anugita 3.1
Whichever good or evil Karmas a person does with his body in this life, he definitely has to reap their fruit in the future. Anugita 3.12
Man enjoys only the fruits of his previous actions; whatever he has done in the previous births has its reactions now. Garuda Purāṇa 1.113.18
The sinner is born again and again and dies again and again till he has exhausted his sin and acquired virtue. Garuda Purāṇa 2.3.84
Bheeshma said - Through good deeds, the state of Devas is obtained. Mixture of good and bad deeds results in the human state. Whereas bad deeds lead one to (be reborn into) lower life-forms. We are all born uncontrollably into these states as a result of our own Karma. Mahābhārata 12.329.25
This vicious cycle of Karma-Rebirth-Karma-Rebirth is beginning-less and continues till one is spiritually enlightened. After enlightenment, all new Karma performed fail to generate any future result in the life or lives of the doer.
When their merits are exhausted, the virtuous souls fall from heaven and are born in the houses of kings or nobles of illustrious character, where they enjoy various pleasures. The men go up and down the ladder as stated before. Garuda Purāṇa 2.3.89-90
By enjoying (or suffering) the results of his past karma, his stock of fruit of Karma diminishes. Simultaneously, he performs new karma which augment his stock of fruit of karma. As long as a person does ascend the path towards Moksha, this cycle of karma-fruit-karma continues. Anugita 3.13
By being engrossed in objects of sense organs, and by not performing one’s Dharma, the fool and sinner are reborn with lower and despicable bodies. Manu Smriti 12.52
He who consoles others, feeds the hungry and speaks to others living, that person, practicing equanimity in situations of joys and sorrows, attains a firm footing on the joys of the other world. Mahābhārata 12.297.26
12.2 Mental Effects: Svabhāva
“A closed book containing, say a thousand pages, appears at a first glance as a solid object, but when it is opened, two pages of printed matter become visible. Here the opening of the book is the specific external cause. Similarly innumerable Vāsanās lie stored up in our mind, as it were, in a lump, yet each remaining distinct and separate, any one of which may be revived by a suitable Karmāṣhaya.”
As explained above in sections 11.1.3 and 11.5, the Vāsanā Saṃskāra-s from past Karma-s influence our present nature, abilities, preferences, tendencies and choices etc. A modern writer notes the following, that can illustrate the power of Vāsanā-s very succinctly-
Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act; and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. Samuel Smiles (1812-1904 CE)
A Hindu way of stating the same is-
“Thought molds your character. If you entertain noble thoughts, you will develop a noble character; and if
a refined or polished, disciplined mind and real, good spiritual culture. The practice of Japa, Pranayama and Mauna (or vow of silence) will help you control the impulses.”
How our Karma-s create character, due to the agglutinative character of these Vāsanā Saṃskāra-s is further explained by Swami Vivekananda-
“Just as a large number of small waves create a big wave, the effects of Karma accumulate to form tendencies, an aggregation of which in a personality we call character. Man is like a center attracting all the powers of the universe towards himself, fusing them all together and sending out his inner reaction to them as a current – the manifestation of his will, which in common parlance we call his personality or character.”
Some citations in this regard from ancient Hindu scriptures are given below-
Indeed, one becomes good by good karma, and bad by bad karma. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 3.2.13
According as one acts, according as one behaves, so does he become. The doer of good becomes good, the doer of evil becomes evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.5
Bad Karmas are the cause of bondage. When the effects of these bad Karmas are experienced, and is exhausted as a result, and thereafter when the mind and body are purified with good Karmas, then that person becomes inclined towards practicing austerities and Yoga. Mahābhārata 3.209.39
Acts of Yajnas, Austerity and Charity must not be forsaken and they must be performed. Yajnas, Austerity and Charity are indeed the purifiers of the wise. Gita 18.5
A very special case of svabhāva coming into action in the next life is that of the ‘Yogabhrashta’ as described in the following verses of the Bhagavad Gita:
Arjuna said:
Krishna, he who cannot control himself even though he has faith, whose mind has wandered away from Yoga, failing to attain perfection in yoga, which way does he go? Gita 3.37
Might armed, is he not lost like a rent cloud, having fallen from both worlds, without any firm support, confused on the path that leads to Brahman? Gita 3.38
Krishna, you should quell this doubt of mine completely, because there is none other than you who can destroy this doubt. Gita 6.39 Krishna said:
Pārtha, my dear friend, neither in this life nor hereafter is there destruction for him. No one who does good beget misfortune. Gita 6.40
Attaining the worlds of the meritorious, having dwelt there for very many years, he who has fallen from yoga is then reborn in the house of such as are pure and prosperous. Gita 6.41
Or that person may be reborn in the family of wise yogis. Such a birth is indeed very difficult to attain in this world. Gita 6.42
Joy of the Kurus, there he regains the intellect that he had developed in his former body. And then with this as the starting point, he strives onward once again toward perfection. Gita 6.43
Due to his prior practice, he is carried on irresistibly. Indeed, he who wishes to know of yoga then transcends the sound-Brahman. Gita 6.44
Through persevering efforts and a controlled mind, the yogin, completely cleansed of all evil, and perfecting himself through many lives, then reaches the supreme goal. Gita 6.45
The Hindu tradition also offers beautiful narratives to explain the importance of prior Vāsanā-s. The two parables below were both narrated by Swami Ramakrishna Paramahaṃsa.
Story: The Hindu who could not become a Muslim:
“Once there lived a very pious Hindu who always worshipped the Divine Mother and chanted Her name. When the Mussalmans conquered the country, the forced him to embrace Islam. They said to him: “You are now a Mussalman. Say ‘Allah’. From now on you must repeat only the name of ‘Allah.’” With great difficulty he repeated the word ‘Allah’, but every now and then blurted out ‘Jagadamba.’ At that the Mussalmans were about to beat him. Thereupon he said to them; ‘I beseech you! Please do not kill me. I have been trying my utmost to repeat the name of Allah, but our Jagadamba has filled me up to the throat. She pushes out your Allah”. It is not an easy thing to destroy old tendencies.”
Story: The Fisherwoman who couldn’t sleep without Fish
“Once, a fishwife was a guest in the house of a gardener who raised flowers. She came there with her empty basket, after selling fish in the market, and was asked to sleep in a room where flowers were kept. But, because of the fragrance of the flowers, she couldn’t get to sleep for a long time! She was restless and began to fidget about. Her hostess saw her condition and said, “Hello! Why are you tossing from side to side so restlessly?” The fishwife said: “I don’t know friend. Perhaps the smell of the flowers has been disturbing my sleep. Can you give me my basket? Perhaps, that will put me to sleep.” The basket was brought to her. She sprinkled water on it and set it near her nose. Then she fell sound asleep and snored all night.””
When we are reborn, the primary Karmāshaya affects the following three things – 1) The species/genus into which one is born, 2) his lifespan, and 3) the joys and sorrows that the person/creature experiences:
A man's Saṃskāra-s (Karmāshaya) have been created by his past thoughts and actions. These tendencies will bear fruits, both in this life and in lives to come. Yoga Sūtra 2.12
So long as the cause exists, it will bear fruits--such as rebirth, a long or short life, and the experiences of pleasure and of pain. Yoga Sūtra 2.13
These three effects of Karmāshaya are what constitute the Prārabdha, which can nevertheless be modified by Kriyamāna Karma as life progresses.
12.3.1 Species or Genus at Birth
During the moments of death, the dying person gets a preview of his next physical body-
“Karmashaya in its entirety reveals itself at the time of one’s death. Immediately before the soul leaves the body, latencies of all Karma done during the lifetime flash at once, as it were, across the mind. All primary and secondary latencies appear, at that moment, properly arranged according to their character and strength. Latencies of previous lives which are similar in nature also join the main stream, while some latencies of acts done during that lifetime, being dissimilar in nature, remain subdued. Since they appear simultaneously in a single moment, they are formed, as it were, into a lump (the whole and the parts being cognized in one and the same moment). Thus concreted, the latencies form the potential energy or Karmāshaya. Formed immediately before death, this Karmāshaya, or the aggregate of Samskāras, becomes, on the dissolution of the existing body, the cause of the construction of a new body conforming to its nature. Thus, Karmāshaya becomes the cause of the next birth.
At the time of death, cognizance, being withdrawn from external things, is turned entirely inward. And on its being concentrated on internal objects, the individual gets a clear and distinct knowledge of them. Cognition of internal object means recollection of all past deeds and feelings. During one’s lifetime the power of knowledge is limited by the feeling ‘I am the body’. With the disappearance of that feeling at the time of death, the power of cognition becomes unlimited. This explains why and how an individual is able to recollect, at the time of finally relinquishing his body, all the events of life in one and the same moment….”
Karmāshaya decides the species that we are born into. The body entered into by the Jīvātmā is of two types – gross (e.g. human, animal and vegetal) and subtle (Deva or purgatorial). When sattva predominates in the karmāṣhaya, one begets a divine subtle body. Conversely, when tamas predominates, one gets a purgatorial subtle body or a vegetal gross body. A modern teacher explains very eloquently, using the Vyāsa-Bhāṣhya on the Yoga Sūtras-
“If the latencies of beastly acts predominate in the Karmāshaya, Vāsanā for a beastly life will be revived and the individual will be born a beast. Similarly, he will get a celestial or a purgatory body according as the divine or the evil impulses predominate in the Karmāshaya. One should therefore remain absorbed as far as practicable in meditation on God and His attributes in order that high and noble impulses nay be dominant in the Karmāshaya at the time of one’s death.”
“How is it that a man, because of bestial acts performed in his previous life, is born a beast? A man is incapable of performing all the activities of an animal body; he can only perform some of the major bestial acts. The latencies of such acts revive the inner Vāsanā relating to the animal body. With the aid of such Vāsanā, Karmāshaya manifests itself in an animal body. Otherwise, the latent impressions of a human body cannot ever produce an animal body.”
“If the organs through which the Karmāṣhaya reproduces itself be similar to the preceding body, the individual is born in the same species. If however, a human being makes excessive use of those organs which are dominant in an animal and makes minimum use of the organs which are undeveloped in such animal body he is born as an animal.”
“Among the subtle celestial bodies are the Devas of the higher category, who on account of having attained Samādhi, do not assume the mundane body. They attain liberation on the completion of their residual work of purifying the mind in the course of their subtle existence. For this reason their bodies are described as a combination of Bhoga and Puruṣhakāra and not of Bhoga alone.” “The mind is dominant in the subtle bodies residing in heaven and hell. It is mentioned in the Shastras that whenever a will arises in the mind of a celestial being, it is at once fulfilled. If one of them wishes, for example, to go to a place a hundred miles away, his subtle body would immediately be there. This does not happen in the case of human beings in whom mental powers and the powers of locomotion are evenly balanced….”
Below are several scriptural statements that establish how a human being can be reborn into higher or lower forms due to his Karma-s:
Either as a worm, or as an insect, or as a fish or as a bird, or as a lion, or as a boar, or as a snake, or as a tiger, or as a person (human), or in some other in this or that condition, he is reborn again according to his karma-s, according to his knowledge. Rigveda, Kaushitaki Upanishad 1.2
The ātmā which is affected by the bright and dark fruits of karma enters a good or an evil womb. Yajurveda, Maitrāyāṇi Upanishad 3.1
According to his karma, the embodied ātman successively assumes different forms in different places. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 5.11b
The embodied ātmā (jīvātmā), according to its own qualities, chooses many shapes – gross and subtle (upon rebirth). Having himself caused his union with these bodies, through the qualities of his acts and through the qualities of his bodies, he is seen as different from other jīvātmā-s. Yajurveda, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad 5.12
By being engrossed in objects of sense organs, and by not performing one’s Dharma, the fool and sinner are reborn with lower and despicable bodies. Manusmriti 12.52
The ātmā which possesses wisdom of the spirit, is pure, practices austerity, of a peaceful disposition, has control over the sense organs, devoted to Dharma, knowledgeable in the Vedas and is sāttvika – such a soul is reborn as a Deva in Heaven. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.137
Narada said - The Jīva (individual soul) is always under the influence of Karmas. When it performs virtuous deeds, it becomes (i.e., is reborn as) a Devata; when it performs mixed Karma, it becomes a human being; and when it performs evil Karma, it becomes lower life-forms. Mahābhārata 12.329.25
The happiness is enjoined by oneself, the sorrow too is enjoined by oneself; even the womb selected by him is in accordance with the action of the previous birth. Garuda Purāṇa 1.113.19
A modern scholar explains how the concepts of Karma and Rebirth are related to the existence of different lifeforms in the Hindu traditions:
“According to the Vedic scriptures, there are 8,400,000 different species of life throughout the material realm. 8,000,000 are sub-human, while 400,000 are varieties of human beings [According to other Hindu traditions however, the second number also includes lifeforms that are superior to humans]…..Once the atomic particle of eternal consciousness [ātmā] enters into matter, it starts at the bottom of the evolutionary hierarchy and takes on a body. In that sense, the Vedas agree with Darwin that we do indeed evolve but our evolution is not from matter, but rather within matter, an evolution of consciousness. Our eternal soul climbs up the staircase of life, experiencing every species as a kind of learning by being and doing. From the smallest microbe up to insects, plants, birds, and mammals, we ascend the ladder of the species until we finally reach the lowest rung of human consciousness.”
In other words, Hindu scholars say that while Hindu Dharma does not reject evolution, its emphasis is on ‘involution’, or the inner evolution of ourselves to ascend and go beyond the samsāra. Once we are human, we are no longer passive experiences and learners of whatever comes our way in life. Now, we can make moral and intelligent choices to choose our karmas, and thereby tailor our existing experiences. However, with this special ability also comes a liability. Before we were human, we had been largely ascending up the ladder of lifeforms. But now, we can descend, stay lateral, or ascend, depending on the choices that we
make. On other words, we can now undergo devolution, stay same or go through an evolution. Using the analogy of a school and an amusement park, the scholar further says:
“Just like in school, you can go forward and skip grades or flunk out of the human class and go backward, that is to say downward, for some time. Thus the Vedic theory of karma does not lend itself to a New Age interpretation, in which the soul only moves upward, learning lesson after lesson. Devolution instead of evolution is also possible. If a human acts like an animal, he or she can slide back into an animal body for some time before going further forward. After all, once we are humans, we start flying our own airplanes through choice and then reap the results of our choices. If we choose to act like an animal, the message we send to Nature is: “Put me in an animal body.” If you were the owner of a huge amusement park, your job would be to see to it that the park ran smoothly as well as to provide a good time for the customers. In the park of Material Nature [Prakriti], there are rules that govern the operation of the park and those rules are mandatory for all visitors.”
In other words, the Jīvātmā in a human body can be reborn into both lower and higher forms of life. The New Agers however believe that once the soul is born as a human being, there is no regressing into a subhuman form, a belief that Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs reject.
Hindu scriptures are adamant that all human beings belong to one species. But within the human species, our Karma can result in being reborn within different Varṇa-s too.
Those who do pleasing deeds are reborn into a pleasing birth, like that of a Brahmana, Kshatriya or Vaishya. But those who are of bad conduct will attain correspondingly a lower birth like that of a dog, pig or of a chaṇdāla. Sāmaveda, Chhāndogya Upanishad 5.10.7
More details about this aspect will be discussed in the chapter on rebirth and self-selection by the Jīvātmā being reborn. But it must be pointed here that while such passages presume a hierarchy of varṇa-s, birth is only one of the three determinants of one’s varṇa, the others being character/qualities, deeds, wisdom and so on. In fact, even though birth is the default determinant, it is not the major deciding factor in defining one’s varṇa.
12.3.2 Lifespan
The Trivipāka Karma determines our lifespan as well in two ways: First, each species has a range of lifespans lived by its members. For example, a dog will not live beyond 30 years of age. A human being can potentially live more than a hundred years. Secondly, within the same species, one could be born with a congenital ailment (like an underdeveloped brain, a genetic tendency to clog arteries with cholesterol, or a severe heart defect in a human) that will determine his lifespan. This constitutes his ‘Prārabdha’ or the cards that he has been dealt with. Nevertheless, things are not set in stone and one can modify his prārabdha to increase or decrease his lifespan-
“…Āyus is generally determined at the time of birth. This may, however, be varied by one’s subsequent Karma. The practice of Prāṇāyāma etc, prolongs the duration of one’s life, while the shortening of the life span is also caused by one’s own Karma in that very life. Ignorance or negligence of rules and health leads very often to prolonged sickness. On the other hand, persons
suffering from chronic illness often perform acts which are favorable to long life. These may bear fruit in a future life if prevented from fructifying in the present existence.”
Several passages of Hindu scriptures list actions that can prolong one’s life. These are an inducement to good conduct and live a healthy lifestyle. Conversely, evil conduct shortens the lifespan. For example-
Gentleness towards all creatures, not seeing faults in the midst of good qualities, forgiveness, patience and not insulting one’s friends – the wise say that these qualities increase one’s lifespan. Mahābhārata 5.39.52
Excessive pride, being garrulous, absence of sacrifice, anger, worrying about filling one’s own stomach alone (selfishness) and enmity against friends – these six sharp swords decreases the lifespan of a person. Death does not kill them, these six swords do. Mahābhārata 5.37.10-11
In the Charaka Saṃhitā 3.3, there is considerable discussion on whether the lifespan of a person is fixed or not. Rishi Agnivesha replies that one’s lifespan is determined by two factors: the result of prior karma, and also the nature of kriyamāna karma. When both are good, the person has a long lifespan. And when one of them is bad, the lifespan can reduce. However, kriyamāna karma also includes using medicinal knowledge to ward off diseases and prolong life. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that one’s lifespan is completely preordained and nothing (including medicine) can change it.
In the same section of Charaka Samhitā, there is another discussion as to what is timely and what is untimely death. Rishi Agnivesha then compares the human body to the axle of a wheel in a cart. When the axle lasts its normal lifespan due to careful use, it is said to have lasted its normal lifespan. But if the cart encounters conditions like overloading with goods, bad roads, bad drivers, poor maintenance and handling etc, then the axle does not last as long as it is expected to. Likewise, a man who indulges in eating bad food, has bad habits, irregular sleeping and recreation habits etc., will wear out his body sooner than normal and is said to meet with an untimely death. Of course, untimely death can also result from a very strong negative karma from the past.
This brings us to the painful question of an ‘untimely death’, notably death in infancy or in the pre-natal stage. It is a pious, sentimental view that a little child is pure, new, innocent and must be destined for heaven if he or she dies in infancy before being able to do any voluntary actions that have an ethical significance. Hindu Dharma asserts that infancy, youth, old age etc. are states of the physical body alone, and not of the Jīvātmā, because the ātmā is unborn, eternal and immutable (i.e., it undergoes no change).
“In the light of reincarnation, Hinduism does not necessarily consider a newborn child to be a “pure” or an “innocent” soul. Nor does Hinduism believe that a child who dies shortly after birth goes to heaven or becomes liberated. Every birth is an opportunity for an individual to grow and progress spiritually through the bitter and sweet experiences of life. Those dying in infancy do not get that opportunity. A person with a lot of bad karma to work out may be repeatedly born just in order to die again and again in his infancy. He works out his bad karma by going through the painful process of repeated and fruitless births and deaths. The short duration of his life on earth prevents him from making any spiritual progress.”
On the other extreme of the pendulum, some Christian theologians believe that if an infant were to have died before being baptized, he or she will necessarily go to hell.
12.3.3 Pleasure and Pain
The circumstances that we are born into. They influence the hurdles, difficulties, challenges, windfalls etc., that we will experience in our life. Below are some scriptural quotes-
Due to the effect of the remainder bad Karma (whose fruit has not been reaped) committed in previous lives, men are born as idiots, dumb, blind, deaf, deformed and as those who are despised by the virtuous. Manusmriti 11.53
Pleasure and pain, fear and anger, profit and loss, life and death and similar matters come into existence, no doubt, as a result of daivam karma (past karma that have ripened). Rāmāyaṇa 2.19.20 People do not know the karmas that they had done in their previous births, and the virtuous and wicked aspects of the same. But it is certain that the fruits being experienced right now are due to the Karmas done by them in the past. Rāmāyaṇa 3.62.16
Karma indeed is producer of all causes (of joys or sorrows). The doer certainly experiences the fruit of his evil or excellent deeds. Rāmāyaṇa 6.52.7
Everyone gets food, clothing and inheritance in this life according to the karmas done in the past or in previous lives. Whatever one gets in the world is result of one’s past karmas alone. Mahābhārata 12.288.17
Killing noble men and women, robbing the property of others and similar evil karmas in the past lead to incurable diseases. Sushruta Saṃhitā, Nidānasthāna 5
The doctrine of Karma also explains why human beings are different from their birth, why twins born in the same home and raised in the same environment turn out to be totally different adults, why some people are born with deformities or with other handicaps and so on.
The physical, mental and verbal abilities of people become apparent in this life due to practice in previous lives, despite being reborn. Vāmana Purāṇa 64.18
For an ordinary man who has not perfected himself spiritually, external factors beyond his control will continue to excite his latent effects of Karma, and ripen them so that he will continue experience joy as well as sorrows-
“…Afflictions such as the identification of the self with the body, passion, hatred etc., which are the root causes of all our misery, and pain, are also ever present in our mind. To give an example, a person dies as a result of his own Karma, but that event will excite the latency of attachment in his parents and cause them misery and suffering. In such cases, the feelings of pleasure and pain that are experienced are really the fruits of the individual’s own Karma. The only difference is that the latency lying dormant does not fructify by itself unless and until it is excited by a powerful external factor. External factors are obviously not regulated by our Karma.”
But, spiritually enlightened individuals transcend Trivipāka Karma and its effects completely,
“If from an event or a circumstance a person experiences pleasure or pain, then only can he be said to have experienced the fruit of Karma and not otherwise. Suppose we remain unmoved when a certain person abuses us, in that case we do not experience the fruit of Karma, only the person who
has abused us commits a nefarious act. The fruit of Karma cannot therefore affect one who can rise above feelings of pleasure and pain. If an individual can immobilize all organs including the vital forces by Samādhi, he transcends the other two fruits of Karma as well, viz, birth and span of life.”
12.4 Mapping Specific Karma to Corresponding Results
The evolution of Karma can be extremely complex, and several possibilities exist. Does Karma done in our immediate past life determine only our current life’s Prārabdha (i.e. current life’s destiny and fate), or does one lifetime’s Karma affect multiple future lifetimes, or do many karmas done in the past coalesce to generate the Prārabdha for one lifetime?
The Yoga Darshana states that at the time of death, numerous Samskāras come together and coalesce into one unit to determine the next birth – the species that we are born into, the lifespan and the experiences. But it is primarily the karma of the immediate past life that determine the prārabdha in our present life, in most cases. Or as explained earlier, ‘Karmāshaya’ is largely ‘unigenital’. For exceptions to this general rule, see Section 11.3 earlier.
In many cases however, individual Saṃskāra-s do not combine with each other due to their individual strength. This manifests in some individual acts leading to a discrete, specific Karmaphala in the future-
“…..though karma generally must be viewed as a pool from which we draw, yet there are some acts which are so powerful in creating karmic residues that their effects can be specially traced back to the original act. For example, the karmic residues created maintain a kind of separate existence, to become causally effective at some later date, or again, the effects are imprinted into the dispositional character of the individual in such a way and to such a degree that at some future date they mature in a manner which can be explained only by the karmic residues of this particular act. This might be the case, for example, in those instances where our final thoughts are held to be determinative of our future existence….or where the action we did was so distinctive that it remains emblazoned on our subconscious in such a way that even in later lives it can be recalled. However the two differing accounts are reconciled, any explanation of how the law of karma operates must explain both the general and the specific accounts of the connection between the karmic act and the effects experienced in later lives.”125
Therefore, the 1:1 mapping of some actions to their respective results is also a philosophical and a rational necessity.
There are examples where a single Karma can lead to multiple fruit, even in our mundane lives. For example, taking a daily bath early in the morning purifies our body as well as our mind, gives good health and makes us eligible for performing the morning worship. Conversely, there are examples where many Karma-s collectively yield only one Fruit. For example, ploughing the field, sowing seeds, irrigating, harvesting etc., are multiple and different karmas but their result is one: a good yield of food crop.
In the Vedic literature, mapping of specific non-ritual actions to their respective results is rare. For instance, the Atharvaveda 5.19.3 states that he who spits on a learned Brahmana or extorts wealth from him is destined to dwell in a pool of blood upon death. In the Brahmana portion of the Vedas however, there is no
dearth of specific rewards that accrue upon performance of specific Yajnas. In the Dharmashāstra, Paurāṇic and other literature, we often encounter a one-to-one mapping of single, specific actions to their single, specific results. This type of mapping seems inconsistent with (and crude in comparison to) the philosophical discussions of Karma and Karmaphala in the Darshana Shastras. Furthermore, different correspondence lists (‘If you do A, you will get B’) often seem inconsistent with each other. But as ancient and modern teachers have explained, the primary purpose of these lists is to induce the human being to overcome his animalistic nature, desist from evil acts, perform virtuous acts and treat the paths of Dharma and Moksha.
In most of these correspondences however, one is at a loss to see the logic or the cause and effect relationship if these are looked at only cursorily. Some modern scholars therefore argue that these lists were compiled from different, independent sources leading to their internal inconsistencies. However, a comprehensive understanding of the Hindu Civilization and its scriptural traditions, popular traditions and a careful analysis can help one realize their logical bases. Let us look at some examples and try to rationalize them in the light of the broader Hindu tradition:
No. Quotation Explanation
1 He who insults his Guru is born as a donkey or a dog. He who misuses his Guru’s wealth for personal enjoyment is born as a worm. He who is jealous of his Guru’s greatness shall be reborn as an insect. Manusmriti 2.201 Donkeys and dogs are made fun of due to their stupidity and uncleanliness. A worm nibbles stealthily at household possessions. An insect is a worthless creature lacking any greatness.
2 If a man kills an animal needlessly, then he is reborn and gets killed himself in as many lifetimes as there are hairs on the body of the animal. Manu Smriti 5.38 (similar to Vishnu
Dharma Sūtra 51.60)
A hyperbolic verse that emphasizes the immorality of killing helpless and mute animals without any reason. Hindu narratives note several instances where the cruel sport of hunting had negative consequences later in the life of hunters.
3 A householder who eats while pregnant women, sick persons, servants, children and elders in his home are still hungry begets great demerit. Vyāsa Smriti 3.45
The man who lacks insight (into Dharma) and therefore eats himself without first offering food to (atithis, pregnant women, unmarried women, newly married daughters in law, sick etc.) does not realize that one day, he might be devoured himself by dogs and vultures.
Vishnu Dharma Sūtra 67.40
Taking care of the weak, sick, children, elders, women and those who serve them (and get tired from work) is a Dharmic duty. Conversely, not prioritizing their care is a great evil.
Vultures and stray dogs lurch at food without bothering for their turn or seeing whether there are other hungry brethren around them. We can liken inconsiderate people who eat when the weak, infirm, tired and respectable sit around them hungry as vultures and dogs in human form.
4 Beggars roaming the streets, naked, griefstricken, rough and armed with broken bowls point out to the world that the fruits the noncharitable persons reap are like these. Garuda Purāņa 1.109.24.
The story of King Shveta above is an illustration of this principle. Those who are niggardly and do not share with the needy find themselves in the same situation.
5 The lifespan, knowledge, fame and strength of youngsters who stand up to greet and serve their elders increases. Manusmriti 2.121 Part of the explanation is given in the preceding verse- “The Prāṇa-s of youngsters arise when an elder approaches them. By arising and greeting the
elder, the young person regains his Prāṇa-s.” Manusmriti 2.120. This is related to the increase in lifespan and strength.
Pleased with the respectful youngster, elders share their knowledge and wisdom with him and talk about him in glowing terms to others.
OR, the verse may be taken as a hyperbole to inspire youngsters to be respectful towards their elders.
6 A foolish Brahmana (one who is not knowledgeable in the Vedas) reduces his lifespan upon accepting gold and grains as gifts, suffers bodily harm by taking cows and land as gifts, gets eyesight problems by accepting horses, skin problems by taking clothes, his vigor by accepting Ghee and loses his progeny by taking sesame as charity. Manusmriti 4.189 In the Hindu Vedic tradition, wearing gold ornaments and eating grains is said to enhance one’s lifespan. Cow products and clean land are said to be conducive to one’s physical well-being. Clothes are like the second layer of skin in our body and make us look more handsome/pretty. The horse takes us to places where the eyesight does not reach. Eating Ghee in food is said to add splendor and vigor to our body. Sesame is used to treat fertility issues and is a blood thinner.
7 If one uses the ride (chariot, horse etc.), bed, seat, well, garden and house without the permission of their owner, he acquires the latter’s fourth portion of Kārmic demerit. Manusmriti 4.202 ‘Fourth’ is an idiomatic use for ‘a (small) portion’. Using the possessions of others without their permission adds to one demerit. This does not necessarily mean that the owner’s demerit reduces. Rather it simply means that if we use the possessions of evil people, it indicates our level of comfort and our friendship with them, and this reflects poorly on our own character and makes us a party to their evil acts.
13.0 Fate Versus Effort (Prārabdha/Daiva and Purushārtha)
13.1 What is ‘Fate’?
When some people encounter paradoxes of life (see Section 2.1), they tend to blame random luck or ‘fate’ and may feel helpless at experiencing something that they did not supposedly deserve. But Hindu tradition emphasizes that there is nothing random about ‘luck’ or ‘fate’ and whatever we experience and face in our present is a result of our prior actions.
The results of one’s actions result arise from both one’s fate as well as from the efforts of actions performed currently. Of these, fate is nothing but a manifestation of the fruit of actions performed in a previous embodied existence (i.e., previous life). Yājnavalkya Smriti 1.349
Some people believe that fruits (i.e., one’s current situation) is a result of fate, some blame luck or chance, some think that time (or circumstance) is the cause whereas others believe that it is due to one’s deeds. Some wise men think that a combination of these all (fate, luck or chance, time or circumstance and one’s previous deeds) are responsible for our current situation. Yājnavalkya Smriti 1.350
But just as a chariot cannot move with just one wheel, likewise fate cannot also result without a (prior) action. Yājnavalkya Smriti 1.351
The synonyms of Daiva listed in Amarakoṣha 1.4.28 and 3.5.155 are Diṣhṭa, Bhāgya, Niyati, Vidhi, Vidhāna, Bhāgadheya. We can add Prārabdha to the list of synonyms.
One’s own Karma accumulated in previous bodily existences is called Daiva. Matsya Purāṇa 221.2
13.2 Fate versus Effort/Free Will
At any given moment, one has the option to exercise our free will (‘effort’), but one is also bound by the effects of one’s past actions (‘fate’). The net result of ‘effort’ and ‘fate’ (and whether our karma has ‘ripened’) determine the outcome of all our efforts. A noted scholar of Hindu Dharma has explained the relationship between destiny and free will with the following example:
“The cards in the game of life are given to us, we do not select them. They are traced to our past karma, but we can call them as we please, lead what suit we will, and as we play, we gain or lose. And there is freedom.”
In some instances, our free will and efforts can over-ride opposing fate, or synergize with fate that is in harmony, to result in the desired fruit. At other times, the opposing fate is too strong to be overcome with our best efforts, due to which all of our efforts become futile. The Mahābhārata explains-
Kripā said to Ashvatthāmā -
There are two forces: fate and human effort – all men depend on and are bound by these. There is nothing else. Mahābhārata 10.2.2
Two, since actions succeed neither by fate, nor sheer exertion alone, but through their bond. Mahābhārata 10.2.3
All purposes, from high to low, depend upon these two together. In every case, men are engaged or disengaged in action by virtue of this pair. Mahābhārata 10.2.4
What happens when it rains on a mountain? What happens when it rains on a ploughed field? Mahābhārata 10.2.5
It is clear in every case: exertion when something is not fated is as useless as restraint when it is. Mahābhārata 10.2.6
But just as rain, falling by fate on a field properly prepared, gives rise to more abundant seed and higher yield – so it is with human success. Mahābhārata 10.2.7
Of the two, fate once determined proceeds alone; But the wise, with skill, employ themselves in effort. Mahābhārata 10.2.8
For through these two, all ends of human action are attained. And in respect of these, men are thought active or restrained. Mahābhārata 10.2.9
13.3 Overcoming Adverse Fate through Effort, Wisdom and Self-Awareness
We do not know what is in store for us. No one can predict how and when our past Karma will fructify to impact our present efforts. Therefore, a wise man does not rely solely on fate (‘whatever will be, will be’). Instead, he exerts and strives to accomplish his goals, giving up only when the challenges appear insurmountable and beyond his capacity to overcome. In addition to being hard-working, it is also important to be wise and self-aware (of one’s abilities as well as limitations) to succeed in life. If we do not exert, chances that we accomplish our goals are virtually nil. Therefore, the single outcome of inaction is failure. But if we exert, we have two possible outcomes – success and failure.
Activated, human effort succeeds through fate, and then that action’s fruit falls to the actor. Mahābhārata 10.2.10
But even the effort of industrious men, working together, is fruitless in the world devoid of fate. Mahābhārata 10.2.11
Because of this, idle and unperceptive men despise exertion – the wise know better. Mahābhārata 10.2.12
For generally action bears some productive fruit, while to abstain altogether produces nothing but the heavy fruit of suffering. Mahābhārata 10.2.13
Two kinds of men are seldom found – those who achieve their ends fortuitously, without exertion, and those who, having acted, still do not succeed. Mahābhārata 10.2.14
The industrious man, rejecting idleness, is fit to live; it is he, and not the idler who increases happiness – it is he who desires the welfare of his fellow beings. Mahābhārata 10.2.15
If the industrious man, through taking action, does not succeed, he should not be blamed for that – He still perceives the truth. Mahābhārata 10.2.16
The man who succeeds in the world without acting is the exception; as a rule, the inactive lay themselves open to blame and revulsion. Mahābhārata 10.2.17
So the man who flouts this rule garners to himself misfortune – and there is nothing wise about that. Mahābhārata 10.2.18
Exertion can be fruitless in two ways: When it is devoid of human effort or when it is not fated. But as this world goes, action cannot succeed without human effort. Mahābhārata 10.2.19
And in fact, the industrious, skillful man, who, having made due obeisance to the gods, strives to obtain his ends the proper way, never exerts himself in pain. Mahābhārata 10.2.20
Likewise, the man who attends on the elders, questions them on what is conducive to welfare, and uses their advice to advantage, has done the right thing. Mahābhārata 10.2.21
For every time you plan to exert yourself, these acknowledged elders should be consulted – They are the ultimate source of practice: Success is defined as what is rooted in that. Mahābhārata 10.2.22
Because the man who practices exertion, following the advice of the elders, quickly attains the full fruit of his action. Mahābhārata 10.2.23
Whereas the man who tries to attain his ends through passion, greed, fear, and anger – the man who is supercilious and not to be advised – is soon deprived of wealth. Mahābhārata 10.2.24
The purpose fails because the proper step is never taken – only those whose actions stall after all human effort has been made can claim that their affliction stems from fate. Mahābhārata 10.2.33 Lord Krishna said – Just as cold, heat, rain, hunger and thirst can be overcome (by means of warm clothing, fan, umbrella, food and water), likewise prior acts leading to bad fate can be overcome with (counter) efforts done now. Mahābhārata 5. 77.9
13.4 Reliance on Fate is an Alibi for Laziness, Cowardice and Weakness
The fact is that it is often lazy people who give the excuse of fate so that they do not have to exert. Prosperity and success eludes lazy people. Similarly, people hide their weakness or cowardice by refusing to rise against their adversaries and challenges and blame their ill-luck instead.
Fate and effort can influence each other. But the man whose understanding is great always performs good deeds, whereas weak person always relies on his luck/fate. Mahābhārata 12.139.82 If one does not obtain the desired result even after putting in a lot of effort, one should not become despondent. Because, in addition to one’s own effort, there are two other factors that impact the results, fate and Divine mercy. Mahābhārata 3.32.50
Sanjaya said to Dhritrashtra - One should act appropriately in the first place, so that he does not have to experience feelings of regret and repentance later on. Mahābhārata 11.1.35
Those who are lazy or rely only on their luck/fate never achieve their goals. Prosperity eludes one who daydreams perpetually and favors him who works hard. Matsya Purāṇa 221.11-12
Even the King of beasts, the Lion has to hunt for his food. Food does not enter the mouth of a sleeping lion automatically. It is the lazy people who are scared of exerting themselves to work and then declare, 'whatever happens will be according to my fate.' Panchatantra, Mitrasaṃprāptiḥ
136-137
13.5 ‘God Helps Those Who Help Themselves’
The Devas do not like lazy people either. They help those who help themselves.
Devas desire one who presses the sap (of Soma, i.e. performs the required ceremonies). They do not
like sleep. They do not sleep themselves and do not like dissoluteness. Rigveda 8.2.18 Devas are friends of no one except those who exert. Rigveda 4.33.11
Therefore. the Vedas exhort us to not get dependent on ‘luck’ or ‘fate’ and instead work hard to attain success and prosperity.
Do not gamble but cultivate your farm and enjoy the wealth obtained thereof and value it. Rigveda
10.34.13ab
A modern scholar summarizes-
“You are like a farmer who has a plot of land. The acreage, the nature of the soil and the conditions of weather are all predetermined, but the farmer is quite at liberty to till the land, manure it, sow the seeds, water the plants, and get good harvest, or allow the land to remain as a wasteland.”
Another consideration is whether failures are merely a ‘result’ of our actions, or whether we can use them to generate more positive saṃskāra-s in the future? A modern scholar explains, in a commonsensical way, how failures in life can create learning opportunities-
“That we may occasionally manifest under circumstances that are less than ideal for spiritual development may appear on the surface to suggest such a thing, even those incarnations we might consider “failures” are, in fact, a part of the growth process. They are what show us where we are on our path and help us to appreciate the value in striving to move ahead. As such, there is no such thing as failure in the absolute sense of the word, for even failure is a necessary part of the process. In effect, we cannot ultimately fail, since failure is already figured into the mix.
Consider it this way: when an inventor is working on a new invention, he may initially encounter numerous setbacks, failed attempts, and dead ends. It is recorded that Thomas Edison tried literally hundreds of materials as a filament for the light bulb before finally hitting upon magnesium. In the process, most of the materials he tried did nothing or immediately incinerated, while a few would burn brightly for a few seconds as electricity surged through them before burning out. Yet these were not failures in the strictest sense of the word, for Edison was working from a process of elimination. Each carefully recorded failure actually brought him one step closer to finding a
substance that would work, permitting him to finally develop a practical light bulb and revolutionize the world.
It is the same for the soul that is striving for spiritual growth. It may frequently turn out to be a two-step-forward, one-step-back process, but it is ultimately moving ahead toward its own perfection….”
Those who are not lazy, weak or cowardly will use their challenges and failures to progress further in their lives. The biographies of our Avatāra-s Rama and Krishna are shining examples of how they did not become despondent but harnessed their grit and determination to persevere and accomplish their goals.
A story is sometimes narrated about how we can turn around our lives even in the most unfavorable circumstances through sheer determination-
Story: The Thief Who Became a Saint
A young man who was a serial burglar got arrested and the judge sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment. Worse, the judge ordered that the Sanskrit word ‘stena’ (thief) should be tattooed on his forehead. The burglar’s life was ruined. He would be almost 45 years of age by the time he would be released from jail, and would bear the stigma of having been a thief for the rest of his life, thanks to the tattoo on his forehead.
But, he decided to spend his life in jail constructively. He paid attention to all the crafts that they taught the jail inmates, and got very educated and skilled. He also requested for and read many holy books. Gradually, he got transformed, and became a very Dharmic person while still in jail. He loved to spend his last years in the jail doing pūjā, doing prostrations to a painting of Shri Rama that he had painted, and helping out other inmates.
Finally, when he was released, he went to his home, only to find that his elderly parents had died. His siblings refused to help him out due to public shame. Helpless, he moved to another town where no one knew him. By then, the tattoo on his forehead had somewhat faded, and had become illegible. In his new surroundings, he used the skills that he had learned in jail to find odd job. Soon, he became well-known in that town as a skilled mechanic. Moreover, people marveled at his saintly character. He was very helpful towards others, and regularly participated in the Dharmic activities of the local Mandir and the community. He served the elders in the area, fed the hungry, and taught children the beautiful tenets of Dharma. After a few decades, he became old, and died. The townsfolk gathered to give him a cremation to honor his life. As he was being placed on the pyre, someone asked, “I wonder what these letters on his forehead meant?” The man next to him said, “I cannot read them properly, and the tattoo marker seems to have goofed up. But I am sure that they read ‘sant’ or a saint, because this main lived like a saint, and inspired us all these decades that he had lived in our community.”
In fact, in Hindu scriptures, there are many examples like (Rishi Vālmīki) of how individuals from humble and unfortunate circumstances became our Rishis, and great women and men. Hindu Dharma honors the free will, determination and efforts of these individuals by instructing us that “one must never investigate the origins of mighty rivers, of Rishis, and of pious women.”
Another story is narrated in the Hindu tradition about how Panini, a dullard in his young years, defied fate to become the greatest grammarian of Sanskrit. A second example is that that of the fool Kālīdāsa, who acquired scholarship with great efforts to become the greatest Sanskrit dramaturgist. We narrate the story of Panini below.
Story: How Panini became a great Scholar- Once, Panini
Muni went to a palmist for getting his hand read for determining his future. The Palmist said to him, “You are fated to be an illiterate fool because the line of education is missing from your palm.”
Panini asked him, “Tell me where that line is.” When the palmist answered his question, Panini took a knife and carved the line at that place on his palm. Panini then decided to give up his laziness and worked hard to learn the grammar of the Sanskrit language.
After some time, he wrote the book ‘Ashtādhyāyī’, that is considered one of the greatest works of Sanskrit grammar even today, 2500 years after Panini had lived. Panini’s grammar consists of just about 4000 short sentences called ‘sūtras,’ which can be memorized easily by students. It consists of eight chapters, of which two deal with the grammar of the Vedic scriptures, and the rest with the grammar of spoken Sanskrit, and the language of other Hindu scriptures. His grammar has six appendices, of which some are said to have been composed by other scholars. It is the most scientific and systematic grammar known of all the languages of the world.
14.0 Sharing and Transference of Karmaphala between Individuals/Groups
Two opposing views are often found in Hindu sacred literature and popular tradition regarding whether one reaps the fruit of only one’s own Karma or whether the doer and the reaper can be different. In general, we can say that the rigorously cold logic and rationales of the Darshana Shāstra-s are complemented by the emotional and human exceptions suggested in the Dharmashāstra and other literature.
14.1 No Transfer of Karma Possible
The first view states that there is an exact correspondence between the doer and the reaper, even if the two are separated by lifetimes. The phenomenon of rebirth is a corollary to the law of karma. Therefore, if one does not reap the fruit of his deeds in this lifetime, he will reap them in a future lifetime. No karma can be transferred from oneself to another.
Just as a calf recognizes his own mother from among thousands of cows, likewise the deeds performed earlier locate their correct doer at a later time. Mahābhārata 12.181-16
Lord Shiva said to Devi Parvati – “Whatever deed one performs, that very fruit he obtains (i.e., the fruit or results are consistent with the deed performed). The Jīva reaps the fruit of his own Karma. No one else is entitled to the fruit of the karma of another. Mahābhārata 13, chapter 145 (Southern recension).
No one takes the good and bad fruit of anyone else’s virtuous and evil karma. In fact, everyone reaps the fruit of his own karma. Mahābhārata 12.280.2
Man is born alone; man dies alone; he enjoys his merits by himself; he reaps the bitter fruits of his sins by himself. Garuda Purāṇa 2.12.22
In this view, no transfer of Karma takes place even between family members and generations within the same family. Every individual has his own personal, individual and separate stock of the fruit of Karma that they alone have performed in previous lives or earlier in the present life.
There is no connection between the deeds of a father and his son, of the deeds of the son and his father. Bound by his own karma, each individual treads his own path, and reaps the fruit of his own karma. Mahābhārata 12.153.38
This point needs emphasis because one often does virtuous or evil deeds for the sake of his family members, friends or other loved ones. But in this viewpoint, even if evil Karma is done for the sake of others, the doer alone reaps the fruit and never those for whose sake it was done.
For the sake of one’s wife and children, one does several evil deeds and incurs evil result. But one has to suffer the results of his karma alone, whether in this world or in the next. Mahābhārata
12.174.25
In this connection, we read of the story of Maharshi Valmiki and his transition from a highway robber to an esteemed Sage and author of the Hindu scripture of Ramayana.
Story: How the Dacoit Ratnākara became a Rishi
Rishi Valmiki is called the ‘Ādi Kavi’ or the first poet in the Sanskrit language. He wrote the Ramayana, the story of the life of Lord Rama in 24,000 verses. The Ramayana has become so popular that even outside India, people in many countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Malaysia, China, and Japan have their own versions of Ramayana based on Rishi
Valmiki’s original version.
Thousands of years ago, a dacoit named Ratnākara (also called Valya Koli) lived in the forests of north India. He earned his living by robbing and killing travelers who were passing through the forest. He would steal their belongings and food and take them home to feed his own children and wife.
One day, Sage Nārada was passing through the forest. Suddenly, Valya came from behind a bush and threatened to kill Nārada unless he gave up his belongings. Nārada asked Valya as to why he lived this life of robbing and killing. “To feed my family,” replied Valya. Nārada then asked him, “Don’t you know it is a bad crime to kill and steal from others? You will get bad Karma (i.e. fruit of action), and suffer punishment for it later. Will your family also share your bad Karma with you just like you share your loot with them?”
“Of course, I will go and ask them and confirm it for you.” said Valya. But when Valya asked his wife and children if they will also share his bad Karma, they refused. They all said, “It is your duty to take care of us and feed us. This does not mean that we should also share your bad Karma with you.” Now Valya was very sad, because the family whom he loved and for whom he did all the crimes was unwilling to share his bad deeds too. He realized that we all pay alone for our evil deeds and earn good fruit alone for our good deeds. Valya then decided to mend his ways and become a good person.
So he rushed back to Nārada to tell him how sorry he was for all that he had done so far. “How can I make good my bad deeds and become a good person?” Sage Nārada asked him to sit in meditation, and continuously chant the name of Rama till he returned. So Sage Valya sat at one place, and chanted ‘Rama-Rama’ without moving for many years till termite ants made an ant-hill (called ‘Vālmīki’) and completely covered his body. And therefore, he came to be known as Vālmīki. Finally, a Divine voice from heaven said that Īshvara is pleased with the devotion of Vālmīki and he can come out of the ant-hill. Rishi Nārada appeared and told Vālmīki that now he was a reformed person. He narrated to him briefly the life-story of Rama, who was then the King of Ayodhyā.
In the course of time, Vālmīki became a Saint and a great poet. He composed the Ramayana, the story of the beautiful character of Lord Rama. The Ramayana written by him became famous all over the world. Even today, millions of people read the Ramayana and learn from the good virtues and deeds of Rama so that they can themselves lead better lives.
14.2 Transfer of Karma to Descendants
A somewhat different view states that the consequences of one’s karma, if not experienced by oneself, will be suffered by his children or grandchildren.
One who deprives another of his legitimate share suffers punishment. If he escapes punishment, his son faces it. If the son too escapes punishment, then his grandson faces it. Rigveda, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 6.7
Even if an evil deed performed does not show any malevolent effects on doer promptly, it has an impact on his children and grandchildren. This is like eating heavy food which does not trouble the eater promptly but results in stomach problems in due time. Mahābhārata 1.80.3
In Kaushitaki Upanishad 2.15, when a father is about to die, he asks his son to lay close to him and transfers his Karma to his son. This transfer of Karma is not real but symbolic, as the context shows, and is rather meant to convey that authority of leading actions needed to run the household are being transferred from father to son.
This view serves as a deterrent against one doing evil deeds to benefit family members but cause pain to non-family members who are victims of those evil deeds. In this connection, several stories are narrated of a saint having cursed the residents of a particular village due to which, several generations of that village continued to suffer for centuries. For instance, generations of residents of a village close to Lahore (in Pakistan) have suffered from congenital diseases because per their tradition, their ancestors had ill-treated Guru Nanak.
It might be asked whether this view implies that injustice is inbuilt in the law of karma because someone who was not responsible for a particular action is forced to reap the fruit of that action. A response to this is that we are reborn into a particular family due to our own prior Karma which fructifies as Prārabdha. From a common man’s perspective, the child appears to be suffering the consequences of evil deeds of his elders but in reality, the child was born into that particular family so that he reaps the just results of his own deeds done in previous lifetimes. The elders were mere agents who enabled the child to reap the fruit of his Karma and will themselves reap the fruit of their own deeds in the future. Therefore, this example does not invalidate the Law of Karma.
14.3 Sharing of Karma between Husband and Wife
Hindu tradition states that the husband and wife form a united pair and should perform the Vedic and other ceremonies jointly. Alternately, if the husband is busy providing for the family, the wife must continue to perform them on his behalf. In all such cases, it is assumed that the fruit of the religious ceremonies will be shared by the couple.
The wife shares in the fate of the husband who provides for her. Rāmāyaṇa 2.27.5
This again is not a true case of transfer of Karma from one spouse to another. Even if the wife has not participated as actively as her husband in the performance of the Vedic ceremony, her support through taking care of his household etc., enables him to perform the ceremony. Therefore, whether the wife participates in the ceremony or not, her role, even if in the background, enables her spouse to perform the same. Therefore, she shares in the fruit of the ceremony.
14.4 Transfer of Karma between the Ruler and the Subjects
The King takes a sixth or a different portion of the income of his subjects as tax. In return, it is the King’s (or the government’s) duty to provide the subjects with security, facilities for trade and transportation, relief during natural calamities like famines and so on. Manu 8.304 states that the ruler who fails to protect his subjects gets one-sixth of the fruit of their evil Karma.
The well-being of the subjects and their ability to do good or bad deeds becomes dependent on the administration provided by their political leadership. For this reason, Hindu scriptures like the Manusmriti declares that by virtue of collecting one-sixth of his subjects’ income as tax, the King also gets one sixth the merit of their good deeds and one sixth the demerit of their evil deeds. Conversely, the evil character of a King is often said to result in famines or flooding in his kingdom, causing misery to all citizens. Numerous examples are given in the Hindu scriptures where a moral lapse of the ruler resulted in natural calamities, and therefore, the ruler performed penances to cause rainfall on their parched land.
14.5 Karma performed for the Departed
In Hindu families, ceremonies are performed by the close family members of the departed, and charity and other meritorious acts are carried out to benefit the Jīvātmā of the dead person. The doers of these deeds also get merit by fulfilling their duties and performing these meritorious deeds. In a way, the performance of funeral ceremonies, charity in the name of the dead family member is a reflection of the latter’s own good deeds because he had presumably raised his children well and had earned enough good-will of his family members to inspire them to do these actions. However, funeral ceremonies have considerable popular cultural elements embedded in them and many of these meritorious deeds stem from these little, regional traditions. Some Hindu texts like the Manusmriti, even while recommending the performance of these acts by family members nevertheless declare that only his own Karma accompanies the Jīvātmā of the dead person.
After we die, neither the father, mother, son, wife nor one’s clan is available for help. Only the Dharma that one has followed in his lifetime before death is present to help us out. Manusmriti
4.239
14.6 Transference of Karma from the Purohit to the Yajamāna
More complex Hindu religious ceremonies are performed under the guidance or with the assistance of scholars (Pandit), priests (Purohit) and other specialists (like Ritvik). As they are the leading performers of these ceremonies, it is logical that they should acquire the merit of performing these acts. Therefore, it is customary for the client or the sponsoring couple, for whose sake the deeds were performed, to respectfully give a Dakshiṇā, or a fee/offering to the specialists. This financial remuneration transfers the merit of performing the ceremony from the specialist to the sponsor for whose sake it was performed precisely because the coming together of the sponsor with the specialist was planned as a transaction.
14.7 Voluntary Transfer of Good Karma (Puṇyadāna)
Hindu and Buddhist traditions reject the possibility that we can voluntarily transfer the fruit of our evil actions to others. But conversely, an extremely noble person can gift the fruit of his noble actions to others to alleviate their suffering. Numerous stories to this effect are given in the texts of both these religions. Even in common practice, Hindu elders often take the water of Ganga river in their hand, summon a younger person they adore and make a vow to transfer the fruit of their good deeds to the latter. The following story might be narrated in this regard in Purāṇa-s like Padma and Mārkaṇdeya Purāṇa-
King Vipaschit Rejects the Pleasures of Svarga (Mārkandeya Purāṇa, chapter 15): Once, there ruled a virtuous king named Vipaschit. He ruled justly and everyone in his kingdom followed Dharma. Those who did not follow Dharma by indulging in stealing, killing etc. were jailed and kept under control. All the citizens of the kingdom were happy, prosperous and contended. They all prayed for the long life of their King, and thanked Bhagavān for having given them a noble ruler like him.
When King Vipaschit died, he was taken to heaven. There, he enjoyed the pleasures of heaven for a while. But soon, a thought came to his mind, “I had treated all of my citizens as my own children. I wonder where they are. I can see some of my noble citizens who had died before me, also in heaven. But what happened to my citizens who sometimes disobeyed Dharma? Where did they go?” He put this question to Indra.
Indra, the King of heaven said, “King Vipaschit, your citizens who had done evil were taken to hell.” King Vipaschit replied, “Whatever they might have done, they were like my own children because it is the duty of a King to take care of all of his citizens. Therefore, please take me to Hell, where I can see them, at least for some time.” Indra agreed, and the two went to Hell. In Hell, King Vipaschit was deeply pained to see that his evil citizens were suffering in various ways. He wept at their suffering, and asked that he be taken back to Heaven.
But as he was leaving, one of his citizens cried out, “Please do not leave my King. I know that I am suffering due to my own bad Karma, but your presence here is making me feel more comfortable.” Another voice said, “You were like our father. How can you leave us here alone? Please do not go away. Even the wind that touches your body and blows towards us carries the coolness of your virtue, and makes it easier for us to bear the pain of our burning bodies.”
Hearing these voices, King Vipaschit was moved greatly. He said to Indra, “Of what use is my stay in heaven if I cannot give any relief and happiness to my former subjects. There is nothing superior to compassion and love. So please leave me behind here in hell. If my presence gives happiness to anyone here and reduces their pain, then I am willing to stay behind in hell, even though it may be the most unpleasant and painful place.”
But Indra refused, and said, “Every creature has to bear the fruit of his or her own karma. If they did bad karma, they must suffer in hell. But you were a virtuous king and had good karma, due to which, you deserve to stay in heaven and not in hell.” King Vipaschit replied, “I did not do good karma with the intent of going to heaven alone. Of what use is good karma if it does not fill one’s heart with love and compassion? Desire for heaven and other fruit of karma can make one a hard hearted and an arrogant person. I want to donate the fruit of all my good karma to these suffering residents of the hell, so that they can return to earth and get one more chance to be good. Or at least, my good karma will reduce the length of their stay here in hell.”
Indra replied, “Any act of charity is also good karma. If you are giving away the fruit of your good karma, then you are earning more good karma. Therefore, all the more reason for you to come to heaven and stay there even longer than you were supposed to!” King Vipaschit replied, “I want to donate all the fruit of my good karma, whether these karmas were performed in the past or whether they will be done in the future. I have no desire to live in heaven. All I want is that everyone should be happy.”
When King Vipaschit had said these words, Bhagavān Vishnu appeared in front of them on Garuda. He said to the king, “Truly, a person who has no desire for any fruit of good karma, even if it be heaven – that great person becomes fit for Moksha. So I will take you with me and you will get everlasting Moksha. Your good karma will be given to your well-wishers.” The soul of Vipaschit then attained Moksha, and he resided in the company of Bhagavān Vishnu forever thereafter. His good Karma were transferred to the residents of hell which shortened their stay in hell, and then they were reborn on this earth.
Another example would be the story of Rishi Vishvamitra who performed religious austerities due to which King Trishanku starts levitating with his body towards heaven.
14.8 Involuntary Transfer of Sanchit Karma to Others
In order to induce householders to be fair, hospitable, honest etc., Smritis have numerous statements like the one below-
That atithi (guest) who arrives at one’s home with expectation, but is turned away disappointed, takes the religious merit of the householder to whose house he had come, and leaves behind for him his own tainting evil deeds. Vishnu Dharma Sūtra 67.33
For instance, in the Kathopanishad, Nachiketa waits at the door of Yama, hungry and thirsty, for three days. When Yama returns to his abode, he is remorseful to see a little boy sitting hungry at his door. A voice in the background says-
Hopes and expectations, the fruit of good associations, the merit of sweet and beneficial speech, the sacred and the good deeds, and all of his children and cattle are destroyed, in the case of that foolish man in whose house a Brahmana stays without a meal. Yajurveda, Katha Upanishad 1.1.8
In my opinion, these statements cannot be taken literally and are meant to be inducements for us to performing our duties diligently.
14.9 Automatic Transfer of Sanchit Karma of the Brahmajnānī to Others
This is discussed in more detail in a later section. When a spiritually perfected individual leaves his physical body and attains Moksha, his stock of Karma performed in previous lives before he was enlightened is transferred to certain people with whom he was associated. There are several scriptural citations in this regard-
His sons inherit his properties, the ancestors his virtuous deeds, and the enemies his evil deeds. Samaveda, Jaiminīya Brahmana 1.50
He shakes off both virtues and vices; his beloved relatives get his virtues and his hated relatives his vices. Rigveda, Kaushitaki Upanishad 1.4
Making over the merit of his own good deeds to his friends and the guilt of his evil deeds to his enemies, he attains the eternal Brahman by the practice of meditation. Manusmriti 6.79
Note that the Kriyamāna/Āgāmī Karma of such a spiritually perfected person does not bear any fruit and therefore the possibility of its transfer does not arise. But even such a person has to bear the fruit of his Prārabdha Karma as stated earlier. There are other scriptural texts that state that the tormentor of a Rishi suffers instant retribution and even in current times, when someone hurts and saint dies suddenly, Hindus remark, “He suffered the consequences of hurting a saintly person.” All these beliefs are consistent with each other. The question is whether we should take them literally or whether we should take them figuratively to mean that one must not hurt a spiritually realized person and instead be respectful towards them and serve them?
14.10 Voluntary Transfer of Bad Karma from Shiṣhyas to Guru
The Hindu tradition also notes several cases wherein, out of compassion, the Guru takes on the evil Karma and their effects upon himself because he is able to bear them whereas the earnest though weak disciple might not be able to withstand the same yet. For instance, out of compassion, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (15th – 16th cent. CE) embraced a leper due to which the latter got healed.
It is said that one day, Shirdi’s Sai Baba suddenly thrust his arm into a blazing fire and had to be forcibly restrained by his devotees in the vicinity lest he hurt himself even further. His burned arm was bandaged and started healing. A few days later, a letter was received from his distant devotee saying, “My young infant accidentally fell
into a fire and we thought that he will be charred to death. In desperation, we called out Sai Baba’s name to save him. The baby was taken out of the fire, miraculously unhurt.” The devotees of Sai Baba interpreted the letter to mean that the saint had heard the cry for help clairvoyantly and chose to burn his own arm in the fire in his vicinity, so that the other fire would not harm the infant.
14.11 Transferring Another’s Bad Karma to Oneself
The Hindu scriptures record several other scenarios where the Karma of one person can transfer to another. All these cases are meant to motivate human beings to continue doing the correct thing all the time and avoid evil acts and persons who behave in an evil manner.
The doer can transfer the merit of his good Karma to another person, and one can take on another’s bad karma onto oneself voluntarily. But no one can voluntarily snatch another’s good karma, nor can the doer of a bad karma forcibly transfer his demerit to another.
Mitāksharā commentary on Yājnavavalkya Smriti 1.9.211 states that one can transfer the merit of his good Karma-s to his parents, children, the Devas or to Guru but he cannot transfer the demerit of his evil deeds to anyone else. Citing Brihaspati, the text enumerates the following ways of contact in which one can take on another person’s evil deeds:
1. Sharing bed.
2. Sharing seat.
3. Eating in the same row (in close proximity) to the evil doer.
4. Sharing cooking pots with the evil doer.
5. Consuming the evil doer’s food.
6. Becoming the Purohita (priest) of a sinner.
7. Teaching the Vedas to an evil doer or learning the Vedas from an evil doer.
8. Sexual relationship with an evil doer.
9. Eating food from the same utensil as the evil doer.
Not all of these actions (or other actions) are equally grievous for transferring evil Karma. For example, casual joking and talking with an evil person is less intense then having the evil doer as one’s priest or Vedic teacher.
A ceremony named ‘Katto’ was practiced at the death of Hindu kings in ancient times. Most recently, it was practiced in 2001 after the murder of the King Birendra of Nepal. A vegetarian Brahmana was made to eat meat, offered some personal possessions of the King, paid a substantial sum of money and made to ride off as an exile from the Kathmandu valley on the back of an elephant. It was believed that the Brahmana would thereby take the bad Karma of the deceased King upon himself.
14.12 Individual and Group Karma
New Agers and some other modern schools of philosophy teach that there is a group karma and even national karma because human beings often act in harmony with members of the group to which they belong. Therefore, these actions, performed as a group, also bear similar results for all the group members in tandem. For instance, an army battalion that slaughters innocent villagers will all be reborn and take the same air flight which crashes as retribution for the slaughter that they had caused. These ideas are neither mentioned nor presumed and are even rejected by the Dhārmic traditions. A more detailed discussion of this sharing of karma is discussed further below in the interfaith discussion on Karma.
The concept of shared group Karma is used to explain mass deaths in incidents like earthquakes and airplane crashes. It is proposed that the victims must have participated in crimes collectively in a prior life (e.g. as members of a cruel invading army) and therefore they reaped the fruit collectively. Conversely, if an individual is a member of a group that commits an atrocity against another group, all members of the former are guilty collectively and will reap the fruit of their group crime. How valid is this notion of shared or group Karma? Let us consider the following verse in Manusmriti that express the opinion (one among many opinions) that meat eating is evil-
He who authorizes the killing of an animal, he who butchers the animal into pieces, who slaughters the animal, who sells and purchases, cooks, serves and he who eats it – they are all murderers of the animal. Manu Smriti 5.51 ( = Vishnu Dharma Sūtra 51.74)
Although all these people contribute to the slaughter of the animal for meat, it can be seen clearly that not everyone is equally responsible. In fact, in Section 2 above, we saw that Karmaphala is shaped by several factors like the exact role of the doer, his intent, knowledge and faith. To this, we may add the degree of free will or agency. What if the slaughterer was forced to butcher the animal; or is compelled by financial need to take up this as his profession? And how can a server at a restaurant be as equally responsible for the slaughter of the animal as the butcher?
In other words, when a group of people come together to accomplish a unified goal or they commit a common crime, their respective responsibility depends on several factors and therefore their fruit will also be different from each other. Just like different members of a gang of criminals are not necessarily awarded the same punishment by a competent judge who looks at the exact role played by each member of the gang, so also it is not appropriate to postulate the existence of group Karma leading to equal fruit for everyone in that group.
14.13 Offering Karmaphala to Bhagavān
Ordinary people perform good deeds with a specific goal, selfish motive or a desire in their minds. The Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures recommend that we should offer our actions and also their results to Bhagavān. This mode of performing actions forms an important part of the spiritual paths of Karmayoga and Bhaktiyoga.
In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or following one’s nature - one should offer all that to the Supreme, thinking, “This is for the pleasure of Lord Nārāyaṇa.” Bhāgavata Purāṇa 11.2.36
Of course, this does not mean that we indulge in evil actions, driven by negative emotions like greed and hate, and then offer the Karmaphala to the Lord. It means that we follow the scriptural injunctions to act only according to Dharma and offer the results to the Lord. In this way, the doer does not get tainted or attached to the Karmaphala that prevents him from attaining Moksha.
15.0 Reducing Bad Karma and Adding Good Karma
In this ocean like world, virtuous deeds lighten our weight and keep us afloat just like a boat stays above the water. Evil deeds burden us down and we sink, just as a metallic weapon sinks with a thud when thrown into a body of water. Mahābhārata 13.1.22
15.1 Pāpa/Demerit and Puṇya/Merit
The words Pāpa and Puņya are typically translated as ‘sin’ and ‘virtue’ but the original Hindu concepts are much broader. According to Hindu Dharma, each individual comprises of the ātmā that is associated with its adjuncts which are the physical body, the mind and intellect and certain life forces (called the Prāņas). The ātmā itself is eternally pure and is not tainted by evil or good. The final goal of the ātmā is Moksha, when it sheds off the body, mind, intellect, life forces and the subtle sense organs to enjoy eternal communion with the blissful Supreme Soul.
Unlike the ātmā which is always pure, the body, mind, intellect and the life forces are affected or tainted by evil and good. In turn, the ātmā’s association with the body etc. causes it to be reborn into a new body upon death of its current body. This body can be human or plant or animal, or something different. In the course of its journey from one body to another, when the soul moves closer to Moksha or is reborn in a more fortunate circumstance, it is called upward motion (ūrdhvagati) and when the soul moves away from its final goal or Moksha or is reborn in a less fortunate circumstance (such as by being reborn in an animal’s body, or in a poor family), it is called downward motion (adhogati).
Any action, thought, object, external influence etc., that impact the body, mind, intellect and life forces in such a way that they lead the ātmā towards ‘adhogati’ are called ‘pāpa’ and those which lead the soul towards ūrdhvagati are called puṇya. That state in which the adjuncts of the ātmā are completely purified and are also saturated with spiritual wisdom is called ‘paramagati’ or the supreme state, because the ātmā is ready to detach from its adjuncts at this stage and attains Moksha.
The goal of all good Hindus is to accumulate puņya (= puņyasanchaya) and diminish the stock of ātmā pāpa (= pāpakshaya). Often, the words Dharma and Adharma are also used in the same sense as puņya and pāpa respectively. We could use the phrase ‘religious merit’ to denote puņya and likewise substitute the word pāpa with ‘demerit’.
The concepts of puņya–Dharma and pāpa-Adharma are very closely related to ‘purity’ and ‘impurity’ because Puņya–Dharma purify the adjuncts of the soul, whereas Pāpa-Adharma taint them, or make them impure.
15.2 Internal and External Purity
Some confuse external purity with internal purity. Therefore, the following passage from sacred Hindu literature might be cited as illustrations to distinguish between the two-
Purification is of two types- external and internal. External purification is achieved through water and clay. Internal purification results from cleansing of one’s inner thoughts (and emotions). Vaadhūla Smriti 19 (also Daksha Smriti 5.3)
Different types of impurities and sins require different solutions to clean them. The same soap does not get rid of all kinds of dirt. Therefore, Hindu scriptures propose several different types of purifying means:
(Spiritual) knowledge, austerity, fire, food (pure), clay, mind, water, smearing (with cow dung), wind, sacred ceremonies, the sun and time are the purifiers of the embodied. Manusmriti 5.105 Among all means of purification, purity in (acquisition of) wealth is declared to be the best because he is pure who earns honestly, not he who cleans himself with clay and water. Manusmriti 5.106 The learned are purified by a forgiving behavior, those who have committed forbidden deeds are purified through charity, those who have committed evil in secret by reciting sacred texts, and those who know the Vedas by performing austerities. Manusmriti 5.107
Bodies are purified by water, mind by truthfulness, one’s individual ātmā by truth and the intellect by (spiritual) knowledge. Manusmriti 5.109
Purification for doing prohibited acts results from charity, rivers are purified by flow, dirty objects are purified by clay and water, the twice born are purified by taking Samnyāsa, the knowers of Vedas are purified by austerity, the wise are purified by forgiving others, the body is purified by water, sins committed in secret by Japa, and the mind is purified by truth. The ātmā is purified by austerity and knowledge, and intellect is purified by knowledge. And the ātmā [that has been purified by austerity and knowledge] is purified completely by knowledge of the Divine – this is the most authoritative opinion. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.32-34
However, it is wrong to think that the external and internal taints of sin are removed by completely different means of purification. The same purification agent can remove multiple types of taint and have multiple types of benefits. For example, pilgrimage can wash out our bad Karma to some extent, and it can also benefit us spiritually in other ways.
Conversely, the same cause can lead to both external and internal taints. A good example is that if we eat tainted food, it can not only make us ill, but also affect our mind negatively (e.g. make us more excited and angrier), which in turn leads to spiritual harms because only a calm mind that is free of anger and other vices can imbibe spiritual wisdom. Internal purity is definitely superior to external purity even though both are needed-
External purity is preferable to impurity, and internal purity is superior to external purity. But he alone is pure who is pure both internally and externally. Daksha Smriti 5.4
Compassion, forbearance, freedom from envy, purity of body/mind and speech, absence of intemperate desires and ambitions, doing virtuous acts, not debasing oneself in front of others and not coveting sensual pleasures or possessions of others – these are the 8 qualities of the ātmā, that lead to one’s union with Supreme Being. A man who has performed all the 40 Samskaras (sacraments) but does not have these 8 qualities does not reach Brahman, but he who has these 8 qualities of the soul and has performed only a few of these 40 Samskaras reaches Brahman. Gautama Dharmasūtra 8.24-26
If a person is defiled in inner emotions, all his external actions never bear fruit even if he puts in his utmost effort. Vāyu Purāṇa 2.8.182
Even if a person donates all his possessions but has an impious inner ātmā, he shall not be considered virtuous. Piety is the true cause of perfection. Vāyu Purāṇa 2.8.183
15.3 Mutual Cancellation of Good and Evil Karma
According to one opinion, good and bad Karma cancel each other-
Virtuous actions performed in the present can nullify the fruit of past evil actions. The fruit of prior good actions can be nullified present evil deeds. Mahābhārata 13.6.28
In general however, different karmas do not nullify each other and the result of each Karma must be experienced independently. If good karmas were to balance and nullify bad Karmas as in a Balance Sheet in business, everyone would be tempted to do evil deeds and then balance them just enough to escape Kārmic retribution. The reason for non-cancellation of good and bad Karma is that each Karma generates its own separate saṃskāra-s that can coalesce only with similar ones. This the saṃskāra-s of virtuous and evil Karma-s, being opposite in nature, do not merge and cancel each other out. Therefore, Hindu scriptures state-
When a person intentionally commits an evil deed and then performs a good deed as atonement for the former, he experiences the fruit of his evil and good deeds separately. Mahābhārata 12.291.11
Sometimes, learned Hindus state that we can try to mitigate the effects of bad Karma by performing good Karma, but this is not a certainty. The key is to stop bad Karma at the soonest and start doing good deeds.
Violence committed inadvertently is atoned through following the vow of Ahimsa – this is the command of scripture, according to the knowers of the Vedas. The same knowers of Vedas and their preachers say that the vow of Ahimsa cannot balance an act of violence that was committed intentionally. Mahābhārata 12.291.12-13
A modern teacher explains why good and bad karmas do not nullify each other giving a practical example-
Pāpa karmas cannot normally be nullified by puṇya karmas. For instance, a Jīva commits three papa karmas. Then it performs five puṇya karmas. This does not mean that the Jīva’s three papa karmas are destroyed by three puṇya karmas, with a surplus of two. In reality, the Jīva has to bear the bad fruits of the three papa karmas and also the good fruits of the five puṇya karmas. Consider an analogy. A person beats a cow with a stick and then offers it some grass. The papa karma of beating the cow will not be eradicated by the puṇya karma of feeding it grass. In reality, the person will have to bear the bad fruits of beating the cow, as well as the good fruit of offering it grass. This mechanism continues to operate all through the Jīva’s life.
If the results of good and bad Karma fructify at the same moment, they will mitigate balance each other (i.e. a mixture of pain and pleasure) but will not cancel out each other.
15.4 Augmenting Good Karma
Several external and internal Kriyamāna Karma-s are prescribed in Hindu scriptures for augmenting one’s good Karma137 –
1. Pilgrimage
2. Charity
3. Performance of ritual worship
4. Selfless Service
5. Self – Disciplinary acts, Vows, Fasts etc.
6. Meditation
7. Prayer
8. Japa
9. Pursuing Spiritual Wisdom, Understanding the Nature of the Self 10. Devotion to God
11. Self- Surrender
Some summary scriptural passages might be cited in this regard-
Time, fire, Karma, clay, wind, mind, knowledge, austerity, water, repentance and fasting – these are all means of purification. Yajnavalkya Smriti 3.31
Living with a teacher, wisdom in Vedas and other scriptures, practice of duties and rites prescribed in these scriptures, keeping company with the virtuous, speaking polite and beneficial words, forsaking the sight and touch of women, seeing all creatures as one’s own self, non-accumulation of material goods, using old saffron garments, preventing the sense organs from indulging (excessively) in speech and touch etc., not sleeping (excessively), not being lazy, reflection on the defects of the body, realizing that all activities of life involve an element of hurt to other creatures, giving up Rajas and Tamas, and purifying one’s mind with Sattva, absence of the desire to overtake others and disciplining one’s mind – one who has been purified by all these and is saturated with sattva alone attains liberation. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.156-159
By the daily recitation of portions of the Vedas, by undertaking vows (e.g. I will not eat meat), by offering oblations (during Vedic religious ceremonies), by learning and recitation all the three Vedas, by procreation of children, performance the five great daily yajnas, making offerings (to Rishis, Devas, Pitris) and by performing the Vedic ceremonies (Shrauta Yajnas), this body becomes fit for (union with) Brahman, i.e., the individual becomes fit for Moksha. Manusmriti
2.28
The Bhagavad Gita mentions 12 types of Yajnas that take one to the very doorstep of Brahman-
Krishna said:
Some yogīs offer yajnas to the Devas alone, whereas others offer yajna by yajna itself in the fire of Brahman. Gita 4.25
Some offer hearing and other senses into the fires of restraint; others offer sound and other objects of senses into the fires of the senses. Gita 4.26
And others offer all actions of the senses and all actions of the prāṇas into the fire of the yoga of restraint on the ātman, kindled by knowledge. Gita 4.27
Likewise, some offer in yajna their material possessions, or others their austerities and still others their practice of yoga; while other striving individuals who have undertaken stringent vows offer their study of scriptures and knowledge as yajna. Gita 4.28
Others offer inhalation (prāṇa) into exhalation (apāna) and others exhalation into inhalation having restrained the course of inhalation and exhalation, and intent on the control of the vital breaths. Gita 4.29
Others who have regulated their diets, offer life breaths into life breaths. All these are knowers of yajnas, and their evils have been destroyed through yajnas. Gita 4.30
Thus, there are many types of yajnas spread out in the face (or mouth) of Brahman (Brahmaṇo mukhe). Know them all to be born of karma. Knowing thus, you shall be released. Gita 4.32
Let us focus on some prominent ways of augmenting religious merit, keeping the discussion to a bare minimum.
15.4.1 Virtuous Conduct
The first and the best means of augmenting puṇya obviously is that we should practice virtuous conduct and follow Dharma-
Right conduct is the highest Dharma, whether it is taught in the Shruti or in the Smriti. Therefore, a twice born man who is devoted to the betterment of his ātmā should always be diligent in following Dharma. Manusmriti 1.108
In fact, mere scriptural learning is futile if it is not complemented with virtuous conduct-
A Brāhmana who forsakes right conduct does not reap the fruit of Vedic study. But he who follows it fully obtains the complete reward. Manusmriti 1.109
The definitions of some virtues according to Rishi Atri and Rishi Vyāsa are given below-
Purity is defined as abstaining unclean foods, keeping company with the virtuous and following all the duties and actions prescribed in the scriptures. Atri Samhitā 1.34
The Rishis who knew Dharma very well have defined ‘mangala’ as doing praiseworthy actions and avoiding blameworthy actions. Atri Samhitā 1.35
Anayaasa is defined as abstaining from actions – whether good or bad – if they cause excessive pain to the body. Atri Samhitā 1.36
Not diminishing the good qualities of capable person, praising the good qualities of others, and not making fun of shortcomings of others – this is what Anasuuya means. Atri Samhitā 1.37 Aspriha means being contended with whatever portion one gets of the bare necessities of life, and not coveting another man’s wife. Atri Samhitā 1.38
Not getting angry or hurting someone who has caused oneself physical or mental pain – this is called Dama. Atri Samhitā 1.39
Whatever possessions one might have, donating a portion of it every day with joy – this is called Daana. Atri Samhitā 1.40
Treating as a part of our own being all others, parents and other family members, friends, one who bears ill-will towards us or even our enemies - this is called Dayaa. Atri Samhitā 1.41
He who has conquered his senses alone is ‘brave’. He alone is a wise man who practices Dharma. He alone is an eloquent speaker who speaks for the benefit of others, and who speaks politely. And he alone is a philanthropist who gives charity with great dignity and respect. Vyāsa Smriti 4.60
It is never too late to improve one’s conduct. Many a time, we commit errors in ignorance. But it is never too late to realize our mistakes and do the right thing-
If someone commits a great evil act in ignorance and out of delusion but then acts subsequently according to Dharma, he will attain the highest goal (Moksha). Padma Purāṇa 1.47.62
15.4.2 Practicing Yama-s and Niyama-s
Yama and Niyamas form the two sets of preparatory virtues and practices for those who aspire to follow the spiritual discipline of Yoga. An evil and undisciplined person is naturally disinclined towards spirituality. Therefore, one must first strive to practice Yamas and Niyamas with effort and consciously so that his mind turns towards Yoga with ease. Numerous lists of virtuous comprising Yama and Niyamas exist. Below are some illustrative lists-
The wise man must perform Yamas at all times, whereas the Niyamas are performed only at specific times. The person who performs only Niyamas and avoids Yamas becomes degraded. Atri Samhitā 1.47
Abstaining from cruelty, forgiveness, truth, Ahimsa, charity, straightforwardness, love, cheerfulness, sweetness of character and gentleness – these are ten (10) yamas. Atri Samhitā 1.48 Purity (internal and external), performance of Yajnas, austerities, charity, studying Holy Scriptures, celibacy, vratas (religious vows), silence (vow of silence), fasting and bathing – these ten (10) are Niyamas. Atri Samhitā 1.49
Brahmacharya, compassion, forgiveness, charity, speaking the truth, straightforwardness, Ahimsa, non-stealing, sweetness of character and controlling one’s senses – these are Yamas. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.312
Bathing, silence (vow of silence), fasting, worshipping the Devas, study of scriptures, controlling one’s sexual organs, serving the Guru, purity (external and internal), absence of anger and never being non-vigilant – these are the Niyamas. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.313
15.4.3 Iṣhta and Pūrtta
This is an ancient pair of Vedic ceremonial and secular/philanthropic acts mentioned in the Hindu sacred literature. The following verses in the sacred literature define this pair of terms-
Ishta and Pūrtta – these two categories of duties should be pursued with great effort by Brahmanas.
Through performance of Ishta one attains Heaven, and through Pūrtta is attained Moksha. Atri Samhita 1.43
Agnihotra, austerities, steadfastness in truth, following the Vedas, taking care of Atithis and performing the Vaishvadeva daily sacrifice – these are counted as Ishtas. Atri Samhita 1.44 (same as Likhita Smriti 5)
Sponsoring the construction of potable water ponds, wells, lakes and other reservoirs of water, construction of temples, laying out of gardens, donating food – these are called Pūrtta. Atri Samhita 1.45
The person who gets a new pond dug, or gets an old one repaired elevates his entire family to Heaven and is revered there. Brihaspati Smriti 62
He who revives or repairs an old pond, well, reservoir of water, garden or a wooded area gets the same merit as one who constructs a new one. Brihaspati Smriti 63 (similar to Likhita Smriti 4) He who has water to spare during the hot season never finds himself in a sorrowful or unfortunate situation. Brihaspati Smriti 64
15.4.4 Rites of Passage (Saṃskāra-s)
Throughout the life (and during the pre-natal stage as well) of an individual, numerous rites of passage are prescribed in the Hindu scriptures. Performance of these rights serves a dual purpose – addition of puṇya and also reduction of Kārmic defects.
Performance of purifying Homas, Jātakarma, tonsure ceremony and investment of the sacred thread
– these ceremonies purify the defects inherited genetically from both the parents. Manusmriti 2.27 The defects of male seed and mother’s womb are pacified through the performance of samskaras. Yajnavalkya Smriti 1.13a
The significance of these rites of passage is explained by a modern Hindu scholar in the following words-
“Hindu samskaras create an atmosphere conducive to the training of the mind for inculcating virtuous tendencies. Just as soap and shampoo remove dust and dirt from one’s body, samskaras eliminate uncontrolled sensual desires of the mind, such as anger, greed, and pride. They direct the mind toward the path of righteousness, truthfulness, compassion, kindness, and generosity. The performance of the samskaras creates a divine environment that is spiritually uplifting for all the participants, and provides an opportunity for the family members, friends, and relatives to get together and rejuvenate their relationships.”
One can refer to the previous section 11.6 also in this regard.
15.4.5 Vrata or Religious Vows
A contemporary scholar defines the nature and purpose of Vratas in the following words-
“The word ‘vrata’ underscores determination, firmness in what we are doing. First, we should look up the specific actions that accompany a particular penance and make sure we perform all those actions. Generally, during a vrata period, we should avoid drinking water frequently, sleeping in the afternoon, chewing paan, and cohabitation. The mind should constantly dwell on the Devata for whom the vrata is being observed….”
The two major Vratas are fasting, and mauna (observing a period of silence).
15.4.6 Pilgrimage
The word ‘teertha’ denotes a purifier. There are three types of teerthas resorting to which one can purify himself:
1. Itinerant or mobile Teerthas: The wandering Sants and Sadhus are treated as mobile teerthas in the Hindu tradition. By associating with them, listening and adhering to their teachings, and by imitating their practices, one gets purified.
2. Mental Teerthas: The following verses containing the speech of Rishi Agastya to his wife Lopamudra occur in the Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa:
O unblemished lady, hear me relate to you the mental teerthas, having duly bathed in which a person attains the highest abode. Truth is a teertha, forgiveness is a teertha, controlling the sense organs is a teertha, having compassion towards all creatures is a teertha, straightforwardness towards all is a teertha. Celibacy is a teertha supreme, speaking lovingly is a teertha as well. Knowledge is a teertha, fortitude is a teertha, noble deeds are also said to be teertha. The best of all teerthas is the purity of mind. Lady, what I have described above to you is a definition of the mental teertha. Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa
3. Stationary Teerthas: Hindu Dharma is the oldest spiritual tradition in this world, and Hindus have been blessed with an extra-ordinary large number of Saints and Sages. Thirdly, Hindus worship the Supreme Being in many different manifestations and forms. There are hundreds of places, temples, mountains, rivers etc., that are associated with Hindu deities, saints and sages, and these sites have become important centers of pilgrimage for Hindus.
The Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa describes the rationale behind the existence of these pilgrim centers:
Hear the reason why the earthly teerthas have become sacred. Just as in the human body, some parts are considered the cleanest, so also on this earth, some locations are considered as the holiest. The sacredness of these Teerthas results from their specific grandeur (their elevating effect on the mind), the luster of the water of these places and also because they had been chosen by Rishis for habitation. Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa
In the Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 82, the following additional reasons are given as to why the masses resort to pilgrimages:
In the Vedas, the Rishis have prescribed numerous Yajnas that are performed in their due order. But King, these Yajnas are not always practicable for those who are poor, because they require much material wealth and extensive planning. In general, only the rulers and the wealthy can perform them, not single individuals, or those who do not have sufficient means and are poor. Therefore King, the Rishis have prescribed this great secret – resorting to pilgrimages, which can be visited even by the poor, and which are superior even to Yajnas. Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 82
The Purāņas contain elaborate descriptions of the history and spiritual glory of these sacred sites, and the religious merit acquired by visiting them for pilgrimage. But here, we reproduce some verses from a Purāņa that declare that a pilgrimage is futile if one is not clean from inside:
The Sages said:
"O Sūta who are conversant with piety, it behooves you to narrate the tale of Holy shrines and pilgrimage centers all over the earth. We are inclined to hear the same. Brahma Purāṇa 23.1 Lomaharshana replied:
He whose hands and feet are clean, whose mind is fully restrained, and who has learning, penance and fame, enjoys the benefit of visiting the holy shrine. Brahma Purāṇa 23.2
The pure mind is like a holy center within men. So also is the control over speech and the restraint of the sense organs. There are holy centers present in the physical body itself. They make the man understand the path of Heaven. Brahma Purāṇa 23.3
The wicked mind situated within does not become purified by ablutions in the sacred water in the holy centers, like the unclean earthen pot of stale liquor which cannot be made free of stench even when washed with water a hundred times. Brahma Purāṇa 23.4
Neither holy places, nor charitable gifts, nor sacred rituals, nor sacred groves can purify the man whose mind is wicked, who likes to behave arrogantly or who has not conquered his sense organs. Brahma Purāṇa 23.5
Wherever a man stays after keeping his sense organs fully under control- the holy centers of
Kurukshetra, Prayāga and Pushkara are present there. Brahma Purāṇa 23.6
15.4.7 Pure Food and Environment
In some religious like Christianity, the purity of food is said to be irrelevant to internal purity. But it is observed even in our daily lives that certain types of food and drink impacts our behavior.
When there is purity of food, the mind becomes pure; when the mind becomes pure, it remembers the Lord and by remembrance of the Lord, liberation (Moksha) is attained. Sāmaveda,
Chhāndogya Upanishad 7.26.2
Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 CE) taught food can be considered impure due the following four causes in his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita:
1. Prohibited by the scriptures, e.g., beef.
2. Due to contamination with an unclean substance. E.g., food in which hair have fallen.
3. Food that has been polluted due to proximity with an unclean object (not actual contact) like that which has been kept in the same room as a corpse, or which is stale.
4. Food that is procured using ill-begotten wealth.
Krishna himself classifies food into three categories to emphasize that we must consume only Sāttvic food-
Even the food that everyone prefers (or loves) is of three types, and so also worship, austerity, charity. Hear from me the distinctions in these (three types). Gita 17.7
Enhancers of lifespan, mind, strength, health, happiness and cheerfulness, Juicy, fatty, wholesome and hearty foods are dear to the Sattvic type of persons. Gita 17.8
Bitter, sour, salty, very hot, spicy, dry and burning foods are desired by Rajasic persons, and these cause distress, grief and sickness. Gita 17.9
Food that is cooked 3 hours before consumption, has become desiccated, and also which is putrid and decomposing, also leftover and defiling (or not fit for Vedic sacrifice), is liked by Tamasic persons. Gita 17.10
Likewise, food that is not shared with others becomes poison-
The food of that person who does not share it with others is a waste indeed. I truly say this, that his food becomes his death, not his life. A miser neither feeds the hungry guest, nor does he offer food to God. Eating for himself alone, he becomes a consumer of sin alone. Rigveda 10.117.6
Food is not just what we consume with our mouth, but refers to everything that we intake through our senses (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue) consciously or passively (unconsciously). Even items that we consume unconsciously can have a subliminal or a latent effect on our minds. For instance, if we constantly read books glorify violence casually, then after a while, his mind starts taking violence as something natural and acceptable. For this reason, to the best of his ability, one should place himself in an environment that is nurturing, peaceful, spiritual, ethical and so on. This is also the idea behind cultivating good company or associating with virtuous people and groups (see the next two sections as well).
15.4.8 Spiritual Music
Sacred (e.g., the melodies of Samaveda) and devotional music is also said to be conducive to accumulation of religious merit. This is a big contrast of most sacred traditions with Islam – except for the fringe Sufis, Muslims consider music a sin and claim that it takes one away from God.
One who is accomplished in playing the Veena and is an expert in the 21 Shrutis, Jāti and tāla attains the path of Moksha without much effort. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.115
The music expert who fails to attain Moksha through Yoga nevertheless becomes a companion of
Rudra and rejoices with him. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.116
15.4.9 Satsanga
The company one keeps surely has an impact on his behavior and character. Therefore, Hindu tradition strongly recommends that we associate with virtuous and spiritual individuals and groups to improve ourselves-
By associating one whose mind and deeds are pure, one becomes pure in mind and deeds too. By associating with one who has no taint, and who is luminous (with knowledge), one attains parity with that and becomes taintless and luminous himself. Mahābhārata 12.308.29
15.5 Lessening Evil Karma
Several practices can help us reduce our demerit. Some of these are the same as in the preceding sub-section whereas others are different. Again, all the topics below are vast subjects and therefore our description is illustrative and brief. These beneficial actions can ameliorate the evil effects of Sanchita or Prārabdha Karma or both. When they reduce the effects of the Prārabdha, the effects are seen directly through improved conditions (e.g., illness goes away or becomes more bearable) but those of the former are not seen.
15.5.1 Yogic Practices
The practice of Yoga and meditation are great purifiers. Details on how intense meditation can destroy the latent effects of evil Karma is described in brief in Section 11.7 above. Even practices preparatory to meditation like Prāṇāyāma enable one to destroy some pāpa-
But as a strong gale scatters the clouds accumulated in the sky, so does the practice of Prāṇāyāma shatters the sin that a Brahmana accumulates by accepting gifts. Atri Samhitā 1.142
Through the power of practice of Yoga, all sins are destroyed. Therefore, one should always do virtuous deeds and practice Yoga diligently. Hārita Smriti 7.3
15.5.2 Remorse (Anutāpa) and Repentance/Regret (Pashchātāpa)
One who is intent upon purifying himself of evil deeds must realize that his actions were against Dharma and therefore develop a feeling of remorse for them. But remorse is not sufficient if he repeats his evil deeds. The second step is that he must resolve that he will not commit these evil actions again, and stick to this mental resolve-
As he mentally condemns himself for the evil actions that he has committed, his body gets free of the taints of the sins of those evil actions. Manusmriti 11.229
When the doer of sinful actions suffers due to repentance for what he has done, he gets free of his sins. And when he resolves not to repeat his mistakes again, he becomes pure indeed by forsaking (his bad habits). Manusmriti 11.230
He who has committed a sin and has repented, is freed from that sin, but he is purified only by the resolution of ceasing to sin and thinking, “I will do it no more.” Manusmriti 11.231
Having thus considered in his mind what results will arise from his deeds after death, let him always be good in thoughts, speech and actions. Manusmriti 11.232
He who having either unintentionally or intentionally committed a reprehensible deed, desires to be freed from the guilt of it, must not commit it a second time. Manusmriti 11.233
This penance has its root in remorse. (...)Garuda Purāņa 3.21.5
Sage Vyasa said – “He whose heart is always saturated with evil tendencies, and who does not feel remorseful after committing an evil act – that person gets tainted by evil in all respects, so say the scriptures. There is no way that person can atone for his evil, and no atonement can lessen the taint of his evil deeds.” Mahābhārata12.33.35-36
The evil doer hides his evil actions, and then repeats them. Whereas a virtuous person hides his good deeds and then does them again. Mahābhārata 12.193.29
15.5.3 Confession
A lack of remorse and repeating one’s mistakes is worsened when the offender hides them. Conversely, confessing one’s faults to noble and pious people is somewhat redeeming because it indicates that the doer is remorseful and that he will not repeat them. Furthermore, the person hearing the confession could offer advice and help the doer become a better person.
Confession of an evil act in front of Agni and the Brahmanas lessens it because the confessed sin takes on the nature of truth and Divine forgiveness is received. Yajurveda, Mādhyandina Shatapatha Brāhmana 11.5.2.20
Do not hide a sin after committing it, because hiding one’s sins merely increases it. Shankha Smriti 17.62a
Bheeshma said – Therefore, do not conceal your evil acts, because evil grows in magnitude when it is concealed. Instead, if you have done something wrong, confess it to saintly persons and they will pacify its harmful results. Mahābhārata 13.162.58
Yudhishthira said to Arjuna – A evil deed committed is lessened by confession, through giving charity or by practicing austerities. Mahābhārata 12.7.35b-36a
Confessing one’s sins to others, repenting, undergoing penances, studying the Vedas, and if incapable of all these, then by giving charity – by these means a person is freed of his sins. Manusmriti 11.227
As a person confesses his degrading sins to others, he gets purified of the taints of his sins just like a snake extricates itself from its slough. Manu Smriti 11.228
15.5.4 Atonements and Expiation
Remorse, confession and a resolve to not repeat the evil act is not always sufficient especially if others have been adversely affected by the deed. If we cause have, we need to make amends.
If an evil act was committed in ignorance, the performance of expiatory acts serves two purposes according to Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.226 – First, expiation nullifies the negative results of evil. Second, evil acts make one ineligible for normal social activities but expiation restores that ability. After expiation, one is accepted back into the society and can resume his normal duties.
By not performing the duties commanded by scriptures, by doing prohibited things, and by being le d astray by uncontrolled senses, a person can become downfallen. It is the duty of such a person to perform an atonement, because doing so brings joy to his own conscience and also to his community. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.219-220
Conversely, ignoring possibilities of atonements and expiations leave us tainted with demerit-
They who always indulge in sinful deeds and do not perform atonements, nor repent for their actions plunge into frightening and miserable hells. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.221
In the Hindu tradition, there is a difference of opinion whether atonements and expiations can be performed only for evil actions done in ignorance, or whether can be performed also for evil acts committed with full understanding. We cite some differing opinions in this matter below-
A sin unintentionally committed is expiated by the recitation of Vedic scriptures, but that which men in their foolishness commit intentionally, by various special penances. Manusmriti 11.46
Each person should see the good and bad results that arise after death from good or bad deeds done by him while he is alive. And therefore, he should always do good deeds physically, mentally and verbally. Manusmriti 11.231
If a person wants to free himself from the taint of a sin that he committed intentionally or unintentionally, he should not repeat that sinful action again. If he repeats his mistake, then he must also perform twice the penance the second time to atone for repeated sin. Manusmriti 11.232 He who having either unintentionally or intentionally committed a reprehensible deed, desires to be freed from the guilt of it, must not commit it a second time. Manusmriti 11.233
Whatever sin a person commits physically, mentally or verbally, that he can incinerate through the practice of austerities. Manusmriti 11.241
Just as a strong and blazing fire incinerates even moist trees, so does a knower of the Vedas destroy the taints of sins resulting from doing prohibited deeds. Manusmriti 12.101
However, leaning on the strength of the Vedas, one should not perform sinful actions because Vedic learning burns the tainting sin resulting only from those prohibited deeds that are done in ignorance or out of carelessness, not that which results from intentional performance of sinful actions. (Extra verse noted by Kulluka Bhatta after Manu Smriti 12.101)
A sinful deed that is committed in ignorance is neutralized by atonement. Sins committed intentionally do not get neutralized by atonement, but at least the world is satisfied with the sinner (‘he has atoned for his sins’). Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.226
Some people believe mistakenly that a mechanical performance of a physical atonement nullifies their evil actions. But unless their atonement is not accompanied by a mental remorse, regret/repentance and a resolve to discontinue their evil ways, the atonement is of no use-
Sage Vyasa said – One can get purified of the results of his evil deeds by performing austerities, by doing good deeds and through giving charity, but only if he is not inclined to repeating the same evil deeds in the future. Mahābhārata 12.35.1
Pṛāyaschitta Prakāsha, a manual of atonements, emphasizes that mental remorse/regret is not an alternative to performing physical expiations/atonements. Rather, the first is a necessary pre-requisite to advance to the latter. Yama Smriti too clarifies that mental remorse and a resolve to desist from repeating the evil action are parts of the physical acts of expiation and atonement, and therefore all the three are essential to purify oneself of the evil act committed.
15.5.5 Japa, Yajna, Devapūjā
Some illustrative passages-
Diseases resulting from prior evil actions performed are alleviated by performing Japa, worship of Deities and Vedic sacrifices. Shātātapa Smriti 1.4
Whatever sin is committed in ignorance during the night or during daytime too is destroyed by performing the three Sandhya (twilight) worships. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.3.7
Scholars are purified by forgiving, doers of prohibited deeds are purified by giving charity, they who have committed a sinful act are purified by Japa, and those who excel in Vedic learning are purified by austerities. Vishnu Dharma Sūtra 22.90
By performance of Japa and Homa etc., a Brahmana becomes as resplendent as the purifying fire. Atri Samhitā 1.141a
According to Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, performance of Yajnas can deflect the negative future effects of evil karma, just like a gust of wind can deflect an arrow that has been shot, from hitting its intended target.
15.5.6 Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna
Some illustrative passages-
Confessing one’s sins to others, repenting, undergoing penances, studying the Vedas, and if incapable of all these, then by giving charity – by these means a person is freed of his sins. Manusmriti 11.227
Sage Vyasa said – One can get purified of the results of his evil deeds by performing austerities, by doing good deeds and through giving charity, but only if he is not inclined to repeating the same evil deeds in the future. Mahābhārata 12.35.1
If one does evil actions not specifically mentioned in the scriptures, then general purifying acts like Japa, Yajnas, fasting, recourse to spiritual knowledge, bathing in holy rivers and resorting to places dwelt by people devoted to Japa and Yajnas are effective atonements. Mahābhārata 12.36.6-7ab One should give alms to destroy his sins. If a person desires to obtain imperishable religious merit, he should give to others those very things as gifts that he himself desires or likes. Samvartta Smriti 45
For pilgrimage, see also Section 15.4.4 above.
15.5.7 Study of the Vedas and other Sacred Texts
They studied the Riks and thereby offered milk to the Devas. The Devas then manifested. With the study of Yajus, the Rishis made the offerings of clarified butter; with Samans, made an offering of Soma; with the Atharva Angiras, the made the offering of honey. With the study of Brahmanas, Itihāsa, Nārāshaṃsī, Gāthā, Kalpa and Purāṇa, they offered animal fat to the Devas. When the Devas manifested, they destroyed hunger and other evils, and then returned to heaven. By means of this Brahmayajna, the Rishis attained proximity to the Supreme Being. Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 2.9.2
Just as the Ashvamedha sacrifice is the king of all sacrifices and destroys the taints of all sins; in a similar way, the Aghamarshana hymn (Rigveda 10.190.1-3) also destroys the taints of all sins. Manusmriti 11.260
Regular study and recitation of scriptures, performance of the five great daily duties and forgiving others – these save a person from the greatest sins. Manusmriti 11.245
By studying the Rigveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda together with their Brāhmaṇas and Upanishads three times with a focused mind, one becomes free from all sins. Manusmriti 11.262
Just as a strong and blazing fire incinerates even moist trees, so does a knower of the Vedas destroy the taints of sins resulting from doing prohibited deeds. Manusmriti 12.101
The Vedas and other sacred literature contains guidance on what is Dharma and what is not Dharma. Good deeds to not necessarily cancel the results (or fruit) of bad deeds, and therefore, one must reap their fruits independently. However, there are a few good deeds that are exceptions and can cancel the results of bad deeds. Scriptural study is one of these exceptional good deeds. The following stories may be narrated in this regard-
Story: Ekanath’s son-in-law overcomes his bad habits with the help of Bhagavad Gita
Sant Ekanath was a renowned saint of Maharashtra. He married his daughter to a famous scholar (Pandit) of the region. Unfortunately, this scholar fell into bad company. He started going out of his home late in the night, leaving his wife alone. Eknath’s daughter became very worried about her husband’s behavior and she spoke to her father about it.
Eknath then called his son in law and said, “Look here my son in law. You are a learned man, but my daughter is not. Do her a favor. Before you leave your home every night, please read to her a verse or two of the Bhagavad Gita. This will benefit her greatly. Then, you can go out wherever you please.” The Pandit agreed. So every night before he stepped out, he would read a couple of verses of the Bhagavad Gita to his wife, and explain the meaning to her. Slowly and slowly, the Pandit realized how beautiful the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita were. They started having an influence on how own mind. After some time, with the effect of the Gita, the Pandit stopped going out at the night. He had not intended to study the Gita for his own benefit. But nevertheless, the study of the holy book for the sake of his wife impacted him too in a positive way, and he became a virtuous man.
Story: Recollection of a Sacred Verse Saves a Scholar from committing a Theft
A traditional story is narrated from the times of the virtuous and scholarly king Raja Bhoja, who ruled central India in the 11th century CE. In his kingdom, there lived a virtuous Brahmana who was very learned in Hindu scriptures but was very poor. The Brahmana was too proud to beg for food. But one day, he was so overcome by the hardships of poverty that he decided to rob Raja Bhoja’s palace.
He somehow entered the palace on a dark night and reached the chamber in which the King was sleeping with his queen. Expensive jewels, gold jewelry and other costly items were scattered all across the room. The Brahmana could have stolen some of them, but just at that moment, he recalled the teachings of scriptures that one must not steal. Heeding the teaching, he refrained from the evil act. But now, he was realized that the sun was rising on the horizon and darkness was vanishing rapidly. There was no way he could free from the palace in daylight. Scared, he quickly hid under the bed of the King.
Soon thereafter royal attendants arrived to awaken the King and the Queen with song and music. The King got out of the bed in a good mood and said three quarters of a verse that praised the joys and pleasures of his life. When the Brahmana heard these words, he could not restrain himself and uttered the fourth quarter of the verse, “But none of these remain when the eyes are shut.”
Startled the King bent down and saw him. His guards rushed to arrest the Brahmana. The King asked him the reason for his hiding. The Brahmana narrated how he wanted to rob the palace but that he recalled the words of shāstras at that very moment and therefore stopped himself. The King was pleased to hear the truthful Brahmana and said, “Since you have practiced the teachings of our scriptures, I will not let you go away empty handed. You certainly seem to be a scholar because you completed my verse. And I value scholarship and give gifts to poets in my kingdom.” Saying this, Raja Bhoja ordered that the Brahmana be sent away with costly presents.
15.5.8 Grace of Saints and Gurus
Numerous examples are given in the Hindu tradition wherein the extremely negative Prārabdha of an individual was altered, ameliorated or deflected by the blessing of a Guru or a Sage or Saint. We have given above the examples of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and Shirdi Sai Baba in section 14.10 above.
Another example is that of Shri Ādi Shankaracharya, who was destined to be a great scholar of the Vedas, but die at the age of sixteen. Therefore, in his teenage years itself, he composed most of his monumental works, like the commentaries on the Upanishads, Brahmasūtras and the Bhagavad Gita. Once, during a pilgrimage in the Himalayas, an elderly Sage questioned him on his viewpoints very probingly. Impressed, the Sage revealed his true identity as Rishi Veda Vyāsa and said to Shankaracharya, “You were destined to live for sixteen years only. But I will double your life to thirty two years so that you can travel the length and breadth of Bhārata and preach the true interpretation of the
Vedas.” The tradition is firm that Shankaracharya attained Moksha at the age of 32 years, but in that short life span, he accomplished what entire institutions cannot.
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait narrates an example from his own life. His mother started getting violent bouts of intense headaches and lost her eyesight. Swami Sadānanda asked him to chant the Āditya Hridayaṃ verses from the Rāmāyaṇa. He followed the instruction and chanted the verses twelve times every day on behalf
of his mother. Miraculously, his mother soon healed and was perfectly well. Apparently the chanting created a power positive Karma in a short time that transferred to his mother and healed her.
15.5.9 Other Means of Reducing Negative Prārabdha
Swami Nischalananda Saraswati (b. 1943), the Shankarcharya of Puri’s Govardhana Peetham, has given several other means by which negative Saṃskāra-s that have manifested, viz. Prārabdha, can be cancelled, weakened or ameliorated: Playing it out in a dream (like a nightmare, wherein the person is terrified and a few minutes long dream appears to be several years long), and deflected to bear fruit downwards in the lineage in a different time.
Intervention of an Avatāra too alters one’s Prārabdha. For example, due to the effect of a Brahmāstra weapon hurled at Uttarā’s womb by Ashvatthāmā, her child was still born. But by his Divine powers, Krishna revived the baby Parīkshit and made him the successor of the royal throne of Hastināpura.
15.6 Evil Karma over-riding Good Karma
However, Sants and Shāstras declare that some bad karmas can over-ride prior good karmas e.g. insulting a Sant can destroy our good karmas. This happens in rare instances where the intensity and magnitude of evil Karma-s is great.
15.7 Astrology and Doctrine of Karma
If our Prārabdha is fixed by the Karmāshaya, then what is the benefit of using Astrology after the deed is already done? Supporters of astrology explain-
“While you cannot change your Prārabdha which is the predetermined path in the journey of life, astrological predictions can give you proper caution and guidance as to how to carry on your life journey smoothly with least possible trouble while performing your Prārabdha with your utmost Purushārtha [effort] in the right direction as shown by Astrology.”148
A modern scholar explains how astrology works in the following words:
“According to Vedic astrology, if we are souls investing our free will through actions, then a trail of reactions is always following along behind us as the delayed result of our actions. It also follows that somewhere in us and the universe, there must be a record-keeping department concerned with the balancing of the cosmic books. Someone and something must be monitoring the delivery of the results of the actions of all these humans who are using free will to invest in certain kinds of work. The theory behind astrology then is that encoded in the positions of the planets and stars at the location and moment of birth is information about the nature and delivery schedule of the past actions carried by each soul. The delivery of that cause and effect is carried out by divine helpers working on behalf of the Supreme Being.”
Some believers in Astrology state that recourse to Astrology can help spread out the effects of an evil
Karma. For instance, if a person were destined to become blind due to prior evil Karma, seeking help from
Astrology and its remedies can help him ‘spread out in time’ the blindness. Perhaps, he will be blind 5 years each over 3 lives, rather than 15 years in one lifetime, or have a poor eyesight during his entire lifetime rather than be completely blind during a period of 15 years in his lifetime.
Astrology cannot wipe off the Kārmic consequences, it can only enable us to understand and bear them with less trouble-
It is the results of prior Karma-s that are written on one’s forehead by the Creator. These very results are illuminated by Astrology, just as a lamp illuminates objects obscured by darkness. Vriddha Yavanajātaka 1.3
Traditional astrology maintained that “the stars only foretell the consequences of a person’s past karmas.”
Some modern scholars maintain that astrology is essentially incompatible with the Law of Karma. Many Hindus do not accept the efficacy of astrology and use it only for specific occasions in their life like determining an auspicious time for weddings and so on. Some scholars have also pointed out that astrology is conspicuous by its absence in the most ancient Hindu scriptures and seems to be a later development in the Hindu tradition. They also suggest that reliance on astrologically auspicious time has been disastrous at vital historical moments for Hindus – like failing to attack an invading enemy because the court astrologers would not give a green signal.
Even if the planets have a role to play in transforming our deeds into their results, the following advice is nevertheless acceptable to all Hindus, whether they believe in astrology or not-
The planets are always gracious towards them who practice Ahimsā, are self-controlled, who earn their livelihood through lawful means and who always act in accordance with Dharma. Bhaviṣhya Purāṇa 1.56.31
What can the Moon asterism’s strength accomplish for someone who is neither strong physically nor mentally? Yashatilaka Champu 3.54 of Somadeva Sūrī
Therefore, performing actions that conform to Dharma and Nīti (practical applications of goodness) are generally more efficacious in creating fortunate circumstances than our attempts to manipulate the present and the future by taking recourse to astrology.
15.8 Overcoming Anxiety over Stock of Good and Evil Karma
Even a virtuous person can get anxious and obsessive about what his stock of good or bad karma is, whether he will go to heaven or hell, or whether he will be reborn as a human, Deva or a lower creature, or whether he will suffer or be happy in the future lives. Our duty is to do our personal Dharma (Svadharma) to the best of our abilities and with the best intentions and leave everything in the hands of the Lord by surrendering to Him and His will wholeheartedly. The paths of Jnānayoga, Dhyānayoga, Karmayoga and Bhaktiyoga discussed later describe how we can do that.
16.0 Karma, Dharma and Samsāra
16.1 Related Concepts: Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharma and Karma
These four terms are used interchangeably in the Hindu scriptures because the range of their meanings overlap a lot. ‘Ṛtam was used more commonly in the ancient Vedic sacred texts and was almost replaced by ‘Dharma’ in later texts.
Satyaṃ literally means ‘True, Truth’, ‘Real’ (i.e., not imaginary), ‘Existent’, ‘Unchangeable, Eternal’ and so on. One should speak that which is Satya, or truthful, accurate and non-misleading. A mirage is ‘Asatya’ or not Satya because it does not really exist.
Ṛtaṃ means ‘Universal, dynamic cosmic Order’ or that which is in accordance with Divine Will or Divine Mind. For example, the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in concentric and oval circles and do not collide with each other in accordance with Ṛtaṃ.
Dharma is a concept that encompasses, morality, virtue, virtuous conduct, ethics, duty, that which is consistent with the injunctions or commands of the sacred texts, actions that are done to achieve a specific purpose or beneficial result (e.g. charity in the hope of a better after-life), justice, legal rules or law and so on. The word Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Dhri’ which means to ‘uphold’, ‘adopt’ or ‘safeguard’ etc. Therefore, Dharma basically means something we must practice, adopt, uphold and life by, so that it safeguards us. A scholar explains the term in the following words:
“Dharma is the inherent individual responsibility each of us owes to (1) the society of sentient beings we are born into, (2) the environment, and finally, (3) the higher “self” within us.”
“The concept of Dharma has a varied and comprehensive connotation. The word I s derived from the root ‘Dhri’ – to uphold – and stands for the Supreme Principle which upholds and sustains the whole universe and the activities of all beings in it. It also means: (1) the essential property of an entity which makes it what it is; (2) the chief innate characteristic of an entity or being; (3) Virtue, religious conduct; (4) the principles which hold a society together (Dharmo dhārayate prajāh); (5) Law, justice, ethics and morals; (6) the duties pertaining to persons, individually and collectively, in the different social conditions, status, and stages of life; etc. So the word ‘Dharma’ is used in different cognate senses at different levels and in different contexts. Only in a secondary sense it is used to represent God-centered religion as understood in the West.”
As mentioned above, Dharma is also taken to mean the nature, essential or inherent property of a substance or a creature. For example, the Dharma of a snake is to bite its perceived enemy. The Dharma of a liquid is to flow along the gradient of the surface on which it is poured. In our present discussion, we will only use this term to mean the Dharma of humans, or ethics, morality, virtue etc.
A fundamental, core and foundational principle of Dharma is Truth (Satyaṃ). In most cases, that which is true is consistent with Dharma although sometimes they contradict each other. For example, speaking a
truth that causes pain to the listener is not always Dharma. Leaving these exceptions aside, Dharma and Satya overlap quite a bit and therefore these two terms are used interchangeably.
Likewise, the Divine cosmic order, will or mind is expressed through the teachings of sacred texts like the Vedas. And practicing the teachings of the Vedas is Dharma. For this reason, Ṛtaṃ and Dharma are often used interchangeably, although Ṛtaṃ emphasizes the mental aspect or understanding whereas Dharma emphasizes action based on it. In a way, Dharma can also be taken as a subset of Ṛtam, with the former dealing with human beings and the latter with the entire universe.
Karma means action – physical, mental and verbal. In most cases, Dharma is expressed through actions – like educating one’s children, worshipping the Devas, giving alms and so on. Therefore, Dharma and Karma are often used synonymously or interchangeably. Karma is used typically for physically practiced Dharma. Satya is typically used for verbal actions that are consistent with Dharma.
A modern scholar summarizes:
“....Ṛta, Satya, and Dharma refer to the three aspects of the same principle of reality. Thought in sync with ultimate reality or universal order is rta. Rta expressed in speech is satya or truth about reality. Rta and Satya when becomes manifest in action as ethical duties, is dharma.”
He also cites Shatavadhani R Ganesh –
“The wise understand rta as a system inherent in the universe, satya as a manifest reality of that system, and dharma as the work that is done with a firm understanding of the system and its manifestations. So, rta corresponds to an inner realization, satya corresponds to an externa manifestation and dharma corresponds to an action leading to a result.”
16.2 The Necessity of Performing Karma
In the Gita, Krishna enumerates the following views regarding the necessity of doing Karma-s:
Some wise thinkers declare that (all) karma is tainted with evil and therefore it should be forsaken. And others say that the acts of Yajna, Tapa (austerity) and Dānam (charity) should not be forsaken. Gita 18.3
Acts of Yajnas, Austerity and Charity must not be forsaken and they must be performed. Yajnas, Austerity and Charity are indeed the purifiers of the wise thinkers. Gita 18.5
But even these karmas must be performed without attachment and desire for fruits – this is my definite and esteemed opinion. Gita 18.6
These views may be summarized as follows-
1. All Karma-s are tainted with some portion of evil. Therefore, one cannot escape the cycle of births and deaths till he ceases to perform all actions and becomes complete action-less. This view approximates that of the followers of Sāṃkhya Darshana. They strongly recommend Sannyāsa in which the ascetic gives up most worldly duties and Vedic ceremonies and does the bare minimum to sustain his body.
2. All Karmas with the exception of Yajna, Tapa and charity must be abandoned. Only these three acts must be performed because the Vedas ordain them and they bring great rewards whereas their non-performance results in evil. This view approximates that of the followers of Karmakāṇda and Dharmashāstra.
3. Yajnas, austerity and charity must be always performed because they purify our Intellect (Buddhi) and make it fit for spiritual enlightenment and their non-performance. Therefore, self-purification is the main goal of performance of these three acts according to this view, which is accepted by most Hindu spiritual traditions.
4. Yajna, Tapa and charity must be performed constantly but without any desire for their beneficial fruit or without any attachment. This last is the view of Krishna and is very similar to the third view but emphasizes total detachment from the act itself or its goal. Additionally, there are other views in Hinduism like:
5. Karmas ought to be performed only till spiritual wisdom dawns. A spiritually enlightened person need not perform any action (ritualistic or otherwise) at all. This is the view of traditions like Advaita Vedānta.
Many other similar views from within the Hindu spiritual traditions may be cited likewise. Krishna’s firm preference is for constant performance of good deeds like Yajna, Tapa and charity without an expectation of their result. In fact, in the Hindu tradition, and in the Bhagavad Gita in particular, numerous reasons listed below are provided why the first view in particular and the fifth opinion above are unacceptable.
Reason 1: Performance of worship and other Karmas is the command of the Vedas and other scriptures
Know that karma originates from the Veda, and the Veda originates from the Imperishable (Divine). Therefore, the Veda, which encompasses all knowledge, is always established in Yajna. Gita 3.15
This is indeed the antidote for the ātman in humans – acquiring the knowledge of the Veda, and the due performance of one’s duty. Performance of one’s own duty means pursuit of duties of the āshrama (stage of one’s life) to which one belongs. Duties of āshrama are like the trunk of a tree, and all other duties are its branches. By performing these duties, one is uplifted, otherwise one gets goes downward…..Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad 4.3
The duties of one’s Āshrama must be performed because they are enjoined by scripture. Moreover, they are conducive to Jnāna arising in oneself. He who performs his duties also does not get overpowered by evil. Brahmasūtras 3.4.1,2,4
The Karmakāṇda portion of the Vedas describe Brahman in an indirect way due to which even scholars of Vedas are unable to comprehend him. The same Brahman is described in a clear way through the path of Karmayoga that is taught by the Upanishads. Mahābhārata 12.238.11
The Yajnas have originated from the Brahmanas (portion of the Vedas), and the Yajnas are dedicated to the Brahmanas indeed. The whole world follows yajnas, and yajnas are always present at the foundation of world. Mahābhārata 12.268.34
Reason 2: It is impossible to be completely action-less. We may be able to restrain our physical and verbal karma, but the control of mental activity is really very difficult.
No one can remain without doing karma for even an instant. Compelled by Gunas arising from Prakriti, everyone is made to do karma. Gita 3.5
He who restrains his organs of action but whose mind continues to dwell on the objects of these senses is called a hypocrite who has a deluded soul. Gita 3.6
For this reason, the path of Karma Yoga emphasizes the mental component of Karma – the mental Karmas per se, as well as the mental attitude or intent behind our physical and verbal actions. One might recall here the story of two brothers who embarked on a journey to visit a sacred temple. When the two brothers died, the brother who spent the night in the temple physically but thought of mundane matters all the time fared much worse than the brother who spent the night in a dance-bar but was absorbed in spiritual thoughts all the time.
Reason 3: It is impossible to even survive physically without performing any Karma
You must perform your allotted karma (duty) because action is better than inaction. In fact, not even the sustenance of your body can be accomplished through inaction. Gita 3.8
Reason 4: The world is like a web in which we are all interconnected. We all owe something to others (including to the divine natural powers), and have duties towards others that we must perform.
In ancient times, Prajāpati created humans along with Yajnas and said, “By Yajnas you shall procreate, let this (Yajnas) be the cow that yields the milk of your desires.” Gita 3.10
By this yajna, you shall sustain the Devas, so that the Devas sustain you. Sustaining one another, you shall obtain the supreme good. Gita 3.11
Sustained by the Yajnas, the Devas will give you the enjoyments that you desire. He who enjoys their gifts without giving to them in return is indeed a thief. Gita 3.12
Good persons, consuming what is left after the Yajnas, are freed from all evil. But the wicked who cook only for themselves indeed eat only evil. Gita 3.13
From food are born the creatures. Food grows from rain. From Yajnas, rain comes into being. And Yajnas are born from karma. Gita 3.14
Pārtha, whosoever in this world does not help rotate the wheel (of life) that has been set in motion, lives an evil life, delighting only in sensual pleasures, and lives in vain. Gita 3.16
The interconnectedness of all humans through the web of Karma, and the fact that we must perform Karma just to stay alive (as stated earlier) has been explained very nice using a modern analogy:
“Since the discovery of computers and wireless communication, this ancient and understanding that everything in nature is invisibly connected in a web of laws or rules has become much more obvious to us. For the moment, think of all of nature as a great mainframe computer with all of us as independent nodes with our own hard disk and processor. We are wirelessly connected to the mainframe in a kind of “inner-net.” We are uploading and downloading information all the time. Right at this moment, some file that you created is downloading information all the time. Right at this moment, some file that you created is downloading to you and “you have mail.” The biological functions of our bodies are being conducted by a larger program of rules and regulations that exist as software in the mainframe. We are never independent of that larger system, even if we ignore its
messages for some time. Ignoring the mainframe is never in our best interest and inevitably leads us to the nearest body shop to be looked at by the “body nerds” we call doctors.”
Reason 5: The Jnānī-s are looked upon as ideals by others, and therefore must set an example for the masses by performing their duties for the welfare of others even though they are not dependent upon anyone else for anything-
Whatever the most excellent person does, the same is done by others as well. Whatever standard he sets, the world follows that. Gita 3.21
Bhārata, just as the unlearned do their karma due to attachment, so must the learned must also act, but with the desire for welfare of this world. Gita 3.25
Let the learned not create confusion in the intellect of the ignorant who are attached to karma. The learned should make them enjoy performing all Karma, while himself performing actions as a Yogi. Gita 3.26
Reason 6: Renowned Jnānī-s have also lived their lives performing their duties-
It was through the performance of karma that Janaka and others attained complete perfection. Therefore, you must also perform karma keeping in view the welfare (or harmony, interconnectedness) of this world. Gita 3.20
Mahābhārata 12.320.4 mentions Dharmadhvaja Janaka, the King of Mithilā, who obtained the result of samnyāsa even while being a householder and king. Mahābhārata 12.320.24 refers to Panchashikhā as a Bhikshu or Parāshara gotra. Verse 27 refers to Dharmadhvaja Janaka revealing that Panchashikhā taught the entire wisdom of Samkhya to the King but did not permit him to renounce the world and become and ascetic.
Reason 7: Even Paramātmā, who owes nothing to anyone, performs Karma ceaselessly-
Pārtha, there is no work in the three worlds that I must do, nor is there anything that I must attain that I have not attained yet. Nevertheless, I am engaged in actions. Gita 3.22
Pārtha, if ever I did not engage in ceaseless karma, humans would follow my path in every way. Gita 3.23
If I were to cease performing karma, these worlds would soon perish, and I would be the cause of admixture and destroy all these creatures. Gita 3.24
Bhārata, whenever there is a decline of Dharma, and a rise of Adharma, I send forth (i.e. incarnate) Myself. Gita 4.7
For the protection of the virtuous and the for the destruction of the evil-doers, I come into being in every age. Gita 4.8
Hari, the great Yogi, is the Lord of the Universe. Yet, he is always engaged through his actions with this universe and makes it prosper just as a farmer constantly works to increase the yield of his crop. Mahābhārata 5.68.14
Reason 8: The Ancients became great following the example of Paramātman
Karmas do not taint Me, nor do I have any longing for the fruit of Karma. He who knows Me thus is not bound by karma. Gita 4.14
Having known this, the ancients, seeking Moksha, also performed karma. Therefore, you too perform karma just as it was done by the ancients in earlier times. Gita 4.15
Reason 9: Karma-Phobia of some Jnānī-s is not justified because the true Actors are the Guṇas, and because it is not just the soul but a combination of five factors that help us do Karma-
Although all types of Karma are performed by the Guṇas of Prakriti, the soul deluded by ahamkāra (ego) thinks “I am the doer.” Gita 3.27
But, mighty armed, the knowers of reality believe that Guṇas and Karmas are distinct from the soul, and it is Guṇas acting on Guṇas. Therefore, they do not get attached. Gita 3.28
Five Factors of Doing Karma
Mighty armed, learn from Me, these five means declared conclusively in the Sāmkhya doctrine that are needed for the accomplishment of all karmas. Gita 18.13
The seat (or basis), also the doer, the various sorts of different instruments, and various separate efforts, with fate as being the fifth. Gita 18.14
Whatever karma a person undertakes by his body, speech or mind – whether it is right or wrong, these five are its means. Gita 18.15
This being so, he sees his soul alone as the doer does not truly see because of the fact that he has not perfected his understanding. Gita 18.16
He whose soul is free of the egotistic condition, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, not is he bound (by his karmas). Gita 18.17
Reason 10: Repression of one’s active nature is not desirable-
Even the man of knowledge acts according to his own nature (Prakriti). All creatures follow their own nature. What can repression accomplish? Gita 3.33
Reason 11: Performance of certain Karma purifies our minds and Intellect, and makes them fit for Jnāna.
A person who performs good Karma alone is eligible for instruction on Jnāna-
Some wise declare that all karma is tainted with evil and therefore it should be forsaken. And others say that karma involving Yajna, Tapa (austerity) and Dānam (charity) should not be forsaken. Gita 18.3
Best of Bharatas, in this regard, listen to my definite conclusion regarding Tyāga. Tiger among men, Tyāga has indeed been declared to be of three kinds. Gita 18.4
Acts of Yajnas, Austerity and Charity must not be forsaken and they must be performed. Yajnas, Austerity and Charity are indeed the purifiers of the wise. Gita 18.5
But even these karma must be performed without attachment and desire for fruits – this is my definite and esteemed opinion. Gita 18.6
Upon the exhaustion of the fruit of evil Karma, knowledge arises in the hearts of men, just as one can see himself in the mirror after wiping the dust covering it. Mahābhārata 12.204.8
Karmas purify the body whereas knowledge leads to the supreme goal. When good karmas destroy the flaws of one’s mind, then that person comes to abide in the joy of knowledge. Mahābhārata
12.271.38
After the doer has exhausted the fruit of his actions, and engages in good karma, he gets purified in mind and body and as a result, he gets inclined towards performing austerities and Yoga. Mahābhārata 3.209.39
The Brahmanas seek to know It [Brahman] through the study of the Vedas, Yajnas, charity and austerity. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.22
Those who perform the Yajnas, who are learned in the Vedas, who are well established in Brahman, who offer of themselves oblations to the sole Rishi (ekarshi, name of the Yajna fire) with faith – to them alone one may declare this knowledge of Brahman…..Atharvaveda, Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.11
Without Kriyā Yoga, Jnāna Yoga is fruitless. Nārada Purāṇa 1.33.32
A modern teacher to explains, along similar lines, using a simple example:
“A mother was trying to give an ounce of bitter medicine to her child. However much she might caress and cajole the child, he would not take the medicine. She hit upon a wonderful idea. She placed a sweet ‘laddu’ before the child and said: ‘If you take this medicine, I will give you the laddu.’ At once, the child drank the medicine. As the medicine removed the effect of the disease and gave him abundant energy, he ran away in great joy, even forgetting the ‘laddu’.
If you tell a man, ‘Please do this yajna (sacrifice)’, he will not do, because he seeks pleasure through every action. Therefore, the Vedas offer Svarga, etc., as rewards for the sacrifices. When man performs sacrifices, his heart is purified and gradually wisdom dawns in him. He does not even bother any more of Svarga and the finite happiness there. In Supreme Bliss he gets liberated.” Reason 12: The system of four Varṇas, that decides our Karmas, was created by Bhagavān
The system of four varṇas was created by Me according to the division of Guṇas and Karmas. Gita
4.13
Because the system of four Varṇas is of Divine origin, it follows naturally that we must perform our duties related to our Varṇa diligently.
Reason 13: Jnāna reduces the effects of Karma to ashes
Arjuna, just as the fire which is kindled reduces firewood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduces all karma to ashes. Gita 4.37
Karma do not bind him who has renounced his karma through Yoga, who has destroyed his doubts by knowledge and who is ever devoted to the soul. Gita 4.41
Even a householder who is devoted to spiritual knowledge and adheres to the truth attains Moksha without having to become a sannyāsin. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.204-205
Just as the mirror becomes shiny and clean by repeated polishing, in the same way, one’s intellect is purified by repeatedly engaging with Jnāna. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.34
The rope of Dharma uplifts one, whereas the rope of Adharma drags one down. Cleaving both these ropes with the sword of knowledge, one attains Peace (of Moksha) upon discarding the body. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.42
Just as a blazing fire incinerates all fuel, whether it is dry or soaked in water; in the same way, the fire of knowledge reduces to ashes within a moment all of one’s evil as well as good Karma. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.47
Reason 14: Renunciation of all Karmas is difficult to achieve without union with Karma. Therefore, it is just easier to combine the performance of Karmas even in the path of Jnāna Yoga.
But, mighty armed, renunciation is difficult to obtain without Yoga. The Sage who is disciplined in Yoga attains Brahman quickly. Gita 5.6
Just as a chariot without horses, and horses without a charioteer do not go much distance, and just as the two (horses and charioteer) are helpful in making the chariot move; likewise, spiritual wisdom becomes a medicine (to heal the ailment of repeated cycle of births and deaths) only when combined with austerity. Just as grains mixed with honey and honey mixed with grains taste excellent, and just as a bird can fly high in the sky only with the help of both of its wings, likewise that Brahmana attains the eternal Brahman through Spiritual wisdom combined with Karma; and is endowed with Spiritual knowledge together with austerity. Hārita Smriti 7.10-12
Reason 15: They who abandon Karma are actually blind to all Jnāna and incur Divine wrath. It is only through performance of one’s duty that evil can be avoided.
“Our bodies and minds are mere vehicles for the working out of the results of our past karma. Karma-yoga asks us to face life by facing the results of our past actions. The tendencies created by one set of actions can be countered only by the performance with equal intensity of an opposite set of actions. The chain of bondage is the chain of karma. That which has been enchained must be unchained. A screw that has been put into a wall with twenty turns can only be taken out with another twenty turns in the opposite directions – to do otherwise would damage the wall. The evolution of a person from sensuality to spirituality cannot be hurried. The effects of egotistic action can be nullified only by the performance of karma-yoga. Karma-yoga is the change of motive inspiring the performance.”
Those persons too, who, full of faith and free from cavil, follow this teaching of mine at all times, are released from the (fetters of) karmas. Gita 3.31
But they who disparage my teaching and do not follow it – known them to be blind to all knowledge, as lost and mindless. Gita 3.32
Performing your karma here in this world may you wish to live for a hundred years. This is the only way, and there is no other alternative, by which you will not get tainted by the results of your karma. Yajurveda, Īshāvāsya Upanishad 2
Reason 16: Just as fire is covered with smoke, good karma too has negative side-effects. But no one stops lighting a fire for the fear of smoke.
There are other side-effects of even well-intentioned Karma, such as a farmer killing insects and bugs while plowing the fields. No action is without these side-effects. Some of these side effects are under our control, others are not.
One should not abandon the duty which is inborn even though it may be defective. Son of Kunti, all karmas done with a selfish purpose are enveloped by defects, as fire by smoke. Gita 18.48
Reason 17: The fact is that all the Karma-s done, while following the path of Karma Yoga, lead to spiritual knowledge.
All karmas in their entirety culminate in Jnāna. Gita 4.33
In this world, there is no greater purifier than knowledge. He who becomes perfected by yoga finds this himself in his soul in course of time. Gita 4.38
This Kriyāyoga indeed helps accomplish Jnānayoga. Without Karmayoga, none whosoever has ever obtained Jnāna. Matsya Purāṇa 52.11b-12a
In fact, the path of Karma Yoga declares that performance of Karma in the correct way results in Jnāna. This makes Karma Yoga a full-fledged, independent path to reach the Divine.
Reason 18: Krishna clearly declares his own preference for the path of Karma Yoga, than for the path in which all Karmas are renounced.
Renunciation of Karmas and Karma Yoga both lead to the highest bliss; of the two, Karma Yoga is indeed better than the renunciation of action. Gita 5.2
Reason 19: It is fiction that other paths to Moksha can avoid Karma altogether. Krishna rejected Sañjaya’s deceitful suggestion that the Pāṇdavas should become ascetics and not ask for their kingdom to be returned. He championed the importance of performing Karma while abiding in the life of a householder. Some of his verses are reproduced below:
Krishna said:
Only those branches of learning that generate some activity bear fruit, and not other branches of learning. Between the two – karma and knowledge, one can see directly only karma yielding a beneficial result in this life. A thirst person becomes pacified only after drinking water (not by merely knowing about water). Mahābhārata 5.29.9
Knowledge has been prescribed along with Karma (in the Vedas), and therefore, Karma pervades even knowledge. But he who considers the abandonment of karma as superior to doing karma, he is weak, and I consider his words as devoid of any worth. Mahābhārata 5.29.10
Within the Gita itself, Krishna declares that the Vedas prescribe many Yajnas, all of which are grounded in Karma.
Krishna said:
Those who eat the nectar like remnant of yajnas go to the Primeval Brahman. This world is not for him who offers no yajnas, how then can he have any other world, who best of Kurus? Gita 4.31 Thus there are many types of yajnas spread out in the face (or mouth) of Brahman (Brahmaṇo mukhe). Know them all to be born of karma. Knowing thus, you shall be released. Gita 4.32
In fact, the other scriptures too declare that even spiritual pursuits have Yajna as their foundation:
Teaching, meditation, expounding, hearing and reflecting (upon wisdom about Shiva) – these are regarded as the five forms of Jnānayajna. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa3.14
The doer of Ātma-yajna offers his Prāṇas as a libation into being that resides in the region between his navel and the heart. His Agnihotra is performed within his own body, and yet he is said to have satisfied all the worlds and all the Devas. Mahābhārata 12.245.28
Conclusion: Relinquishing Karma altogether is not necessarily Sāttvik
Indeed, the renunciation of obligatory duties is not appropriate. Forsaking them out of delusion is said to be a Tāmasic relinquishment. Gita 18.7
He who relinquishes karma because it doing it is painful, or because of the fear that it will cause bodily suffering, his relinquishment is Rājasic, and he does not obtain the fruit of relinquishment.
Gita 18.8
He who does his obligatory karma (duty) because it ought to be done, forsaking attachment and also its fruit, his relinquishment is regarded as Sāttvik. Gita 18.9
The wise person who relinquishes, whose doubts have been cut asunder, who is filled with sattva, he does not hate disagreeable action, nor is he attached to agreeable action. Gita 18.10
16.3 Karma, Dharma and Saṃsāra
When we are born, we inherit the samskāra-s of karma done in previous lives. In our present lives, we experience the pleasant and unpleasant results of some past karmas (whether done in past lives or in the present) and accumulate the results of newer karmas that we perform. When the present body dies, Brahman, the witness of our karma-s, causes us to be reborn appropriately in a new, different body. Once again, we experience results of some of our past karmas, and generate new ‘non-ripened’ karmas, causing us to be reborn.
This cycle of birth, death and rebirth has no beginning. Under the influence of our Karma, and the guidance of Brahman, who witnesses our Karma from within our hearts, it continues endlessly. This endless cycle is often compared to a wheel that is rotating endlessly and is called ‘samsāra’ in the Hindu scriptures. In the Hindu worldview therefore, truth of repeated births naturally follows from the science of karma. They are like two sides of the same coin.
‘Saṃsāra’ is a very common word used by the Hindus to describe this world. A modern Hindu saint explains this word in the following way:
The Sanskrit term Samsara is derived from the Sanskrit root Sr, which means ‘to pass’. The prefix Sam means ‘intensely’. The individual soul passes repeatedly through this world and other subtle higher worlds. The repeated passing of souls – Samsriti- is what is really meant by the term Samsara…Samsara exists in order that the individual soul may learn to realize itself.
Another scholar explains this concept as:
“This migration of the soul into a series of bodies is called samsara or bhava-chakra (wheel of existence). It goes on till the cycle of karma is broken through and the soul attains release consisting in its realization of God.”
Vidyāraṇya Swami (14th century) gives a beautiful analogy to explain how we individuals get trapped in this saṃsāra – a cycle of repeated births and deaths, in his classic, the Panchadashī:
“Like the worms that are carried away in a wild stream from one whirlpool to another, the jiva (soul) is driven from birth to death and from death to birth in a continuous cycle of samsara.”
In this world at any given moment, people are being born and they are also dying. Every moment, the world itself keeps changing and evolving. Therefore, in the Hindu scriptures, the Universe is sometimes said to be the cosmic wheel of the Supreme Being (Brahmachakra) which is always rotating, to which the Jīvas are tied eternally and keep rotating perpetually as well.
Rishi Shaunaka said to Yudhishthira: A man overcome by impetuous desire is dragged about by desire. Longing arises in him and from that proceeds thirst. Thirst is indeed the most evil thing of all because it constantly deranges men, is pregnant of Adharma, fearsome and has evil as its consequence. For the weak-minded it is difficult to relinquish and while the man ages, it does not age. It is a disease which saps his vigor, but for one who leaves thirst behind there is happiness. Beginningless and endless is this thirst which has gone into men’s bodies. Once arisen, it destroys like that has no origin. Just as kindling is destroyed by a fire which has sprung up of itself, even so does a man whose soul is not perfected perish through his inborn greed…
When a person’s mind is directed towards the objects of all senses, desire springs in him, and he acts towards those objects. Then, pierced by desire ….with the arrows of sense objects, he falls into the fire of greed, as the moth falls because of his desire for light. At last, crazed by his pleasures and meals, he drowns in the insatiable mouth of madness and does not know himself. Thus, in a runaround (samsara), he falls here into womb after womb, spun around like a wheel by ignorance, karma, thirst. He rolls about in creatures, from Brahmā down to the blade of grass, born over and over again, in water, on land, or in the air. Mahābhārata 3.2.33-36, 64-68169
16.4 Disenchantment with Saṃsāra
Most humans are completely happy and satisfied with the mundane pleasures that this world has to offer and which are achieved by worldly means like earning money, going on a holiday or visiting a restaurant. But life does not last forever and many want their afterlife to be joyous as well. Therefore, they give charity, perform worship or do other pious activities prescribed in the Vedas and other scriptures in the hope that the fruit of these will take them to a heaven or some other happy place. But none of these two means – worldly or scriptural, are perfect, as the Rishis point out-
Sorrow cannot be completely eliminated through ordinary visible means because when these means
are used, pain is seen to return later. Sāṃkhya Sūtra 1.2
Ordinary means cannot eliminate pain permanently and certainly. Sāṃkhya Kārikā 1cd
Like the ordinary means, scriptural means [religious ceremonies like Yajnas] too cannot eliminate
pain because these means are mixed with impurity, decay and excess (inequality). Sāṃkhya Kārikā
2ab
Whatever pleasures are born of contact (of senses with their objects), are only sources of pain. Kaunteya, these pleasures have a beginning and an end. The intelligent man does not rejoice in them. Gita 5.22
Thus, there are three flaws in happiness that we strive for using worldly and scriptural means-
1. It is not permanent. Happiness eventually decays and sorrows eventually return.
2. It is not pure, because it is mixed with the impurity of pain and tainted with evil.
3. What brings someone happiness often brings corresponding sorrow to another.
16.4.1 Temporary Nature of Happiness Obtained through Ritualistic or Worldly Means
And we see that all this is perishing, as these gnats, mosquitoes and the like, the grass and the trees that grow and decay. But, indeed, what becomes of these?
There are others, superior, great warriors, some world-rulers- Sudyumna, Bhūridyumna, Indradyumna, Kuvalyāshva, Yauvanāshva, Vadhryāshva, Ashvapati, Shashabindu, Harīshchandra, Ambarīsha, Ananakta, Sharyāti, Yayāti, Anaraṇya, Ukshasena, and the rest; Kings too, such as Marutta, Bharata and others, with their entire families looking on, they renounced great wealth and went forth from this world into that (death). What, indeed, became of them? Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad 1.4a
All unions end in separation, and all accumulations end in destruction – see it for yourself. Knowing this fact, my mind does not get attached to anything. Mahābhārata 12.179.12
Youth, good looks, life, accumulated wealth, health and companionship of loved ones – these are all temporary. The wise should not therefore get too attached to them. Mahābhārata 12.205.4 After pleasure comes the pain and after pain comes the pleasure. Pleasure and pain whirl like wheels in human life. Garuda Purāṇa 1.113.62
No one remains the President forever, a sports champion perpetually, a rich man till eternity. All good things as well as all bad things come to an end after some time. We drink water to quench thirst, but our thirst returns soon especially if it is really hot. We satiate our hunger by eating, but hunger returns as well. Youth and beauty does not last forever either. We may use medicines and lotions to delay them, but eventually, old age catches up with us.
Illustrations: In his commentary on Gita 11.27, Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Ashvins from the Purāṇas that is relevant here-
Purūravas was extremely proud of his physical beauty and spent considerable time in maintaining his handsome looks. Once, he was paid a visit by the Ashvinī Kumāras, the twin Devas, themselves renowned for their appearance. The King, in a hurry to present his best self before the arriving Devas brushed up his face with ointments and lotions. The Devas smiled when they saw the King’s obsession with looks, which never last forever and said, “You can cover your wrinkles, but as Devas, we can see transformations happening to the minutes level in your appearance every moment.”
Even the residents of Heaven or Hell are reborn on earth after the emptying of their good and evil Karmas due to their ‘Sheṣha Karma’ or balance Karma. Sheṣha Karma is like residual water that sticks to the side of a bottle after it has been emptied of water. There are numerous narratives in our scriptures that describe the downfall of Indra and others like Nahuṣha after having dwelled in heaven.
After a person has exhausted the results (fruit) from the performance of yajnas and charitable acts (ishtāpūrta) in heaven, he has to be reborn. Yajurveda, Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa 3.11.8.10
Dwelling in manifold ignorance, these children gloat egotistically, “We have achieved our goals.” As these ritualists do not know (the truth) due to their attachment, they fall down (to earth) when their (heavenly) worlds obtained by performance of yajnas are exhausted and become miserable (again). Atharvaveda, Muṇdaka Upanishad 1.2.9
There are others above them – we see the destruction of Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakshas, Rākshasas, Bhūtas, Gaṇas, Pishāchas, snakes, vampires, and the like. But, indeed, what of these? Among other things, there is drying up of great oceans, the falling away of mountain peaks, the movement of the Pole-star, the cutting of the wind-ropes (that hold the stars in their places), the submergence of the earth, the departure of the Devas from their station (in heaven). In such a creation, what is the use of the enjoyment of desires?
Because, he who has fed on them (has enjoyed their fulfillment) is seen to return (to this world) repeatedly. May you be pleased, and therefore, deliver me. In this creation, I am like a frog in a waterless well. Bhagavan, you are our deliverance, you are our deliverance.” Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad 1.4b
Krishna said:
The knowers of the threefold Vedas who drink the soma (juice), and are purified of evil, worshipping Me with yajnas, seek the goal of heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the Devas in heaven. Gita 9.20
Having enjoyed the vast realm of heaven, they then enter the world of mortals when their merit is exhausted. Thus, conforming to the Dharmas of the threefold Vedas, desirous of enjoyment s, they attain to the state of coming and going. Gita 9.21
The soul never gets eternal happiness anywhere, it is not able to stay permanently in any abode. No matter how exalted abodes the soul reaches after a lot of troublesome efforts, it eventually falls down from these abodes. Anugita 1.30
16.4.2 Happiness is Often Tainted with Pain and Adharma
Both worldly action as well as scripture ordained ritualistic acts are tainted with some degree of evil and pain. If we eat delicious deserts, it can lead to dental cavities and weight gain. When we plant crops, we cause the death of numerous worms and insects that live in the soil. If we perform Yajnas, we might get a reward in heaven for the same, but we have also incinerated grains and other items offered into the fire altar. In short, most of our actions are a mix of pain and pleasure, virtue and evil when we look beyond ourselves and consider all the impacted stakeholders. Even apparently joyful actions that do not impact others can come with some negative side effects. For example, taking a tablet for headache can cause a stomach upset. Eating a delicious chocolate can accelerate onset of dental cavities.
16.4.3 Exerting for Happiness produces Inequalities and Happiness can be Exceeded
When one pursues happiness through worldly or scriptural means, he inadvertently causes sorrow to others.
For example, the joy of an Olympic gold medalist has a complementary pain caused to athletes who lost to
him. Or excessive happiness itself can produce grief. For example, a man gets so elated upon winning a lottery ticket that he gets a heart attack and dies. Finally, it is possible to exceed all pleasures obtained through worldly or scriptural (ritualistic) means. For example, someone who moves into a single bedroom house thereafter aspires to move into a large mansion in the future.
Seeing the flaws of worldly and ritual means does not mean that we abandon them fully. Even temporary and partial relief from sorrow and pain must be pursued. There is no use in suffering unnecessarily because some problems, by their very nature, require only temporary remedies. For example, a headache is cured by resting, drinking water or taking medication. Of course, the headache can return, but that does not mean that we take no action to get rid of it at least temporarily.
The following story illustrates the flaws in the mundane or ritual means for obtaining happiness.
Story: Indra and Many Indras (Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, Krishṇajanma Khaṇda)
Once, after Indra had defeated the powerful Asuras, he was faced with another challenge – rebuilding his capital Amravati that had been destroyed in the war. He summoned his architect Vishvakarma and said, “I am the mighty Indra who has defeated the powerful demon Vritra. I want you to build me a grand palace that befits my stature, because I am the King of all Devas.”
As commanded, Vishvakarma constructed a lofty palace and invited Indra to inspect it. But Indra expressed his displeasure, “Is that all you can design and construct? It is beneath my dignity to live in this puny palace. Design and build something that is more grand.”
Vishvakarma re-designed and constructed a grand palace, whose towers and domes touched the clouds. But Indra was still not satisfied, and asked him to build something better. He said, “How can the mightiest Deva in the Universe live in this ordinary palace?” Vishvakarma was disappointed, but out of fear of Indra, he set about designing an even more grand palace. When the date of inauguration was fixed, all the Devas could not stop admiring the beauty, grandeur and opulence of Vishvakarma’s palace for India. But to their surprise, Indra was still not satisfied and he threatened Vishvakarma for not doing justice to Indra’s glory.
Vishvakarma now approached Bhagavan Brahmā and prayed, “Bhagavan, Indra’s vanity and pride know no bounds. I have exhausted all designs and resources to construct one palace after another for him, but he is just too arrogant and appreciate my creations!” Brahmā said, “Let us go to Bhagavān Vishnu and seek his help. He will set Indra in his right place!” And the two went to Vishnu, who promised to help them.
The following day, Indra saw a few children playing outside his palace. One of them in particular was very charismatic and charming. He invited the child to his home and instinctively washed his feet. Then, he took the child through his latest palace to show him around and brag. To his surprise, the child commented, “Well, I must admit that this is greater than all the palaces that Indras before you have lived in.” Indra retorted, “What do you mean ‘Indras before me?’ I am the only Indra who has ever lived, and I am the greatest.” The boy laughed and said, “Do not deceive yourself. You are the Indra only of this Universe. There are infinite universes existing at any time. And an infinite number of other Universes keep emerging from emerging from the body of Vishnu at any moment, and another infinite number of them keep merging back into His body at the same time. Each of these Universes has its own Indra. No one can count the number of these parallel Universes. And in fact, an Indra does not last the lifetime of a single Universe. During the lifetime of a single Universe, there will be several Indras one after the other.”
Indra was shocked. He retorted angrily, “But that is not possible!” The boy pointed to a stream of ants entering a crack in the walls and said, “You have a finite mind and therefore you cannot understand the Infinite Vishnu and his infinite creations! Each of these ants has been an Indra in some lifetime or another.”
Indra was aghast, “How could these ants have been Indras?” The boy replied, “A person that does numerous virtuous acts of Dharma is reborn in a heaven within a Universe as Indra. After the period of enjoyment, which are the fruit of these good deeds, is over, his soul is reborn as another creature. We become great or inferior only by our deeds. Good karma cause us to be reborn as higher life-forms, and inferior deeds result in our birth in lower life-forms. Each of these ants was an Indra, but their pride and arrogance got the better of them. As a result, they deviated from the path of Dharma, resulting in their birth as an insect.”
Then, the boy revealed his true form as none other than Vishnu. Indra’s pride was vanquished. He realized that his vanity was pointless. Even though he had vanquished Vritra, he was not as mighty as Vishnu, and all
his glory and fame would eventually vanish. Only the Supreme Being lasts forever.
16.5 Pravritti and Nivritti Dharma
16.5.1 Dharma and Moksha
Trapped in the perpetual cycle of saṃsāra, we continue to face births and deaths, and experience joys and sorrows. Can we get out of this cycle? How can we live an eternal life, overcome death, and experience everlasting bliss? Is there a possibility to experience happiness that is unalloyed with pain, is permanent, does not cause sorrow to anyone else and is unsurpassed by any other type of happiness? The answer of Hindu Dharma is a resounding ‘Yes’ and it says that such a state does exist, and is called ‘Moksha’, which means ‘liberation from Samsāra.’
Let him reflect on the rebirths of souls caused by their sinful deeds, on their falling into hell, and on the torments in the world of Yama, Manusmriti 6.61
On the separation from their dear ones, on their union with hated men, on their being overpowered by age and being tormented with diseases, Manusmriti 6.62
On the departure of the individual soul from this body, its new birth in another womb, and on its wanderings through ten thousand millions of existences. Manusmriti 6.63
On the infliction of pain on embodied (spirits) which is caused by evil deeds, and the gain of eternal bliss, which is caused by the attainment of their highest goal, gained through spiritual merit.
Manusmriti 6.64
By deep meditation, let him recognize the subtle nature of the Supreme Soul, and its presence in all organisms, both the highest and the lowest. Manusmriti 6.65
‘This world is very frightful, devoid of any meaning or essence (or substance)’ – He who enjoys the world with this attitude alone attains Moksha, there is no doubt about it. Shankha Smriti 7.10
A branch of Dharma encompasses teachings, philosophy, practice and achievement of the final liberation from the cycle of births and deaths which is referred to as Moksha. To distinguish the more mundane parts of Dharma from those that are focused on Moksha, we sometimes use the phrase ‘Moksha Dharma’ which means Dharma that relates to and takes us to Moksha. For example, in the Manusmriti (Manu’s Dharmashāstra) for example, the last or the twelfth chapter can be referred to as Moksha Dharma, after the first 11 chapters have dealt with other aspects like Varṇa Dharma, Āshrama Dharma, Rāja Dharma, Prāyaschitta etc.
Dharma and Moksha are contrasted in two other ways to bring out their differences -
First, Dharma derives from the injunctions or commands to act in specific ways in the Vedas and other sacred text. Moksha is not derived from scriptural commands, but from their spiritual teachings dealing with the ātmā and Paramātmā.
Dharma is that purpose of human life that is characterized by commands of the sacred texts. Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtra 1.1.2
This ought to be done, that ought not to be done – these considerations are not relevant to Moksha. Instead, those alone are means to Moksha by hearing or seeing which one’s intellect is focused on the soul. Anugita 19.7
However, some teachers declare that even the sections of Vedas that contain Vedāntic teachings nevertheless command us to follow and act (Karma) on these spiritual instructions. Therefore, the distinction is more about the final goal or purpose of these actions, and this is highlighted by the second distinction between Dharma and Moksha.
The prime motivation for Dharma is desire for favorable outcomes or fruit (like a better life, rebirth in a heaven) by performing actions.
The enabler (or instrumental cause) of Dharma is all that is desired by the doer. Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtra
1.1.3
On the other hand, Moksha involves performing actions without a desire for their fruit or outcomes. This second distinction acknowledges that advancing towards Moksha also involves performing Karma, but the intent and goal of this Karma is different from that of Karma in the pursuit of Dharma.
16.5.2 Pravritta Karma (Pravritti Dharma) and Nivritta Karma (Nivritti Dharma)
Therefore, from a Karma centric viewpoint, we have the twin concepts of Pravritti Dharma (or Pravrtta Karma) versus Nivrtti Dharma (or Nivrtta Karma). In a nutshell, Manusmriti defines them as below:
Vedic Karma is two-fold: Pravritta and Nivritta. That which causes happiness in this world or in heaven is called Pravritta, and that which leads to the supreme good (or Moksha) is called Nivritta. Manusmriti 12.88
Whatever action is done here or in the next world with a desire for its fruit is called Pravritta Karma. And whatever action is performed without a desire for its fruit, being imbued with spiritual wisdom – that is called Nivritta Karma. Manusmriti 12.89
Performance of Pravritta Karma leads to attainment of status of Devata (in Heaven), whereas by performance of Nivritta Karma, the doer transcends the five elements (from which the material Universe and this body are made), i.e., he attains liberation or Moksha. Manusmriti 12.90
In this pair, Nivṛtti Dharma/Nivritta Karma can be considered as equivalent to Moksha Dharma. The Bhagavad Gita presents an extremely systematic teaching on Nivṛitti Dharma or Nivṛitta Karma in the form of Karma Yoga. The path of Karma Yoga and is a very important and unique contribution of Krishna to humanity. In fact, many prominent Hindus like Lokamānya Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi regard Karma Yoga as the central teaching of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna’s spiritual teachings are also scattered in some other sections of the Mahābhārata, and in other scriptures like the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, which too contain directives on Karma Yoga.
17.0 Transcending Karma through Moksha
It might be argued – ‘Performance of virtuous actions consistent with Dharma should be sufficient to achieve Moksha because the result of good actions can only be good.’ But as explained above, all worldly or ritualistic efforts (taught in the scriptures) can only have a finite, perishable and a mixed result. In fact, actions that are Sāttvic (completely pure, best) too can be like a chain or a rope if they are pursued with desire for the fruit or with any selfish motive.
Of these, Sattva, being free of impurity, causes illumination and freedom from disease. Blameless
One, it binds by attachment to happiness, and by attachment to knowledge. Gita 14.6
In his commentary on this verse, Swami Prabhupāda says-
“The difficulty here is that when a living entity is situated in the mode of goodness, he becomes conditioned to feel that he is advanced in knowledge and is better than others. In this way he becomes conditioned. The best examples are the scientist and philosopher: each is very proud of his knowledge, and because they generally improve their living conditions, they feel a sort of material happiness. This sense of advanced happiness in conditioned life makes them bound by the mode of goodness of material nature. As such, they are attracted toward working in the mode of goodness, and, as long as they have an attraction for working in that way, they have to take some type of body in the modes of nature. This, there is no likelihood of liberation, or of being transferred to the spiritual world. Repeatedly, one may become a philosopher, a scientist, or a poet, and repeatedly, become entangled in the same disadvantages of birth and death. But, due to the illusion of the material energy, one thinks that that sort of life is pleasant.”
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also declares that Sattva Guṇa is like a golden chain, Rajoguṇa like an iron chain and Tamoguṇa is like the ordinary jute rope or chain that binds human beings. In short, even good Karma are a golden rope. They tie us to Samsāra when they are performed as Pravritta Karma-
The rope of Dharma uplifts one, whereas the rope of Adharma drags one down. Cleaving both these ropes with the sword of knowledge, one attains Peace (of Moksha) upon discarding the body. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.42
Following the path of Pravṛtti Dharma (or Dharma in short) is a required minimum for any Hindu. But Hindu Dharma also teaches that a human being is capable of rising above Pravritti Dharma to pursue the goal of Moksha. Note that Nivritti Dharma (Moksha Dharma or Karma Yoga) is one of the paths to achieve Moksha but not the only one in the Hindu tradition. There are other paths that advocate total giving up of Karma (with a single-minded focus on spiritual knowledge, wisdom and meditation) except actions needed for the bare maintenance of the body. Nevertheless, Nivritti Karma can be combined with the other paths to achieve Moksha-
Merit and defects arising from performance of virtuous and prohibited karmas do not affect those saints who are exclusively devoted to Me [Bhakti Yoga], who are of even mind [Dhyāna Yoga], and who have realized the soul that is superior to Buddhi (intellect) [Jnāna Yoga]. Uddhava Gita 15.36
A modern saint also explains-
“The whole lot of Sanchita Karma is destroyed by attaining Knowledge of Brahman or the eternal. It can be gently modified by entertaining lofty, divine thoughts, and doing virtuous actions. Agami Karma can be destroyed by expiatory rites or Prayaschitta; and by removing the idea of agency through Nimitta Bhava (attitude that one is an instrument in the hands of God) and Sakshi Bhava
(attitude that one is silent witness of the actions of the senses and of the mind).”
We will now discuss how all categories of Karma can be destroyed by following one or more of the many paths to Moksha taught in the Hindu tradition.
17.1 Yogas and Karma in the Gita
The Bhagavad Gita teaches four paths that can lead to Moksha individual or via their combination (depending on what suits the spiritual traveler). The four main paths to Moksha taught by the Gita are Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Dhyāna Yoga. These paths are not mutually exclusive and we should combine elements from all, even while focusing on one or two of them. The Gita recognizes the fact that different people have different abilities and temperaments and therefore they may prefer focusing on one of the four approaches.
17.2 Jnāna Yoga and Karma
The path of JNANA YOGA teaches that our soul (ātmā) is the real ‘us’ and it is different from the body. Therefore, we should not crave for things pertaining to the body, which itself dies and perishes when we die. The ātmā survives our death and moves from 1 body to another till we achieve Moksha. When we understand our nature as the ātmā and not as the body, we will start focusing more on the really important and spiritual things, and will desist from focusing our efforts and attention towards the things of this physical world. This knowledge and understanding leads us to Moksha.
So this leads us to the conundrum – If we focus on Jnāna Yoga, we cannot remain engaged in the world, and will have to desist from all karma. And yet, if we perform karma, then we will get entangled in the web of its good and bad results (puṇya and papa). Krishna suggests a way out of this problem. ̣
But, mighty armed, they who know the truth about the divisions of Guṇas and Karmas believe that it is Guṇas acting on Guṇas. Therefore, they do not get attached. Gita 3.28
He reminds Arjuna that in the Sāmkhya Darshana, the ātman is said to be a merely sākshī or witness/ intelligent knower, and not a doer. All activity or karma is said to be in the domain of the three guṇas. This insight means that one must engage in his karma with the Sākshī Bhāva (state of being a witness), by considering the three guṇas as the real actor, and the Puruṣha mere as the witness, remaining unattached to the material world around us.
“The student of Vedanta or the Jnāna Mārga develops Sākshi Bhāva through discrimination and self-analysis….All actions are done by the qualities of Nature only. Prakriti works. Prakriti acts. I am the pure Ātman, the eternal self, Asanga, Akarta and Abhokta. I am the silent witness. Seeing, hearing, talking, acting, etc., all belong to the senses. They are Dharmas of the senses. I have nothing to do with them. I am Nirlipta. I am distinct from the mind and the senses, I am eternally pure, perfect, immortal Ātman. This is the Sākshi Bhāva…”
17.2.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Jnāna Yoga
When a person perfects Jnāna Yoga, his ātmā attains parity with Paramātmā or Brahman, and good and evil fruit of Karma no longer stick to him. They are all destroyed by the fire of spiritual wisdom-
Just as a fluffy tip of a reed placed in fire burns away completely, similarly all his evils are burnt away. Sāmaveda, Chhāndogya Upanishad 5.24.3
Then the enlightened one complete shakes off both virtue and vice, becomes taintless, and attains absolute equality (to Brahman). Atharvaveda, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3
When a person who is endowed with spiritual knowledge is firmly established in the Paramātman, he destroys the effects of his bad and good karmas. But as long as he does not experience the Paramātman, he has to experience sometimes the fruit of his good karma, sometimes the fruit of his bad karma. Mahābhārata 5.42.24
Even if you are the most evil amongst evil-doers, you will cross all wickedness by the boat of knowledge alone. Gita 4.36
Arjuna, just as the fire which is kindled reduces firewood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduces all karma to ashes. Gita 4.37
Just as a bright and flaming fire consumes the fuel placed in it within a moment, likewise he who knows the Vedas destroys all evil by the fire of Jnāna. Manusmriti 11.247
Just as a blazing fire incinerates all fuel, whether it is dry or soaked in water; in the same way, the fire of knowledge reduces to ashes within a moment all of one’s evil as well as good Karma. Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.47
Sanchita karma are destroyed by the firm knowledge, ‘I am the Truth (Brahman) alone.’ Tattvabodha of Adi Shankaracharya
In fact, Hindu scriptures exhort us to honor a knower of Brahman and not hurt them in any way because the saint’s evil deeds (i.e., their negative saṃskāra-s) are transferred to his enemies and good deeds are transferred to his benefactors, friends and family-
His sons inherit his properties, the ancestors his virtuous deeds, and the enemies his vicious deeds. Samaveda, Jaiminīya Brahmana 1.50
He shakes off both virtues and vices; his beloved relatives get his virtues and his hated relatives his vices. Rigveda, Kaushitakī Upanishad 1.4
Making over the merit of his own good deeds to his friends and the guilt of his evil deeds to his enemies, he attains the eternal Brahman by the practice of meditation. Manusmriti 6.79
17.2.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Jnāna Yoga
The result of Prārabdha Karma, or Ripened Karma that has come into play, must be experienced and it cannot be wished away or destroyed. Some teachers like Swami Sivananda interpret Gita 4.37 (“The fire of spiritual wisdom then incinerates to ashes ALL Karma-s”) to mean that even Prārabdha Karma-s are destroyed when spiritual wisdom dawns.
But all traditional commentators add the caveat that the phrase ‘All Karma-s’ excludes Prārabdha Karma-s and this seems to be the logical explanation for two reasons – first, we do see that enlightened saints like Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi died what we’d call a painful death. Second, it is this Prārabdha Karma that results in our rebirth, and the body we have. So obviously, destruction of Prārabdha Karma will lead to instant death of the ‘beneficiary’ which is our body. In other words, if spiritual wisdom literally destroys all of our Prārabdha Karma-s, then a person’s body should disappear or dissolve the moment he attains spiritual perfection or enlightenment. But we do not see this happen.
Shrīdhara Swāmī clarifies under this verse that ‘all karma’ does not include Prārabdha Karma. In other words, Prārabdha Karma is not reduced to ashes by knowledge because it has already come to fruition. Shankaracharya too cites the following passage to qualify the statement of the Gita that ‘all karmas are reduced to ashes’:
He has to wait only as long as he is unreleased; then, he attains perfection. Sāmaveda, Chhāndogya Upanishad 6.14.2
Shankaracharya uses this Upanishadic passage to conclude under this verse of the Gita that the phrase ‘all karma’ does not include the Prārabdha Karma. Other Hindu scriptures too declare that the Prārabdha Karma must be experienced and borne even after one has become spiritual enlightened. For example, Brahmasūtra 4.1.19 declares that Prārabdha Karma is not extinguished by Jnāna and must be experienced till it is exhausted. This is how Shankaracharya and all other commentators explain this particular Sūtra. In short,
the Hindu tradition is fairly unanimous that spiritual enlightenment destroys one’s Sanchita and Kriyamāna Karmas, but not the Prārabdha Karma, and the present verse of Gita must be interpreted accordingly.
Swami Chidbhavananda (p. 317) explains that the fire of knowledge destroys the Sanchita and the Kriyamāna karmas. It does not destroy the Prārabdha Karmas but renders them ineffective because the Jnānī pays no more attention to them than to the shadow of his body. This is a very interesting interpretation because it is proven by the lives of great enlightened Sants in the Hindu tradition. For instance, Ramana Maharshi died of a cauliflower sized tumor on his arm, and yet he bore the pain patiently till the very end. Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had cancer in his throat that caused a lot of pain. His disciples often asked him to use his spiritual powers to approach Devi Kali and cure himself, but he thought that perpetuation of his body was too trivial a boon to ask of the Divine because death would actually liberate his ātmā and merge in the infinite bliss of Moksha.
Jayadayal Goyandaka too explains that the Prārabdha karmas,
“….fail to produce any unhealthy reactions like joy and grief on his mind. In this way his Prārabdha Karmas also get extinct in so far as he is concerned. As regards his current actions [kriyamāna or āgāmī], they do not leave any impressions at all inasmuch as he no longer entertains the feeling of doership or possession, nor attachment and desire with respect to them. Therefore, such actions cease to be actions.”
Therefore, we can conclude that Jnāna does not destroy Prārabdha Karma but makes it inoperative in a way because the enlightened person no longer associates with his body and has merged himself completely with the Divine.
17.2.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Jnāna Yoga
One of the fears of performing of Karma in the minds of Jnāna Yogi and others is that new Karma will produce new fruit of Karma, and therefore if we keep performing Karma, we will never be able to get out of the vicious cycle of Karma- Karmaphala (fruit of Karma) – Karma. But the Upanishads and the Gita assure that when we do our Karma under the influence of Jnāna and do not aspire for the fruit of our Karma, then these Karma produce no results.
Karma performed with desire for their fruit, and not under the influence of Jnāna are called ‘sabīja karma’ (‘with seeds’). This is because, like seeds, these Karma eventually generate and produce fruit. On the other hand, Jnāna and Karma Yoga render our karma as nirbīja (‘without seeds) because they being incapable of germination will not produce any fruit.
For such is the glory of the knower of Brahman that he is neither elevated nor lowered by good or bad karma. The knower of Brahman does not get tainted by evil karma. Yajurveda, Taittiriya Brahmana 3.12.9.8
Just as deer and birds do not resort to a mountain that is aflame, evils do not seek abode in one who knows Brahman. Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad 6.18
One transcends both the good and the bad results of actions. Yajurveda, Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad 4.4.22
As water does not stick to a lotus leaf, in the same way, evil does not contaminate a man who possesses spiritual knowledge. Sāmaveda, Chhāndogya Upanishad 4.14.3
The knower of Ātmā becomes free of all sorrow. Chhāndogya Upanishad 7.1.3
When a person who is endowed with spiritual knowledge is firmly established in the Paramātman, he destroys the effects of his bad and good karmas. But as long as he does not experience the Paramātman, he has to experience sometimes the fruit of his good karma, sometimes the fruit of his bad karma. Mahābhārata 5.42.24
Just as seeds roasted in fire do not germinate, likewise when its ignorance is burnt up in the fire of knowledge, the ātman is not reborn in this world. Mahābhārata 12.211.17
With a mind that is full of grace (or gratitude), the ascetic forsakes both good and evil karma. His whole being is blissful, and abiding always in the Ātman, he experiences infinite joy. Mahābhārata 12.246.10
The āgāmī karma is also destroyed by knowledge and the wise man is not affected by it, as a lotus leaf is not affected by the water on it. Further, to those who praise, serve and worship the wise man, go the results of the good actions done by the wise man. To those who criticize, hate or cause pain to the wise man go the results of all unpraiseworthy and sinful actions done by the wise. Friends take the meritorious results and enemies the demeritorious results. Tattvabodha of Adi Shankaracharya
He has no interest in mundane pleasures and has no desires for them because his sole source of pleasure is his own ātmā-
“Indeed, it is the ātmā above, ātmā below, ātmā in the front, ātmā at the back, ātmā on the right, ātmā on the left. Indeed, ātmā is all this. He who seeing this, believing this, experiencing this, revels in the ātmā, sports with the ātmā, enjoys the company of the ātmā, seeks all his joy in the ātmā – he is free. He has complete freedom of action in all the worlds.” Chhāndogya Upaniṣhad 7.25.2
Krishna said:
But the person whose delight is only in the ātman, whose satisfaction is in the ātman, whose contentment is only in the ātman – for him there exists no duty that needs to be done. Gita 3.17 Indeed, he has no interest whatever to gain by actions that he has done, nor in action that he has not done in this world because he has no purpose to be accomplished whatsoever through any creature. Gita 3.18
Therefore, remaining detached at all times, perform well the work which is your duty because by performing action without attachment, man attains the Supreme. Gita 3.19
So why does he continue to perform action? A perfected Jnāna Yogī is a conduit of Divine Wisdom and whatever he does is merely a manifestation of that Wisdom-
Beyond the reach of both merit and demerit, such a man of knowledge and realization will like a child desist from prohibited actions but not through a sense of evil, and will perform enjoined actions but not through an idea that it will lead to merit. Uddhava Gita 2.11
The knower has nothing to gain either by performing or by abstaining from action. Therefore, he performs action as it arises. Yogavāsiṣhṭha 6.199
To me, it is just the same whether something is done or not. Why should I insist on not performing action? I perform whatever action comes to me. Yogavāsiṣhṭha 6.216
An example given is that of the Rajarshi-s (Royal Sages) in the Upanishads and other literature who continued to perform their royal duties despite being spiritually awakened and enlightened. Mahābhārata 12.320.4 mentions Dharmadhvaja Janaka, the King of Mithilā, who obtained the result of samnyāsa even while being a householder and king. Mahābhārata 12.320.24 refers to Panchashikhā as a Bhikshu or Parāshara gotra. Verse 27 refers to Dharmadhvaja Janaka revealing that Panchashikhā taught the entire wisdom of Samkhya to the King but did not permit him to renounce the world and become and ascetic.
Chapter 18 of the Shānti Parva of the Mahābhārata records the discussion between King Janaka, who wanted to become an ascetic, and his Queen who reasoned with him against his desire. She convinced him that being a King, he could serve the Devas, Gurus and the society at large much better than being an ascetic. She emphasizes the greatness of being a householder who generates wealth and supports all the other sections of the society. Furthermore, asceticism is a mental state. One who is formally an ascetic but is attached to selfish motives and objects of the world is a hypocrite. Whereas one who is not formally an ascetic but is self-controlled and serves other ascetics and his Gurus with gifts and reverence is also an ascetic. King Janaka sees the sound logic in his wife’s words and decides to give up thoughts of becoming an ascetic.
To conclude, the learned continue to perform their Karma-s for the welfare of this creation and to set a good example while being completely free of desires and attachments, and for this reason, their Kriyamāna Karma does not produce any fruit -
Krishna said:
Bhārata, just as the unlearned do their karma due to attachment, so must the learned also act, but without desire and wishing the welfare of this world. Gita 3.25
Let the learned not create confusion in the intellect of the ignorant who are attached to karma. The learned should engage them in performing all Karma, while himself performing karma as a Yogi. Gita 3.26
17.3 Karma Yoga and Karma
The Bhagavad Gita explains to us how to achieve Moksha, and the path of Karma Yoga is a unique contribution of this scripture to all humanity. This path of Karma Yoga teaches us how we can remain engaged in the Samsāra actively and yet escape the traps of Karma that cause us to be bound, helplessly as it were, to the wheel of Samsāra. The path of KARMA YOGA states that all the sensations of our sense organs – such as pain, happiness, sorrow, heat, cold etc., are temporary. Nothing lasts forever. Therefore, we should bear them with patience, and not get infatuated with negative emotions, nor should we get attracted by worldly temptations. Instead, we should continue to do our duty (Svadharma) at all times just because it ought to be done, and without any desire of fruits resulting from doing them. We must offer the fruit of our Karma to Bhagavān. In this, all action is spiritualized and becomes an act of worship. Some modern Hindu teachers call this mode of performing action as ‘Nārāyaṇa Bhāva’, or Karma that is performed as an act of worship to the Lord. The Gita too describes this attitude of work as worship -
He from whom the natural activities (or duties) of all beings arise and by Whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty does a person attains perfection. Gita
18.46
Note that Karma Yoga is often paired with Dhyāna Yoga and treated as first half of the latter. But it can also be treated as an independent path to Moksha.
17.3.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Karma Yoga
A perfect practice of Karma Yoga leads to the destruction of one’s entire stock of Sanchita Karma in this very life-
One who has is established in this intellectual wisdom [Buddhiyoga – Karma Yoga] casts away, here (in this life) itself, both good and evil (results) of karma. Therefore, yoke yourself to Yoga,
Yoga is skill in Karma. Gita 2.50
The karma of a man who is free of attachments, who is liberated, whose mind is firmly founded on knowledge, who does work as yajna, is dissolved entirely. Gita 4.23
How does this happen? Krishna declares that one who diligently practices Karma Yoga obtains spiritual knowledge within his ātmā automatically. And this spiritual knowledge has the power to destroy one’s Sanchita Karma as discussed above.
In this world, there is no greater purifier than knowledge. He who becomes perfected by yoga finds that (knowledge) automatically in his ātman in the course of time. Gita 4.38
17.3.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Karma Yoga
The Karma Yogī gets his Prārabdha Karma of course but he is unperturbed and unaffected by it. The reasons are that he does his entire work for the benefit of others, without any attachment to the acts or to their fruit, without any desires or aversions and for the sake of the Lord, as worship to Him. Consequently, he is satisfied with his ātmā and has gratitude towards the Divine at all times. Whatever comes his way, he accepts the same cheerfully and as a gift of the Lord. For this reason, his Prārabdha Karma becomes ineffective or practically inoperative.
He who is contented with whatever is obtained by chance, who has gone beyond the dualities (of pleasure and pain), who is free from jealousy, who remains even minded in success and failure – even when such a person acts, he is not bound. Gita 4.22
17.3.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Karma Yoga
As Karma Yoga entails a diligent performance of actions, it is very important to discuss how Kriyamāna Karma bears no fruit in this path. First, the Karma Yogī identifies his Svadharma (or personal duty) that is consistent with his stage in life, status in the society and his abilities etc. and performs them diligently and with faith.
He who follows any of the four different Āshramas with determination, with faith and in the proper manner eventually attains Moksha. Anugita 20.45
Devoted each to his own duty, a person attains perfection. Gita 18.45ab
Second, he performs his duties without desire/attachment or aversion/anger.
Passionate attachment (rāga) and aversion (dvesha) are associated with objects of every sense organ respectively. Let none come under their sway, because these two are way-layers in his path (of Karmayoga). Gita 3.34
He whose every well-undertaken action is free from desire and mental conception of its efficacy (saṃkalpa), whose karma has been burned by the fire of knowledge – him the wise call ‘learned’ (paṇdita). Gita 4.19
Third, he relinquishes the fruit of his actions mentally and does not crave for it.
Having relinquished attachment to the fruit of Karma, ever content, without any kind of dependence, he does not perform any Karma, even though he is duly engaged in activity. Gita 4.20
It might be wondered that if he performs his duty without any attachments or desires for the fruit, then what is his motivation for performing his actions? So, fourth, he performs his actions for purifying his own ātmā and for greater good of the society.
The Yogis perform their karma with their body, with the mind, with the intellect or merely with their senses, giving up attachment, and solely for purification of their ātman. Gita 5.11
Fifth, for himself, he acts for bare bodily sustenance and is satisfied with whatever he obtains by chance for his nourishment.
Free of all expectations (in the results of karma), with his ātmā and mind under control, having given up all desires to acquire possessions, performing bodily karma alone, he incurs no evil. Gita 4.21 He who is contented with whatever is obtained by chance, who has gone beyond the dualities (of pleasure and pain), who is free from jealousy, who remains even minded in success and failure – even when such a person acts, he is not bound. Gita 4.22
Sixth, he has complete control over his mind and senses, and even gives up his sense of doer-ship and regards the Lord within alone as the Doer of his deeds. Such a person is really a non-doer although to others he might appear to be acting unceasingly. As he is a non-doer, his actions have no fruit -
He who is established in Yoga, has a completely pure ātmā, who is the master of the ātmā and who has conquered his senses, whose ātmā has become the soul of all beings – he is not tainted by karma even though he acts. Gita 5.7
“I do not do anything,” thus one, who is established in Yoga, and knows the reality, should think. Whether seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing…Gita 5.8 Talking, excreting (or discharging), grasping, opening and closing of eyes, he holds that it is merely the senses that are occupied with the objects of the senses. Gita 5.9
The embodied (soul), that has renounced all karma mentally, sits happily as the ruler, within the city of nine gates, neither performing karma, nor causing karma to be done. Gita 5.13
He whose soul is free of the egotistic condition, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, not is he bound (by his karmas). Gita 18.17
The Lord [ātmā that has mastered the mind and the senses] does not create either the agency or the actions of the world. Nor does he connect karma with the fruit. Indeed, it is one’s own nature that proceeds (works these out). Gita 5.14
The knower of Brahman does not consider himself as the doer of his actions. Therefore, his karma are considered neither as good deeds, nor as bad deeds. And they bear neither good fruit nor bad fruit. Mahābhārata 13.120.24
The soul which is established in Yoga attains steady and eternal peace upon abandoning the fruit of karma. But the soul which is not established in Yoga, does karma motivated by desire and is attached to the fruit, is bound. Gita 5.12
Seventh, he offers the fruit of his Karma to the Lord-
Relinquishing all your karmas to Me, with your mind abiding in Me, being free from desire and egoism, with your fever (mental grief) departed, fight! Gita 3.30
Those persons too, who full of faith and free from cavil, follow this teaching of mine at all times, they are released from the (fetters of) karmas. Gita 3.31
Reposing (or dedicating) his karma in Brahman, having given up attachment, he is not tainted by evil just as the lotus leaf is not (wetted) by water. Gita 5.10
Eighth, he becomes permeated with Brahman, the Divine, in all ways. He abides in Brahman, Brahman abides in him. He sees Brahman in everyone, in every object, in every act. For that reason, whatever he does takes Him to Brahman.
[For such a person] The act of offering (or the ladle) is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, by Brahman is the oblation offered into the fire of Brahman. Brahman is indeed the goal attained by him who comprehends Brahman in his Karma. Gita 4.24
There is only one ruler, and no second ruler. He who is within the hearts of all creatures – Him alone I consider as the ruler. Just as water flows naturally whichever way the land slopes, likewise I do only those karma that the inner ruler inspires me to do. Anugita 11.1
Brahman alone is his sacrificial fire-sticks and fire, he originates from Brahman, Brahman is his water, Brahman is his Guru, and his mind always abides in Brahman. Anugita 11.17
The wise see the same (Ātman) in a learned Brahmana endowed with humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or in an outcaste. Gita 5.18
Ninth, as the Karma Yogī is completely devoted to Brahman, his actions become completely spiritualized. His work becomes his worship. Divine knowledge shines within him, destroying the fruit of his Karma
The fruit of the karma of those who have not relinquished after they die is threefold – evil, good and mixed. But for the renouncers, there is none whatever. Gita 18.12
Winner of wealth, Karma do not bind him who has renounced his karma through Yoga, who has destroyed his doubts by knowledge and who is ever devoted to the ātmā. Gita 4.41
They whose intellects are directed towards That (the Supreme Soul), whose souls are fixed on That, whose foundation is That, who regard That as the highest – they reach that state from which there is no return, with all their evils shaken off by knowledge. Gita 5.17
He from whom the natural activities (or duties) of all beings arise and by Whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty does a person attains perfection. Gita
18.46
Therefore, our teachers say that the mode in which the Karma Yogī acts is ‘Nārāyaṇa Bhāva’, or a state in which every act is worship, every word spoken is a prayer, every step taken is a pilgrimage, every movement of the hand is like hands clasped in reverence to the Divine.
Parable: Brahmana Samnyāsin Jajali accepts the superiority of the Vaishya Tulādhāra:
A Brahmana ascetic Jajali spent several years studying scriptures and practicing meditation and other austerities. As a result, he acquired great powers of self-control. One day, a pair of birds started hovering over his head, as he stood meditating. They started constructing a next on his head. Overcome with compassion, Jajali did not want to shake his head for the fear of scaring the birds away.
As he stood still, the birds completed the next, and lay a few eggs in the next! The compassionate Jajali did not want damage the eggs and decide to stand still till the eggs hatched. When the eggs hatched and little children birds came out, Jajali used his powers of great self-control to stand still for numerous days. Day after day, the parent couple birds would bring food from great distances and feed their children. In a few weeks, the tiny children grew older and mature, and flew out of the next on Jajali’s head to live independent lives. All these weeks, Jajali kept meditating, and did not shake his neck or head lest the birds were harmed or scared in any way. His remarkable achievement and powers of self-control due to years of meditation now unfortunately gave way to a little pride. He thought, “Who else could have done this remarkable feat!”
But as soon as he had said these words to himself, a voice from the sky said, “Do not get puffed up Jajali. Your glory and greatness is not equal to that shopkeeper Tuladhara of Varanasi. And yet, even he does not say the words that you have uttered in self-praise.”
Jajali was a bit miffed. But he nevertheless proceeded to Varanasi to hear what Tuladhara had to say. When he arrived at the shop, Tuladhara was busy weighing spices, vegetables, grains etc. for his customers. Upon seeing Jajali, he said, “I knew you were coming to see me to learn Dharma.” Jajali was even more bewildered now. He asked, “How did you know that I was coming to see you? And how can you, a mere shopkeeper, teach me about Dharma?” Tuladhara replied, “Practically all the people in this world follow Dharma for the sake of a selfish motive. Some want to go to heaven by performing virtuous karma. Some, like you, attain self-satisfaction and happiness by acts of compassion. You have spent all your life studying the shastras and meditating. But that does not automatically lead to an understanding of Dharma.”
Tuladhara continued, “See the weighing scale that I use weigh goods before selling them. I always weigh the goods honestly, and the beam of my scale is always horizontal perfectly. Neither do I weigh less, nor do I weigh more irrespective of whether my customer praises me or criticizes me. I stay honest not for the love of praise or fear of criticism, but because I have faith in honesty. I desire the good of all creatures, and work diligently to serve others, not for the
reward of a ‘feel good’ sensation, but because I have faith in Brahman. I know that this same Brahman resides in all creatures, and therefore, I should work for the welfare of everyone, and give everyone their due. This, I believe to be the true essence of Dharma – having a uniform attitude towards praise and criticism, doing good to others without any selfish motive and for the welfare of others, and having faith in Brahman.”
As Jajali spoke these words, the birds appeared from the sky and declared that although Jajali was like their father, Tuladhara had indeed spoken the truth about the essence of Dharma. Jajali now realized that one should avoid bad karma and perform good karma. But the best is to do good karma not for self-gratification (or for the fear of criticism), but for promoting good of all creatures and with faith in goodness and in Brahman. Jajali practiced this understanding of Dharma, and eventually attained Moksha.
17.3.4 Does Karmayoga lead to Moksha Directly?
Freedom from the fetters of Karma is not the same as Moksha, although the first is essential to reach the latter state. Freedom from Karma means that Kriyamāna Karma performed no longer create an Saṃskāras, all Sanchita Karma is destroyed and the Prārabdha is no longer operative. Moksha means, that subsequent to obtaining Freedom from Karma, one enters into Brahman and unites with Him.
The Bhagavad Gita carefully distinguishes between the two stages. Freedom from Karma through Karmayoga is referred to as ‘Naiṣhkarmyasiddhi’, and the person who has achieved this is stated to be in a state of ‘Brahmabhāva’, ‘Brahmabhūta’, ‘Sthitaprajna’, ‘Brahmanirvāṇa’, ‘Brāhmī-sthiti’ or at the ‘face of Brahman’ (Brahmaṇi-mukhe) etc. Subsequently, such a person then ‘enters’ into Brahman upon further progress.
This leads to the question as to whether Karmayoga is an independent, direct path to Moksha, or whether it has to be perfected by one of the other three paths. Certain schools of Hindu Dharma, like Advaita Vedānta, deny the possibility that Karma can independently lead to Moksha. They emphasize that at the most, the role of Karma is to purify one’s Buddhi, after which that person becomes fit to Moksha granting path of Jnānayoga.
On the contrary, Krishna himself states clearly that the Ātmā can be seen through any of the four paths-
Through meditation [Dhyānayoga], some perceive the Ātman in their Ātman by the Ātman. Others by the discipline of Sāmkhya Yoga [Jnāna]; and still others by Karma-yoga. Gita 13.24
Still others, not knowing this, reflect upon it, having heard about it from others. And they too transcend death, devoted to what they have heard. Gita 13.25
He declares elsewhere too that one who has perfected and purified his Buddhi through Karmayoga then experiences the Paramātmā in his own Ātmā.
In this world, there is no greater purifier than knowledge. He who becomes perfected by yoga finds that (knowledge) automatically in his ātman in the course of time. Gita 4.38
Several examples are provided in Hindu tradition to this effect. The stories of Tulādhāra (the grocer) who could instruct Jājali, the ascetic, given in section 17.3.3 above is an example.
Nevertheless, Karmayoga is a great path to start one’s spiritual journey but after a certain point, when the Buddhi is purified, it is recommended that Karmayoga is complemented with one of the other three paths. Krishna suggests that the Karmayogī ought to gain a direct knowledge of the Divine through Dhyānayoga (the path of Meditation) because the mind is restless, Karma is associated with Rajoguṇa and the latter itself can give rise to mental afflictions like Rāga (attachments) and Dveṣha (aversions causing anger etc.)-
For the sage who is desirous of attaining the state of Yoga, performing karma is said to be the means. For he who has already ascended the state of Yoga, serenity (i.e., stilling of the mind by meditation) is said to be the means. Gita 6.3
He also suggests that the Karmayogī should approach a competent Guru and seek spiritual knowledge with humility and through service to him -
Paramtapa (Scourge of your enemies), superior to any material yajna is the jnāna yajna. Pārtha, all karmas in their entirety reach their culmination in knowledge. Gita 4.33
Learn this by humble reverence, enquiry and by service. The men of knowledge who have seen the reality will instruct you in knowledge. Gita 4.34
Knowing that, son of Pandu, you shall not fall again into delusion. And by that knowledge, you shall see all beings without exception in yourself, and then in Me. Gita 4.35
Even if you are the most evil amongst evil-doers, you will cross all wickedness by the boat of knowledge alone. Gita 4.36
Arjuna, just as the fire which is kindled reduces firewood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes. Gita 4.37
Other scriptures too declare similarly-
Just as a bright and flaming fire consumes the fuel placed in it within a moment, likewise he who knows the Vedas destroys all evil by the fire of Jnāna. Manusmriti 11.247 Just as seeds roasted in fire do not germinate, likewise when its ignorance is burnt up in the fire of knowledge, the ātman is not reborn in this world. Mahābhārata 12.211.17
Likewise, he ought to follow the path of Bhakti to know the Divine’s true nature-
Having become Brahman, he whose soul is serene, he neither grieves nor does he desire. Regarding all beings as alike, he attains supreme devotion to Me. Gita 18.54
By devotion to Me he comes to know My true nature and what and who I am. Then having known My true nature, he enters That immediately. Gita 18.55
Doing all karma whatsoever, taking refuge in Me, he reaches by My grace the eternal and imperishable abode. Gita 18.56
In short, Krishna advocates a combination of the four Yogas for most of us, with adherence to Karmayoga and Jnānayoga at all times even when meditating or developing Bhakti towards the Lord. This does not mean that Krishna undermines Karmayoga vis-à-vis the other three paths. Rather, he emphasizes that even while following any of the other three paths, one must continue to perform his duties with diligence, without attachment to the actions or their fruit, and offer the fruit to the Lord. In summary therefore, the Bhagavad Gita recommends a combination of the Yogas (‘Integral Yoga’), although one or more can predominate in a person depending on his ability and preferences. The goal of the Gita’s teaching is not simply to destroy one’s Karma, but to take a step beyond and merge with the Divine. Karmayoga makes one fit to know and merge with the Divine, but this final step is greatly accelerated through meditation, spiritual wisdom or
Bhakti.
Similar teachings are given in other scriptures as well. For example, the Uddhava Gita in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Book 12, has the follow teachings that recommending supplementing Karmayoga with Jnānayoga and Bhaktiyoga:
With a view to effecting the liberation of mem, I have preached three Yogas or methods, viz. those
of Jnāna, Karma and Bhakti. There is no other means anywhere. Uddhava Gita 15.6
Of these, Jnānayoga is for those who have developed an aversion for karma and have renounced it. But for those who are not averse to karma and desire its fruit, there is Karmayoga. But for the man who somehow has developed faith in stories about me, and who is not averse to not attached to karma, the path of Bhaktiyoga is suitable. Uddhava Gita 15.7-8
One should perform karma until he has developed an aversion towards it, or has developed faith in listening to stories about me, and similar things. Uddhava Gita 15.9
Uddhava, a man discharging his own duties and performing yajnas without any desire for results goes neither to heaven not to hell, unless he practices evil. Uddhava Gita 15.10
Such a man, becoming sinless and pure, acquires purifying knowledge, or perchance devotion towards Me even while remaining in this very world. Uddhava Gita 15.11
17.4 Dhyāna Yoga and Karma
The path of DHYĀNA YOGA teaches that we should not focus all our attention on the external world, because the Supreme Truth and Reality, which is our ātmā and Param ātmā, are right within us. Therefore, we should meditate on God, and should not waste our time in pursuing things that hamper meditation, such as strong emotions, strong likes and dislikes etc. In a way, this path forms a complement to the path of Karma Yoga. In Dhyāna Yoga, the spiritual seeker sees the same Paramātmā in the entire creation, possesses perfect empathy for all creatures and accordingly performs his duties for the benefit of all. Some modern Hindu teachers call this mode of performing action as ‘Ātma Bhāva’ or duties performed towards others with the vision that the same Ātmā abides within everyone.
17.4.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Dhyāna Yoga
Through the power of practice of Yoga, all sins are destroyed. Therefore, one should always do virtuous deeds and in practice Yoga diligently. Hārita Smriti 7.3
As a result of meditation, the Yogī excavates the deeply ingrained Samskāra-s of previous lives in his mind and discards them away dispassionately. The process is described in the Yogasūtras of Patanjali and
Vyāsa’s commentary thereon and is summarized below-
“Meditation is contemplation done with great mental concentration. When a person meditates, his concentrated thought, like a laser beam, penetrates through the inner layers of his mind and arrives at the bottom where the samskāras are. The concentrated thought, like an underwater probe, starts disturbing the accumulated samskāras. As a result, they gradually get dislodged and rise one by one to the conscious level. They become conscious thoughts again. The meditator should watch the rejuvenated thoughts like a disinterested observer and must not act upon them. The old thoughts, once they have risen to the conscious level, burst like so many air bubbles and disappear. This is how, through the practice of meditation, one can purify one’s mind by gradually getting rid
of old impressions or samskāras. If, however, the meditator acts upon these rejuvenated thoughts, he will create new samskāras and his mind will not be cleansed.”
17.4.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Dhyāna Yoga
Even the perfected Yogī-s who have attained Samādhi and have experienced the Divine must also experience their Prārabdha till they die, after which they attain Moksha. But the practice of Yoga tools like Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā and so on gives the ability to the Yogī to bear his mental and bodily afflictions with perfect equanimity, without getting perturbed at all. Furthermore, practice of Yoga gives numerous supernatural powers to him to overcome all pain and injury.
By mastering Āsana, the Yogī is no longer perturbed by the opposites (like heat and cold). Yogasūtra 2.48
One shall conquer the various defects in the body by means of Pranayama. By Pūraka (inhalation), somnolence is to be conquered. By Kumbhaka (retention of breath), one can conquer the shivering sensation. By Rechaka (exhalation), one can conquer the augmentation or excess of heat in the body. Garuda Purāṇa 1.226.16
Story: Sadāshiva Brahmendra Saraswatī
He was a great Yogi and Vedantin who lived in the 18th cent. in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. During some times of the year, the Kaveri River dries up. Swami Brahmendra choose a mound of sand on the dried river course and went into meditation. Unfortunately, soon thereafter, the river was flooded. When they receded, the Swami was nowhere to be seen. It was assumed that he had been washed away and had drowned.
A few days later, a farmer came to the riverbank to take some sand for constructing his home. Suddenly, his shovel hit something hard, and emerged from the sand mound with blood on its tip. The farmer started digging the sand hill with his hands gently. He found a Sage in the state of deep meditation.
Swami Brahmendra came out of the meditation and just walked away.
Once, he was resting next to a heap of grain freshly harvested by another farmer and went into meditation. The farmer thought that the Swami had arrived to steal grain. He took a stick in his hands and rushed to hit the Swami with it. But half-way through, his hand and the entire body froze in that very posture! The next morning, when the Swami came out of his meditation, he opened his eyes and smiled at the farmer. The farmer came out of the frozen stupor and could now move his limbs normally. The Swami blessed him and walked away.
At another time, the Swami, who hardly ever wore clothes, walked past the harem of a regional Muslim Nawab. The Swami was a completely spiritual man, but the Nawab accused him of outraging the modesty of his wives. He rushed forward and cut off both the hands of Sadashiva Brahmendra with his sword. But astonishingly, the Swami continued to walk as if nothing had happened. The Nawab was terrified and picked up the severed arms and rushed towards the Swami in deep remorse. The arms connected back to his body miraculously as if nothing had happened.
In more modern times, during the American invasion of Vietnam, numerous protesting Buddhist monks immolated themselves publicly without showing any pain. Thereby, they demonstrated the power of their mind, disciplined by meditation, over their body. This ability was noted several centuries by Rishi Kaṇāda-
When the mind abides completely in the ātmā and performs no action driven by desire, there is a total absence of pain in the body. This state is called Yoga. Vaisheshika Sūtra 5.2.16
17.4.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Dhyāna Yoga
All ordinary actions being performed by us generate more Saṃskāra-s and fruit, leading to rebirth, more actions and so on whereby the wheel of Saṃsāra keeps rotating. But in the case of a perfected Yogī, the wheel of Saṃsāra stops rotating-
Moksha results when the mind is completely inactive, the ātmā is complete disconnected from the body and there is no rebirth. Vaisheshika Sūtra 5.2.18
Of the various types of mind, only that which is purified by samadhi is freed from all latent impressions of karma and from all cravings. Yogasūtra 4.6
The karma of the yogi is neither white nor black. The karma of others is of three kinds: white, black, or mixed. Yogasūtra 4.7
The Yogabhāṣhya on Yogasūtra 4.7 elaborates-
There are four categories of Karma – ‘White’, ‘Black’, ‘Black and White’ and ‘Neither Black nor White.’ The deeds of evil-minded people are ‘Black’.
The ‘Black and White Deeds’ are those which require implements external to oneself [e.g. plowing for crops, Yajnas] for accomplishment. As these actions cause some injury to the external implements [e.g. plowing kills worms, some yajnas cause death of animals] and benefit to oneself [bountiful harvest, reward of performing the Yajna], they are in the ‘Black and White’ category and add to the Karmāshaya Saṃskāra-s.
‘White’ Karma are those that do not require any instruments external to oneself and belong to those who are totally engaged in activities like Tapas (austerities), study of sacred texts and meditation. As these activities are based on the mind alone and are not dependent on any means external to oneself for accomplishment, no pain is caused to any external entity.
The ‘Neither Black nor White’ category of Karma belong to those who are 1) Renouncers, 2) They whose Klesha-s have been eradicated, 3) They who are living their last physical existence [before they attain Moksha]. In this category, the Karma-s of Yogī-s (who continue to perform various types of actions) are not ‘White’ because they have completely renounced the fruit of their good actions and are not ‘Black’ before they do not perform evil actions.
The Karma-s of all other living beings belong to the first three categories. Yogabhāṣhya 4.7
Why does the Kriyamāna Karma of the Yogī product no Saṃskāra-s? Because they are free of the Kleṣhas and therefore their actions do not produce any Saṃskāra-s, as explained above. And why is his Karma free of all Klesha-s? Through deep meditation, he has seen the ātmā, which is the source of Supreme Bliss, and is therefore no longer attracted by external objects because the joy derived from these is a fraction of the Bliss of the Ātmā. Therefore, the Yogī completely renounces the fruit of all his good actions because this fruit appears trivial to him-
When the mind comes to rest, restrained by the practice of yoga, and when beholding the Ātmā by the ātmā, he is content in the Ātmā. Gita 6.20
Then he knows that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the (pure and subtle) intellect, and beyond the grasp of senses. And established in that bliss, he no longer deviates from the truth. Gita 6.21 Having attained this, he thinks that there is no greater gain beyond it. And established in this, he is not shaken even by the greatest sorrow. Gita 6.22
Let this dissociation from pain be known by the name of Yoga. This yoga should be practiced with determination and with an undismayed mind. Gita 6.23
17.5 Bhakti Yoga and Karma
The path of BHAKTI YOGA is said to be the easiest path, accessible to all irrespective of our educational background, social status or gender. It implies loving devotion to the Lord through worship, and doing all our duties for Him, with faith in Him and with an attitude of surrender to His will. This path emphasizes developing a very strong personal relationship with Bhagavān, and to regard him as the goal of all of one’s Karma, thoughts, emotions etc. The spiritual seeker surrenders his will, his heart and mind completely to the Lord due to which he becomes a channel through which Divine Will operates. Thereby, he becomes a mere instrument of the Lord while performing his actions. For this reason, some modern Hindu teachers call this mode of performing action as ‘Nimitta Bhāva’ or, acting as a Divine instrument (‘nimitta’).
Arjuna, the Lord dwells within the region of the heart of all beings, causing them all beings to revolve by Māyā, as if mounted on a machine. Gita 18.61
Abandoning all dharmas completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils, do not grieve. Gita 18.66
17.5.1 Destruction of Sanchita Karma by Bhakti Yoga
A perfect adherent of the path of Bhakti Yoga also destroys all of his Sanchita Karma for two reasons. First, all Karma are in the domain of the three Guṇa-s comprising the material creation, whereas the Lord presides over this material creation completely. Therefore, seeking refuge in Him has the effect of the Bhakta transcending all the Guṇa-s and thereby, the Saṃskāra-s that are comprised of these Guṇa-s:
And he too who serves me with yoga of unwavering yoga of Bhakti, rises above the three guṇas, and becomes fit for becoming Brahman. Gita 14.26
Because I am the foundation of Brahman (the Universe), of inexhaustible immortality, or eternal Dharma and of absolute bliss. Gita 14.27
Meditation on Vishnu destroys all evil Karma. Vishnu Purāṇa 6.7.73
Just as grass is scorched by a blazing fire powered by the wind, the fruit of evil Karma of Yogis is destroyed by Vishnu seated in their heart. Vishnu Purāṇa 6.7.74
Just as a strong fire reduces heaps of wood into ashes, even so, Bhakti to Me burns out all sins (great and small). Bhāgavata Purāṇa 2.14.19
It might be argued – ‘How can the Bhakta attain freedom from his actions because this can result only from meditation, equanimity or from Jnāna? Krishna replies in the Gita that out of compassion, He bestows upon his devotees Buddhiyoga (the way a Karma Yogī sees the world, and a core quality of Dhyāna Yogī-s) and also Jnāna, or spiritual wisdom.
To those who are constantly devoted to Me and worship Me with love, I give the Yoga of Intellect
(Buddhiyoga) by which they come unto Me. Gita 10.10
Out of compassion for them, I, who dwell within their ātmā, destroy the darkness born of ignorance, with the shining lamp of knowledge. Gita 10.11
Krishna assures us that whosoever does all His actions for the sake of the Lord, is completely devoted to Him, seeks refuge in Him alone, hates none etc., his Karma are completely destroyed by the Lord, and he reaches the Divine.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever oblations you offer, whatever you give, and whatever austerities you perform, Son of Kunti, make it an offering to Me. Gita 9.27
You shall certainly be liberated from the bonds of karma, which produce good and evil fruit. With your mind disciplined by the yoga of renunciation, you shall get liberated and will come to Me. Gita 9.28 He who does his karma for Me, who considers Me as Supreme, who is
devoted to Me, free from all attachment, who is free from enmity towards any creature, he comes to Me, Pāṇdava. Gita 11.55
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and make reverence (bow) to Me. In this way, you shall truly come to Me. I promise you, because you are dear to Me. Gita 18.65
Abandoning all dharmas completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils, do not grieve. Gita 18.66
17.5.2 Destruction of Prārabdha Karma by Bhakti Yoga
A Bhakta surrenders himself completely to the Lord. As his mind, intellect and body are completely immersed in Bhagavān, he does not feel the results any adverse Prārabdha, nor does he exult after any worldly gain.
Story: Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Accepts his Death as a Gift of Mother Kali
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was one of the greatest devotees of Mother Kali. He treated Kali as her real mother. He went to Her temples and sang in front of Her mūrti, and spoke to Her, cried in front of Her, just like a child behaves towards his mother. In his later years of life, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa himself fell very sick. The doctors said that he has throat cancer and that he will not live very long. The disciples and other admirers of Ramakrishna were shocked. They could not believe that a saint like him could die of cancer. Therefore, they approached the saint and pleaded, “You say that Kali is like your mother. Why don’t you ask her to cure your cancer? She will surely listen to the request of a saint like you, who is also her dear son.” Ramakrishna said that he did not want to ask his Mother Kali for anything. But Ramakrishna’s disciples continued to pressure him. Therefore, the saint finally agreed and prayed to Mother Kali. Next day, the disciples approached Ramakrishna eagerly and asked him, ‘Swamiji, did you ask Ma Kali to cure you?” The saint replied and said, “Yes, I asked her to cure my cancer. But she replied – “Why do you ask me for such a trivial thing? Your body will die one day anyway. Ask for something more valuable.” So, I felt ashamed and asked her that I should always live at her feet. I asked her to make sure that I always remain her devotee.”
When the disciples heard Ramakrishna say these words, they wept. They knew that their Guru will soon die. But they felt happy and blessed that they were looking at a great saint, who valued bhakti for Ma Kali more than his own life!
There are numerous stories of how Bhaktas have even overcome their Prārabdha dependent disabilities through Divine intervention-
The Mercy of Bhagavān Kārttikeya on Alagumuttu Pulavar
More than 200 years ago, in the Karttikeya Mandir at Nagai, there worked an accountant named Alagumuttu. He was a great devotee of Karttikeya. Every night, after his work was done, he took a little prasāda from the Mandir and then went to sleep without eating any dinner. One night, he went to the Mandir for the evening worship and fell asleep there without eating anything. Late in the night, when he woke up, he discovered that he was now locked inside. He was feeling really hungry, but there was no food and no one to get him out of the Mandir. He prayed to Bhagavān Karttikeya to rescue him. Suddenly, a priest appeared with some food for him. Alagumuttu ate hungrily and then thanked the priest.
Then, the priest asked Alagumuttu to sing a religious song in praise of Karttikeya. But he replied, “I do not know how to sing. Also, I do not know any songs to praise Karttikeya. I am not very well educated, so please do not ask me to write any new song either.” But the priest insisted. When Alagumuttu tried to sing, he was surprised to see that all of a sudden, he could sing very beautifully. And not only that, he could also sing songs that no one had ever taught him. Alagumuttu was surprised and asked the priest, “What did you mix in the food? And who are you? How did I become so intelligent and so good a singer suddenly?” The priest revealed his form – he was none other than Karttikeya. Bhagavān Karttikeya then said, “I am very pleased with the love that you have for me. Therefore, I am gifting you the ability to sing beautiful songs to me in the Mandir, and also the ability to write new songs very fast.”
The next morning, when the priests opened the door, they noticed a light on the face of Alagumuttu. They realized that something very good had happened inside the Mandir the last night. Suddenly, Alagumuttu started to sing a prayer to Karttikeya. Everyone was surprised to see that an accountant who had not studied much and could not sing was now singing prayers to Karttikeya so beautifully. Clearly, this change was a blessing from Karttikeya. Alagumuttu became famous for his songs in praise of Kārttikeya, although he had never learned music or the art of writing songs. When he died, he was far away from Nagai, but worshippers saw his soul come as a light to merge with the Mūrti of Bhagavān Kārttikeya in the Nagai temple.
Another similar story known from extremely widespread Hindu traditions is that of Rishi Markaṇdeya. He was destined to die at the age of sixteen years. But close to his ordained day of death, he worshipped Bhagavān Shiva whereupon he got the boon of immortality. In this case, Divine Grace destroyed not only his Prārabdha but also his Sanchita Karma.
In a nutshell, the follower of Bhakti Yoga does experience his Prārabdha but it does not bother or affect him because he dwells in Divine Love at all times.
17.5.3 Destruction of Kriyamāna Karma by Bhakti Yoga
The same verses of the Gita as quoted above apply in this category as well. The Kriyamāna Karma of a perfected adherent of Bhakti Yoga does not produce any food because it is done as an offering to the Lord.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever oblations you offer, whatever you give, and whatever austerities you perform, Son of Kunti, make it an offering to Me. Gita 9.27
You shall certainly be liberated from the bonds of karma, which produce good and evil fruit. With your mind disciplined by the yoga of renunciation, you shall get liberated and will come to Me. Gita 9.28
In fact, the Lord assures us that even an evil person who resolves to serve the Lord, love Him, worship Him goes to the Lord because no sincere devotee ever perishes, and his account of evil actions is erased.
pain, temporariness etc.) of the fruit of his actions because he has surrendered himself completely to the Divine Will, and the Lord Himself will ensure that his Bhakta is freed of all evil effects of his Karma.
Here from me further the supreme word, the most secret of all. You are surely loved by Me; and therefore I shall tell you what is good for you. Gita 18.64
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and make reverence (bow) to Me. In this way, you shall truly come to Me. I promise you, because you are dear to Me. Gita 18.65
Abandoning all dharmas completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils, do not grieve. Gita 18.66
Abandoning Dharmas does not mean that we forsake our duties etc. Rather, it means that we perform Pravṛtta Karma, and instead of placing our hope in the results of our Karma, we place hope only in the Supreme Lord.
Haridās Thākur, the Muslim who would not give up his faith in Krishna
One of the most prominent disciples of Chaitanya was Haridās Thakur, who was born to Muslim parents in Budan, Jessore District (now in Bangladesh) in the year 1464 CE. His original Muslim name is not known or remembered. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, he is considered a dual incarnation of Bhagavān Brahmā and Bhakta Prahlāda. His father, Malai Kazi, was a Muslim magistrate – a high position in the Muslim Sultanate of Bengal. However, at a very young age, Haridās was influenced to become a devotee of Krishna by Advaita Acharya.
Initially, some conservative Hindus opposed his induction into the Hindu Vaishnava community, but his piety won over most of them in the course of time. It is said that he would chant the name of Krishna 300,000 times every day. Impressed with his devotion, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, whom Haridās accepted as his Guru, bestowed upon him the title ‘Nāmāchārya’ and deputed him to lead groups of chanters in Navadveep. Bengal in those times was ruled by a Muslim
Sultan Hussain Shah. He was comfortable with servile Hindus serving in his administration, but would not tolerate public displays of Hinduism, even though Hindus formed a majority of his kingdom’s population.
Alarmed at the public chanting of Krishna’s names by masses, he perceived Haridas Thakur as a threat. Moreover, the fact that Haridas had committed apostasy from Islam was unacceptable. Hindus were imprisoned in large numbers to curb the revival of their faith. The Muslim governor of Bengal also got Haridas Thakur imprisoned. But taking this as an opportunity, Haridas started preaching the Vaishnava faith to the prisoners in the jails and declared that there was no difference between Hindu Dharma and Islam. This was intolerable to fanatical Muslims, who viewed their faith as superior to all the others. As a result of his actions, a harsh sentence was pronounced on him by Gorai, the local Muslim magistrate – he was ordered to be whipped at the market places of the city of Phulia.
Haridas was dragged and whipped from one place to another, Haridas did not resist, nor did he cease chanting the holy names of Krishna. At the 22nd marketplace, he was taken to be dead and thrown into the river. Miraculously, his body was washed ashore, and he was revived.
Soon thereafter, he followed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Puri, which was ruled by the Hindu king Prataparudra.
Unfortunately, despite his sacrifices for the sake of his adopted Hindu faith, he was not allowed into the Jagannatha temple because he was born of Muslim parents. Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu got a cottage constructed for Haridas Thakur in a garden from where he could see the Chakra (Discus of Lord Vishnu) on the spire of the temple. He asked Haridas to worship the Chakra from his cottage every day and assured him that he will get the same spiritual benefit that he would have got by seeing the Mūrti itself. Mahaprabhu also arranged for Prasāda (sanctified food) to be sent from the temple to Haridas every day.
When it was time for Haridas to leave his mortal body, he requested Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to place his foot on his chest to bless Haridas. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu complied, and thereafter, conducted the funeral of Haridas with his own hand on the coast of Puri. The Samādhi of Haridas Thakur exists there even today.
The life of Haridas Thakur illustrates how he chose to adopt Vaishnava Hinduism leading to severe repercussions but the power of his love for Krishna rendered all these tortures ineffective. And moreover, a great saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself took charge of providing food to him and also blessed him at his death.
An example of evil person who turned into a great Rishi is that of Vālmīki, who was a highway robber, but his devotion to Rama gave him the ability to author the immortal epic Rāmāyaṇa.
17.6 Integral Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnava Tradition
In the concluding verses of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna advocates that the common man should combine the four Yoga-s sequentially to reach the Supreme Goal of Moksha.
• He should cultivate the Divine qualities (Gita 16.1-3) and give up the Demonic ones (Gita 16.4-5) and cultivate Jnānayoga. This is the preparatory stage.
• The first stage is to determine one’s Svadharma, or personal duty. He should spiritualize all his actions belonging to his personal duty and perform them as worship to the Lord, without attachment to the actions or any desire for the fruit of these actions (Gita 18.45-50). This purifies his Buddhi and prepares him for the next step. This first stage approximates Karma Yoga.
• Thereafter, he should meditate on the Lord and give up negative emotions and traits like anger, desire, ego etc. He should see all Jīva-s as alike and abiding in Brahman. This approximates Dhyāna Yoga (Gita 18.51-54).
• Thereafter, he seeks refuge in the Lord, surrenders his entire being to Him, performs everything for His sake and fixes his intellect on Him (Gita 18.55-58) and becomes an instrument if Divine Will (Gita 18.61-62, 65-66).
In the ancient Pāncharātra Vaiṣhṇava tradition, two alternate paths to destroy Karma and attain Moksha are taught-
1. The first path is that of ‘Yoga’, which starts with Karmayoga, which is defined as the discipline comprising Yamas, Niayamas, Vratas, fasting and doing other virtuous deeds without expectation or attachment to any results / rewards. This should be followed by ‘Jnānayoga’ that involves Vairāgya (dispassion towards worldly or heavenly objects) and Samādhi, Vedāntic knowledge and realization of the unity of Jīvātmā with Paramātmā.
2. The second path is that of ‘Prapatti’, which is emphasized later in the Vishiṣhtadvaita Vedānta tradition, and is said to be superior to the path of ‘Yoga’. It involves loving the Divine and an unconditional and complete surrender to Him, and leaving one’s well-being amd Moksha purely to Divine Grace. Sometimes, discipleship under a saintly Guru and worshipping of Mūrti-s is also considered as pre-requisites in this path.
In the Vaishnava Hindu tradition, the four Yogas are often combined and are regarded as complementary to each other. The spiritual seeker continues to perform his worldly and ritualistic actions or duties, meditates on the Lord, understands the nature of the universe, the Lord and the Jīvas and surrenders himself completely to the Lord with his whole being. In this spiritual framework, Bhakti is privileged over Jnāna, Dhyāna and Karma and is said to be the culmination of the latter three.
17.7 Integral Yoga in the Shaiva Hindu Tradition
The corresponding path or paths for those who worship Shiva as the Supreme Lord are:
Saivism, like Vaishnavism, is more like a religion rather than a sect, with a mass following of itself. It is perhaps the oldest of the Hindu sects. In Saivism, there are many sub sects like Siddha Saivism, Kashmiri Saivism, Veera Saivism, Pasupatha Saivism and so on, besides some tantric sects. It is difficult to detail the variations and the different approaches followed by each of the sects in this essay. So we limit our discussion to the broader aspects of Saivism in dealing with the subject of karma.
In Saivism, the absolute highest lord of the universe is identified as Siva or Pati (Lord), who is eternal and unbound, in contrast to jivas (beings) or pasus (animals), who are bound to Prakriti, or the dynamic energy of Siva, through the three pasas (bonds) or malas (impurities), namley, anava or egoism, karma or actions with consequences and maya or delusion. Because of these three bonds, a jiva undergoes repeated births and deaths, till it is liberated. Pati, pasu and pasas are thus the three most important concepts of Saivism.
Since Saivism recognizes all the three malas as responsible for the bondage of the beings, the emphasis is not on just karma but on how to achieve salvation by severing all the three bonds. Different solutions are suggested for this purpose. The Tantric texts of Saivism prescribe four methods, or padas, namely scriptural knowledge (vidya pada or jnana pada), practice of rituals and pooja (kriya pada or mantra pada or karma pada), practice of yoga and meditation such as kundalini yoga (yoga pada) and right conduct (charya pada).
The Pasupatha sect suggests four means for liberation: moral conduct (vasacharya), prayers (japa), meditation (dhyana) and remembering Siva (rudra smriti). Followers of Pasupatha Saivism are usually initiated into the path by a guru. It is believed that when a seeker is initiated into the path by a guru, the latter frees the former from all his previous karmas. At some stage in their development, they engage in anti social behavior in public, as a part of their spiritual practice, in order to attract public criticism with the belief that when they are criticized, there will be an exchange of karmas, so that all the good karma of those who criticize them would be transferred to the ascetics and whatever bad karma that is left in the ascetics would be passed on to their critics.
Followers or Saiva Siddhanta school of Saivism recognize three types of souls: those who are bound by only one fetter only, namely anava or egoism, those who are bound by two fetter only, namely egoism and karma, and those who are bound by all the fetters namely, egoism, karma and maya. This school accepts all the four padas, jnana, kriya, yoga and charya, as the means of liberation. Diksha or initiation into the path by a guru is considered the first and most important step. Depending upon the caliber of his followers, a guru prescribes one of the our margas or methods: dasa marga (path of servant), which consists of the practice of charya (right conduct) , satpura marga (path of son), which consists of the practice of kriya (rituals), saha marga (path of friend), which consists of the practice of yoga (meditation) and san marga (true path), which consists of the practice of jnana (knowledge). As can be seen, jnana or knowledge is considered more important than bhakti as the means of salvation.
Whatever may be the path, the main emphasis in Saivism is on the liberation of the soul, by making the jiva realize their Siva tattva (or nature of Siva) through initiation into the path by a guru, performance of certain rituals in a dispassionate way and acquiring the right knowledge by serving the guru and earning the grace of Siva through him. The rituals are usually either simple such as temple rituals or body rituals or mental rituals or rituals of service to God, or complex rituals such as the ones practiced by the followers of tantricism.
The parallels between the four Yogas of Vaishnavas (and their integration) and the four Padas or Mārgas of the Shaivas can be seen quite easily.
17.8 Other Ways of Destroying Karma in Hindu Tradition
Grace of a Saint: Another way of destroying Sanchita Karma is the blessing and grace of a great saint. In the Swaminarayan Sampradāya, numerous examples are given of evil doers who were inherently drawn towards Adharma were reformed and transformed completely by their Gurus. Thereupon, these individuals themselves became saintly, and presumably attained Moksha after their death. These examples do not clarify whether the entire stock of Karma is destroyed or whether only the negative effects are somewhat ameliorated. In classical Hindu traditions, only Divine Grace grants Moksha, not that of a human being. But it might be argued that a Guru or a Saint can act as a medium to transfer that Divine Grace to a devotee.
Death at the Hand of Avatāras: In the Ramayana, those who died directly from his arrows or sword obtained Moksha (reached Brahmaloka) as the text specifies. These include Vāli who was killed with His arrows and the shūdra Shambuka who was beheaded by Rama. Likewise, in the Mahābhārata, Krishna killed Dantavakra and Shishupāla, sending them to Vaikuṇṭha. In all these cases, the remnant or Sanchita Karma was destroyed as soon as the Divinely deployed weapon killed them.
18.0 Benefits of the Science of Karma
Belief in the Science of Karma has numerous benefits:
1. Explains why a just Bhagavān allows apparent injustices in one’s life. For example, why do saints suffer? Why are some children blind from birth. The Law of Karma explains that this is a result of their previous Karma.
2. Explains disparities in the abilities, experiences, entitlements and privileges of different people. For example, we can attribute the musical prowess of some gifted children to the fact that they had trained in music in previous lives. Likewise, inequalities from birth (e.g. born in a rich household versus a poor household) can only be explained satisfactorily through the Law of Karma.
3. Provides comfort when one is experiencing pain or a period of crisis. When a person who has a firm belief in the Law of Karma suffers, he explains his suffering to some bad karma done in previous life. This explanation makes him more accepting of his suffering, and he refrains from wallowing in self-pity or blame others (including Bhagavān) for his current plight. As a modern teacher explains-
“Karma is a key that we may use to organize our lives, rather than endlessly agonizing over the seemingly unexplainable and often unexpected events forming the fabric of our lives.”
“The holistic doctrine of Karma gives us a reason for everything and everything for a reason. Karma, as a philosophy, maintains hope in the midst of hopelessness and provides us with the courage to continue our personal evolution.”
4. The Law of Karma is retributive because one reaps the fruit of one’s own Karma. Therefore, the fear of suffering in the future prevents many from doing evil Karma now.
5. The Law of Karma is consistent with the notion of a just Divine Lord.
6. It helps us develop a rational plan for our ethical and spiritual progress and growth-
“Karma is the law on psycho-spiritual growth that involves an equal and opposite reaction for every action. Karma is a process designed to ensure evolution of consciousness.”
The importance of the Law of Karma is summarized by a modern scholar in the following words -
“The law of Karma is significant in several ways.
First, it has made a sharp distinction between good and evil, merit and sin or puṇya and papa which is the foundation of ethics.
Secondly, it has connected the good with happiness and evil with suffering and thereby established a causal relationship between the moral worth of actions and their physical consequences. Thirdly, it has systematized the ethical code of virtues and vices which would have been chaotically disparate in the absence of this law…….
Fourthly, it has proved the immortality of the soul, since a soul has to take a new birth in future in order to get the fruits of the actions that have been performed by it in the present life…… Fifthly, it has been used by some theists to prove the existence of God….
Lastly, it has given a sense of contentment and consolation to the suffering humanity. They think that nobody else is responsible for their suffering and they are reaping what they had sown in their past life.”
19.0 Interfaith Perspectives
Hindus differ in our understanding of Karma from that of New Agers, Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Abrahamic philosophy of Karma is very rudimentary compared to the Dharmic formulations. For this reason, the word ‘Karma’ has become a commonly used term in the English lexicon. Within the Dharmic family, the Buddhists and Jains have very sophisticated theories of Karma but they ignore or deny the role of the Divine in the operation of the Law of Karma. A discussion of these non-Hindu Dharmic theories of Karma is beyond the scope of the present compilation. In short, Dharmic traditions that do not accept Divine Role in administering the Law of Karma tend to list and classify Karma and their effects very
elaborately so that the connection of any deed with its single fruit is a mechanical/automatic process that does not require any external oversight like that of a God.
19.1 The Concepts of Pāpa and Puņya, Sin and Virtue
The words Pāpa and Puņya are typically translated as ‘sin’ and ‘virtue’ but the original Hindu concepts are much broader than the corresponding Abrahamic notions of sin and virtue. The reason for this difference in these analogous Hindu and Abrahamic concepts is the fact that Hindu scriptures tend to be much more detailed and analytical when it comes to understanding the true nature of human being.
The difference of these concepts from ‘sin’ and ‘virtue’ lies in the facts that the latter are related to beliefs and actions only whereas the Hindu concepts go far beyond sin and virtue. Moreover, the Abrahamic concepts of sin and virtue do not necessarily have much to account for the purity or impurity of the life forces and intellect – categories which are not very well developed in their theology and philosophy.
Furthermore, in Abrahamic religions, man commits a sin against the Divine Law or against God. In Hindu Dharma, ‘pāpa’ is committed against oneself through evil actions, even though it is the Divine who administers the Law of Karma. A modern Hindu teacher explains-
“Another distinction between these two world-views involves the locus of, and motivation for, ethical behavior. For Dharma, virtue is an internal concern of the individual person, and ethical behavior is motivated by a desire to exceed spiritually. For Abrahamism, morality is an exterior based communal concern, and is motivated by fear of transgression against, and subsequent punishment from, the Abrahamic deity.”
19.2 Distinction between Abrahamic and Dharmic notions of Karma
A modern scholar examines some fundamental Christian doctrines from the viewpoint of Karma in Dharmic traditions neatly in a table that we reproduce below:
Christian Tenet Christian Tenet Restated in Karma Framework Indic Tenet
1 Adam and Eve’s original sin condemned all human beings forever to eternal damnation until the End Times unless amended by grace. Karma of parents passed on to humans collectively for all generations to come. Phala (fruit) of karma is infinite
(eternal). Karma is not collectively transmitted. Each jīva’s karma is from that jīva’s own prior lives and not from forbears. All karma and phala are finite only and never infinite.
2 Jesus suffered for the sins of all humanity, including all future humanity, to save them from eternal damnation. Every person’s karma is transferable to Jesus. Future karma of yet-to-be-born persons is potentially redeemed in advance by phala (suffering) of Jesus. Karma is non-transferable. Phala comes after the karma, not before; it cannot be deposited in advance for future karma, nor can it be retroactive.
3 The necessary and sufficient condition to be saved by Jesus is to believe in the historical events of his birth, death and Mere belief has a karmic effect of stupendous proportions. No belief by itself is able to have such a consequence of overriding all karmas.
resurrection and comply with the biblical teachings.
Some other vital differences between the Dharmic and the Abrahamic notions of Karma are listed by Malhotra (2011: 296-301) as below:
1. Rebirth vs Day of Judgment: In Abrahamic religions, the fruit of Karma is realized only after the Day of Judgment. In Dharmic traditions, there is no fixed day at which the fruit of prior karma is received. It may be received in this life or in some future life depending on whether the conditions are apt for the karma to ripen or not. This is a most important distinction because the Abrahamic framework cannot provide any reasonable justification for suffering in the lives of those who have done nothing to deserve it. Theologians of Abrahamic faiths tie themselves up in illogical knots of reason, belittle the victim of the suffering, glorify suffering or land up attributing it to the mysterious ways of God who then comes across as a capricious, vindictive and unpredictable personality.
2. Temporary vs Permanent Heaven/Hell: In Abrahamic religions, there is an eternal hell or heaven. In Hindu Dharma, no amount of karma can lead to an eternal heaven or hell. Even if one’s immense good karma leads to heaven, the person must eventually be reborn on earth once the fruit of his good karma is exhausted.
3. Personal Responsibility vs the ‘Original Sin’: In Abrahamic religions, every human being inherits the sin of Adam and Eve genetically, and this sin can be removed only by believing in the teachings of the Bible, the Koran and their Prophets. In Dharmic traditions, karma cannot be transmitted to someone else or received from some other person genetically. We always reap the fruit of karma that has been performed only by oneself, and by none other.
4. Individual vs Collective Culpability: In Abrahamic traditions, guilt can be both collective as well as individual whereas in Dharmic traditions, Karma is always individual. In other words, in the former, entire communities can be punished or rewarded as a single group, whereas in Dharmic traditions, each one is judged only according to his or her karma. For example, the Bible gives numerous examples of God burning entire cities upon getting angry, and likewise designating the Hebrews as the ‘Chosen People.’ Such concepts are largely alien to Dharmic notions of Karma. Malhotra says (2011: 298),
“In Christianity and Judaism, there is both collective and individual guilt, and both require expiation. The collective in question may be a whole people, such as the people of Israel, who in the Hebrew Bible are described as having sometimes fallen away from their faith and having sometimes upheld it. The Church, at least from a Roman Catholic perspective, can also be alienated or redeemed as a collective entity. Various types of continuity with the collective over time become important. An example would be the biological lineage in the priesthood of ancient Israel. Another is called ‘apostolic succession’ – the unbroken continuity of bishops in the Christian high church. Karmalike effects may be transmitted through these collectives quite apart from the individual sin or guilt of particular members.”
19.3 Distinction between New Age and Dhārmic Notions of Karma
The first distinction is that New Agers, Buddhists and Jains believe that Karma is a self-operating mechanism in the sense that the universe is intelligent enough to ensure that we all reap the fruit of our respective Karmas and not those of others. Therefore, they do not subscribe to the Hindu and Sikh view that it is the Divine who administers the law of Karma.
The second difference between New Agers and Theosophists on one hand, and the Dharma followers on the other is that the former have a notion of a ‘collective’ or ‘group’ or ‘national’ karma whereas the latter believe in a completely individualistic concept of Dharma. A modern Hindu scholar describes the concept of collective dharma below-
It is also believed that just as each person incurs karma through his or her actions, actions performed as groups also give rise to collective karma that would impact their collective future. According to this belief, nations, organizations and associations also incur karma because of the collective actions and decisions of the people who are part of them. If a nation is oppressed by another, people belonging to the nation that is acting as the oppressor incur bad karma and have to repay for the actions of their country through their own lives. Same is the case with groups and nations that follow a policy of religious intolerance or economic exploitation. We should realize that environmental pollution and degradation is a direct result of our indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and the mass annihilation of millions of innocent animals, whose consequences we suffer in the form of natural disasters, greenhouse effects, new diseases and scarcity of raw materials.
However, Hindu Dharma rejects the notion that there is a group, collective or a national Karma. A modern
Hindu teacher explains why Hindus reject the doctrine of Collective Karma-
“There is no such thing as collective karma in the directly causative sense anywhere in the Vedic world-view or scriptures, but only in the coincidental retributive sense. In other words, there is no such concept as “shared karma.” Rather, it is possible for an incidental grouping of individuals to experience their individually accrued karma at the same place and time.
By both definition and logical necessity, karma is, and can only be, operative on an individual basis, and upon each particular jiva (an atman who is presently in illusion), in accordance with his freewill works containing ethical content. Thus, each individual is solely responsible for his own actions, and the resultant effects of that action.
However, what does periodically occur is the manifestation of several individual karmas occurring simultaneously among several individuals comprising a group of people in such a manner as to make it appear to our vision that several people are experiencing the resultant effects of their individual karmas at the same particular place and time. Even if you have a number of individuals all experiencing their own karma at the same time and place, the individuals’ respective karmas would be the result of their own individual actions in previous lives, and not the result of some action they all performed collectively.
Experiencing karmas in unison is more an instance of indirect and unrelated correlation of karmic events, and not ever because any group of individuals somehow “shared” karma. The idea of “collective karma” would directly negate the meaning of free will on the part of the person performing materially motivated action, and consequently producing karma, thus rendering the entire Vedic world-view null and void both metaphysically and logically. For this reason, there is no such thing as “shared karma.””
The texts of Ayurveda do proclaim that natural calamities like drought, floods, pollution of air, water and land; destruction of a country through war, are results of the collective deeds of several individuals. But these brief descriptions are not the development of any deep philosophical thought. They merely reflect popular opinions. Therefore it is safe to say that the concept of collective karma is foreign to the Hindu and other Dharmic formulations of the Law of Karma.
20.0 Objections to the Doctrine of Karma and Responses
Numerous objections have been raised against the doctrine of Karma even while acknowledging that it is the most comprehensive theory (in conjunction with the twin doctrine of Rebirth) that explains human suffering, ‘luck’ and Divine Justice. We examine some of these objections below that are specifically directed towards the Hindu formulations of the Doctrine of Karma, and respond to them from a Hindu perspective.
20.1 Karma and Fatalism
Objection: Some people argue that Karma can lead to fatalism. If our present is shaped by our past deeds, then why even bother fighting and overcoming our adversities and challenges? If I am poor due to my past Karma, then it was meant to be. It is all ‘Kismet’ (Fate) and no one can change one’s fate.
Response: The Law of Karma does not endorse or encourage reliance on fate or fatalism as discussed in
Section 13 above. A modern teacher explains how our ‘destiny’ is not unchangeable-
“Destiny is not fatalism. Destiny, according to karma-yoga, is not the predetermination that makes one lose faith in human endeavor. The Sanskrit word for destiny is adrista. Adrista is that which was not previously seen or known. Events appear to be destined for certain persons because they are unable to remember their past. The inner disposition, or svabhava, of a person is therefore made up of the accumulated deposits of past thoughts and actions – the total result of all past evolution. The results of actions, or karmic deposits, are not destroyed with the death of the body. What has been shown must be reaped. But we can always change our destiny if we follow the path of karmayoga.”
“One question will naturally occur here: If everything is predetermined by the law of karma, then where is the scope for self-improvement through self-effort? In answer, the Bhagavad Gita points out that the law of karma does not make everything pre-ordained….Like all other natural laws operating in in the physical universe, the law of karma operates on the psychophysical level. This law controls the body and mind of a person but has no hold over our indwelling self, which is infinite, immortal, ever pure, and ever free. The cause of bondage is identification of the Self with the psychophysical system. While the Self of a person is free, its expression becomes conditioned due to the limitations of body and mind.
Karma-yoga is the process of unchaining the Self from the thralldom of body and mind….”
As a practical example, consider a person who falls sick. If the sick patient were to believe that falling sick was his fate and therefore, he should not undergo any treatment, his illness could deteriorate and he could even lose his life. But the texts of Āyurveda that uphold the Law of Karma argue that the action of fate does
not mean that we do nothing to counter it. The sick patient must be treated to the best possible extent, and the results left at the hands of ‘fate’.
A person should be treated medically as long as he breathes, because even a person who is about to die may yet live long (as a result of the treatment) if his fate is favorable. Yogaratnākara 1.13
To conclude, although the philosophy of Karma is often blamed for fatalism, it is in fact diametrically opposed to the latter as can be seen from the following comparison:
S. No. Fatalism charge on Doctrine of Karma The Reality of the Doctrine of Karma
1 Excuse for inertia and timidity Incentive to better one’s condition
2 Weakens will and determination Presupposes freewill
3 Message of despair and not of hope Infuses hope and prompts right effort
4 Annihilates faith Promotes faith in oneself and in God
5 Infuses fear in the mind Source of solace and comfort
6 Destroys ethics Upholds ethics and justice
7 Checks growth and evolution Gives chance to grow and evolve
A modern philosopher concludes-
“…..in stark contrast to the alleged fatalism believed necessarily to infect the doctrine of karma, the very opposite proves to be true. Rather than leading to a fatalistic view of human existence, Hinduism affirms that human persons in their empirical existence are free to act within certain limiting conditions. Humans are not completely free, of course, for among other things there is our accumulated (sanchita) karma to be faced. Merit and demerit (dharma and adharma) adhere to the self or are modes of the intellect which are mistakenly believed to belong to the purusha (in Sāṃkhya-Yoga). But in the phenomenal world, in the face of the given environment and tendencies result from past actions, we can choose between various courses of actions. We are disposed but not caused to act in any particular way. We can, for example, either follow our dispositions to perform acts similar to those which endowed us with our dispositions, or we can choose to act in a contrary fashion. That is, given the same set of causal conditions, we can choose various courses of action which will condition our future state…..”
Story: A story from the Hindu tradition may be cited as an illustration- Madhavadeva was walking towards a village with some other fellowdisciples of Shankaradeva (1449-1568 CE) when a buffalo charged towards them. While other disciples ran away to save their lives, Madhavadeva stayed put saying, “If it is my fate to die, I will be killed. If it is not my fate to die, the buffalo will spare me.” Luckily, the buffalo walked away and did not kill him. When the Guru Shankaradeva heard about Madhavadeva’s inaction, he chided him saying, “Even a lamp with a sound wick and oil can be blown out if we do not protect it from the wind. If you are so callous
towards your life, people will follow your wrong example and will live recklessly. Therefore, do not take your safety lightly and do not be a fatalist.” Kathā-Gurucharita.
20.2 Karma and Divine Apathy
Objection: There is considerable pain, injustice and evil in this world. Even if God gives us the deserved fruit of our actions, the fact remains that any compassionate person step in to alleviate human suffering irrespective of the crimes of the suffering person. But God, who is supposed to be living and perfect, does not step in soon and frequently enough to remove human suffering solely because we are all supposed to be experiencing the results of our actions and God will not over-ride the Law of Karma. To err is human, but to forgive is Divine.
Response: Refer to sections 4.2 and 4.4 above. The Law of Karma combined with the Doctrine of Rebirth and concept of temporary hells is a much more humane system than the Abrahamic ‘one life with unequal opportunities at Divine whims followed by an eternal hell/heaven’ in any case. The Divine is not apathetic. He has revealed the Vedas and has exhorted us to fight evil, injustice and suffering as His agents. He will help us only if we help ourselves and others. A modern teacher too explains-
“We might meet many different types of personalities during the course of our life, some supportive, some hostile, some loving, some suspicious and unlikeable. If we do not want to acquire more karma, we should not judge any of their actions. Any experience we have, good or bad, is only the effect of some cause we have started at some other time, perhaps in some other lifetime. If we accept the experience without judgment, that particular cycle of cause and effect will be finished in this life, but if we react, we will be starting another cycle, the effect of which will have to be experienced by us at some other time in this life or some other life.
Of course we will recognize negativity when we see it, but we should not judge it. Judging it is not our business. When we judge we create negative karma. Judgment is an action of the personality, never of the Self. Nature does not judge. God is an impersonal witness of the actions of the human being and will not interfere unless called upon to do so. To blame him for our negative experiences is a waste of time.”
20.3 Karma and Human Apathy
Objection: Believing in the Law of Karma promotes apathy towards those who are suffering. If I see someone in pain, why should I help him? After all, he is suffering the fruit of his own Karma. And I do not want to interfere in the Divinely upheld Law of Karma by helping him alleviate his pain.
Response: The same sacred Hindu tradition which expounds the Law of Karma also exhorts us to show compassion, serve others and to be humble. Believing that the person suffering must have performed evil actions whereas you have not done so overlooks the fact that actions fructify with an indeterminate time lag. It is possible that you have performed worse actions than the person you see suffering, but his lesser evil Karma has fructified before yours! It is not therefore for us to judge, which is properly Divine responsibility. Our responsibility is to help those who are suffering and alleviate their pain in whichever way we can. Ignoring and overlooking the suffering of another is bad Karma in itself and will surely beget us suffering in the future. For the sake of those we love, we forget even our own happiness for the sake of
theirs. Likewise, we ought to love others and see the Divine in them without getting concerned with the false idea that “I will violate the Divine Law of Karma and interfere with Divine Will if I help others.”
“When we see a beggar, we can be certain that he is experiencing the effect of a cause he has instigated in a previous life. Probably he refused charity to someone who was desperately in need of it and now a compassionate Nature is giving him a chance to be on the receiving end and thus balance his debts. Of course this does not mean that you should not help him. Your duty if you have the money and the means is to help him to your fullest capacity. It is not your duty to judge his worth or otherwise. If you refuse to help him, you will be starting another cycle of cause and effect, which you will have to experience. Instead of trying to balance the pros and cons yourself, all you have to do is to help the beggar if you have the means to do it without questioning his worth or his past karma. This is not your problem. Your problem is to make sure that you do not intake more negative karma by refusing to help a person who appears to be in need. Whether or not he actually deserves to be helped is not your problem.
Naturally, we are bound to see a selfish person as a selfish person and a murderer as a murderer, but we are not the ones to judge them. We cannot see the karmic debt that is being paid off by the selfishness and the murder. This does not mean that we should not act in the way that is appropriate to the situation. We can and must call the murderer to task and hand him over to the police, but that is all that we are called upon to do. The moment we start judging him from the human point of view, we become involved in the process of cause and effect. In every situation you can either look at it from the angle of your higher Self or your personality, your lower human self.”
20.4 Karma and Rebirth
Objection: Question: Why does the doctrine of Karma have to be tied to the doctrine of Rebirth? There are several cultures that believe in rebirth but have no definite views on the doctrine of Karma. Likewise, Abrahamic religions believe in a rudimentary form of the doctrine of Karma but do not subscribe to the doctrine of Rebirth. Secondly, when we are reborn, we become a different person from what we were in our previous life. Therefore, rebirth implies that one person commits the actions and another (reborn) person reaps their fruit.
Response: The Science of Karma taken together with the Doctrine of Rebirth, is the best possible explanation of the diversity of our human experience. If God is just, he cannot create people unequal at birth with respect to their wealth, state of health, abilities and so on. As a modern teacher explains-
“One of the most powerful inferential arguments for upholding the fact of reincarnation is that, without the existence of reincarnation and karma (reincarnation and karma are inseparable in the philosophical system of Santana Dharma; you cannot have one without the other), the existence of human suffering has no satisfactory explanation and no coherent meaning. Logically speaking, we can only explain the meaning of suffering that we observe in the world by inferring the fact of reincarnation and karma.”
“The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) especially find it difficult to explain the reason for suffering and evil. Throughout the two-thousand-year history of Christian philosophy, for example, Christian philosophers and theologians have attempted to create innumerable explanations for the existence of suffering – so many, in fact, that these attempts at explanation became a whole category of philosophical argument called “theodicies”. None of these attempts,
however, have ever been proven philosophically sustainable, demonstrable or satisfactory. The reason why this is precisely because it is impossible to explain the existence of suffering without turning to the concepts of karma and reincarnation.
Without the soul being an eternal reality that existed before the creation of the material body, there is no explanation whatsoever that can be offered for why a good, merciful, all-knowing and allpowerful God would allow some of His children to be born less than whole. Only the Dharmic path can give in intellectually satisfactory and spiritually comforting explanation for this reality of human suffering.”
The subtle body is the true seat of Karma and pain and pleasure resulting from Karma. When a person dies, it is only his physical body - the outermost sheath, that perishes and is replaced with a new physical body upon rebirth. The subtle body travels from one body to the other. Therefore, essentially, it is the same person who experiences the fruit of his own actions in the present life due to the continuity of the subtle body. For this reason, it is wrong to say that one person does the actions whereas another person reaps the fruit due to rebirth.
20.5 Rebirth, Karma and Forgetfulness
Objection: Why should we get punished or rewarded for something done in past life that we do not even remember? Not seeing the link between the karma and its effect means that we cannot learn from the consequences of our actions and become wiser and better.
Answer: The relationship of Karma and Rebirth as two sides of the same coin is established from other facts like the just nature of the Lord etc. Forgetting our past lives is a blessing. We have discussed more details on this topic in our compilation titled ‘What Happens When We Die’.
20.6 Mass-Deaths and the Doctrine of Karma
Objection: Incidents like an airplane crash or natural calamities like earthquakes or Pandemics can kill or injure numerous people at the same time. Even Hindu scriptures describe this fact of life-
Just as several wicks soaked in oil arise from the same lamp and all get extinguished by a strong gust of wind, so also several lives get extinguished during an unforeseen calamity. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.165
But events causing mass-deaths invalidate the Law of Karma. For example, if a million people die in a Pandemic, does it mean that a million people had conspired together to commit a heinous crime in their previous lives? This appears too incredible to believe when no such incident from the past can be determined.
Response: Hindu Dharma rejects notions of collective Karma leading to simultaneous, collective fruit. This has been discussed in Sections 14.12 and 19.3 above. To summarize, a modern teacher’s opinion in this regard is reproduced below -
“In order that we may not be unduly disturbed by external factors, we deliberately take certain well thought out measures which are also karma of the precautionary type. By that, effects caused by external factors may, to some extent, be regulated. Most of us do take some such precautionary measures.
A storm in the sea is not caused by an individual’s Karma but the decision to sail or not to sail in such a storm lies with him alone. Similarly, the desire to assume the mundane body and to experience concomitant feelings of pleasure and pain undergoing, the cycle of births in a world in which almost everything is left to chance, is the result of our own Karma.
From this standpoint it may be said that all our internal and external experiences follow directly or indirectly from our own acts and permanent deliverance from them can also be attained by efforts of our own. That effort is nothing but the practice of Yoga accompanied by a strong Puruṣhakāra or free will.”
20.7 Why do Saints Suffer?
Objection: If good Karma always gets good results, then we do we see good people suffer? Why do we sometimes see saintly individuals live painful lives or suffer painful deaths?
Response: This question can be answered only by pairing the Doctrine of Rebirth with the Law of Karma. As a modern teacher explains-
“There is a wrong notion in some people’s minds that a real saint must not suffer any physical illness or mental pain. Their notion is based on the supposition that the saint being perfect, must not suffer like other people. But many genuine saints have been seen to go through a lot of physical and mental suffering in their lives. The saying, “A saint has a past, and a sinner a future,” may explain why a saint suffers in this life. The saint must have done some bad deeds in one or more of his past lives. He is working out the effect of those deeds in this life in the form of physical or mental suffering. Even though spiritually illumined now, he must still work out his prārabhda karma until the force of that karma is exhausted.
According to the doctrine of karma, when a person becomes a saint by having the ultimate spiritual experience, all his sanchita or accumulated karma is, as it were, burnt to ashes. But he cannot get rid of his prārabdha karma until his death.”
The analogy given is that of the potter’s wheel that continues to swirl for some time even after the potter has stopped turning it, due to Intertia of Motion. Likewise, even though a Saint discontinues generating new Saṃskāra-s, his old ones comprising his Prārabdha cause him to be reborn and undergo life experiences till ‘the wheel fully stops’ and he is Liberated.
Religious traditions that do not subscribe to the Doctrine of Rebirth cannot offer any cogent explanation except postulating ad-hoc explanations like ‘It is God’s plan for him’ and the like.
20.8 Extreme Suffering and Karma
Question: We see that some people experience unbearable, extreme suffering. For example someone who has chronic pain that cannot be controlled even with the help of medical intervention. Or a child who is abused. Even if they suffer due to their past Karma, is it not cruel on the part of Bhagavān to insist that they should suffer unbearably? Why can’t He just forgive these people, or spread out their suffering?
Response: Extreme suffering is not mitigated by philosophizing but by action to counter it. Even though extreme pain during a lifetime is a mere blip in the overall eternal journey of the ātmā, it is rather insensitive
to discuss the role of prior Karma as its cause. But what are the alternate possibilities? 1) Life brings us pain and joys randomly, 2) God is capricious and vindictive, 3) The individual suffering deserved his fate, 4) It is an opportunity for the rest of us to step in and help the suffering individual and eliminate any visible causes (e.g. criminals) of that suffering.
The capacity of human beings to commit evil acts appears to be infinite and so is our store of suffering that results from it. An adult Bhakta, who accepts his state that he is unable to change for the better, can draw some consolation from the understanding that worldly tribulations are burning off his bad Karma that are holding him back from spiritual progress-
Father, I desire Moksha. Therefore, may I become one with you and may I not be reborn in this world again. When I am dying, may my intellect constantly dwell on you. May I always remain devoted to you and may I always seek refuge in you. May I constantly remember you. Due to evil karma that I have committed in my past lives, may various kinds of illness torment my body and different sorrows afflict me so that I get freed of the fruit of all my evil karma. Lord, I have remembered you so that I am not reborn. Therefore, I request again that the fruit of all my past karma gets exhausted, and may I not owe a debt to anyone. Whatever karma I have done in my previous lives, may their fruit take the form of various diseases and dwell in my body because I want to shake off all my karmic debts and attain the supreme abode of Vishnu. Mahābhārata (Southern recension) 12.209
20.9 Karma and Retribution
Question: A person who makes a mistake needs to be corrected. He needs help. Punishing him for his mistakes does not necessarily make him a better person. Instead, an evil doer should be encouraged to change his behavior through proper instruction. Punishing an evil doer with sorrows does not serve any useful purpose. Therefore, the entire theory of Karma, which is based on the justice of retribution, seems to be cruel and pointless.
Response: A system of justice that does not include retribution is toothless and no such system exists in the world. Wherever blanket assumptions have been made assuming that criminals act solely due to ignorance and because they have no agency, it encourages rampant crime. It is incorrect to assume that evil doers commit evil acts purely out of ignorance and not due to any wrong intent or with full knowledge. As explained above in Sections 2.6-2.10, the Law of Karma does take into account the agency, degree of freewill, ability, faith, intent and knowledge of the doer. Let us consider the converse of the objection raised. A Law of Karma that caters solely to educating evil doers will necessarily take for granted those who are habitually virtuous and do only good.
20.10 Blaming the Victim
Objection: The Law of Karma promotes Social Inequalities like the Caste System, and Injustices like Racism. This is because one is born into a certain caste etc., due to his previous Karma and therefore, he is ‘supposed’ to suffer from social injustices.
Response: According to Hindu scriptures, one is not passively reborn into a certain caste, race etc. Rather, during the last moments of his death, his dominant Karmāshaya and Vāsanā-s come to the fore and shape his subtle body into a certain configuration that fits the physical form that he will acquire during rebirth. From this understanding, our current physical birth is, in some ways a result of the choices that we have made in the past life. Therefore, we ‘choose’ the form and state that we are born into. Having said that, the extreme social stratification and other inequities that we see in societies all over the world, whether Hindu or not, are inconsistent with Hindu spiritual teachings that ask us to see the same ātmā and Lord in every creature, treat all with respect and serve everyone. Examples of such a teaching are-
The wise see the same (Ātman) in a learned Brahmana endowed with humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or in an outcaste. Gita 5.18
He excels, who regards equally well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral, mediators, despicable persons, and kinsmen, and even the virtuous and the evil. Gita 6.9
He who is disciplined by Yoga sees his ātmā present in all beings, and all beings present in the ātmā – regarding all everywhere as the same. Gita 6.29
He who sees Me everywhere, and sees all things in Me, I am not lost to him and he is not lost to Me. Gita 6.30
The yogi who, established in Unity, worships Me as abiding in all beings, lives in Me in whatever way he otherwise acts. Gita 6.31
Arjuna, he who sees equally everywhere, and regards all others as if they were his own ātmā, whether in pleasure or in pain, he is considered to be the perfect yogi. Gita 6.32
Pandits see the same (Ātman) within a Brahmana who is endowed with knowledge and a good family lineage, in a cow, elephant, dog as well as in a dog eater. Mahābhārata 12.239.19 By whom this entire universe is pervaded, that Great Ātman indeed abides within every living creature as well as in inanimate objects. Mahābhārata 12.239.20
When one perceives all creatures within himself, and himself within all the creatures, then he reaches Brahman. Mahābhārata 12.239.21
Just as a conscious ātman exists within my body, an identical conscious ātman likewise exists within the bodies of others – when one has a constantly aware of this, he becomes eligible to of attain immortality. Mahābhārata 12.239.22
2.11 Human Progress and Predestination
Objection: “Another objection put forth is that we can change many of the things considered as predestined through our present efforts; that ill health, short life, dull wittedness, poverty and other things which are accredited to the effects of past birth can now be mostly checked, improved or even stopped altogether by improved health conditions, by distribution of wealth or by proper disciplinary education. Medical science assures us longevity through transplants; welfare states and communistic countries will not allow anyone to die of poverty, and every given nation has special considerations regarding food, health, the improvement of economic conditions and the standard of life. Birth can be checked and even stopped through contraceptives and family planning methods; but on the other hand, intentional actions of only a few people could efface all humanity from this earth planet. How then, can the karma theory stand these contradictions?”
Response: Scientific advancements have altered our lives tremendously and irreversibly, but have they altered the basic result of Karma, which is joys and sorrows that we experience in our minds? With changing times, human beings can get the same happiness or pain or avoid or in different ways. For example, in olden times, when life expectancy was lower, people had more children and married early. In present times, when life expectancy is much higher and medical advancements have reduced infant mortality, people marry at
an older age and have fewer children. It stands to reason that a couple living several centuries back that lost 3 out of the 10 children during their infancy perhaps felt equal or even less grief than a modern couple who lose their only (or 1 out of 2) child in his infancy. Likewise, the Internet today allows us to send digital greeting cards digitally to dozens of acquaintances online. But can that even equal the joy upon receiving fewer paper birthday cards received from fewer acquaintances a few decades back when there was no Internet?
20.12 Karma and the Beginning of the Creation
Objection: We agree that people suffer or enjoy in life due to their prior Karma. But, the present universe has a starting point. Hindu scriptures declare that even at the beginning of this creation had unequal abilities and experiences. If inequalities amongst humans are possible at the beginning of this creation, there is no reason to presume the doctrine of Karma or even a just God in present times as well.
Response: In Hindu Dharma, there is no absolute point of time when this creation started, and before which there was no universe. This universe is neither the only universe, nor the first or the last universe. Hindus believe in Multiverses, and our scriptures emphasize that our universe itself undergoes an infinite cycle of births and deaths over billions of years in each cycle of existence. The flow of Karma and its results has continued from a beginningless time and will continue likewise for Jīva-s who have not attained Moksha. Even the destruction of the present universe does destroy the fruit of our Karma, and they cling to us in the next cycle of creation-
At the time of pralaya, the Devas who have not yet exhausted the fruit (= abode in heaven) of their good karmas are then reborn in heaven during the next cycle of creation. Whereas those Devas who had exhausted the fruit of their karma before the pralaya are then reborn as humans when the next cycle of creation starts. Mahābhārata 12.272.52
In the next creation, Bhagavān connects each jīvātmā with the residual karma from the previous cycle of creation. The cycle of creation and destruction of the universe, and karma are both without a beginning. Brahmasūtra 2.1.35
20.13 Karma and Divine Partiality
Objection: Some Hindu texts declare that we do good or bad Karma through Divine Providence, and therefore we cannot rule out predestination. For instance, an Upanishad says-
He whom the Lord wishes to raise to higher worlds, he makes them do virtuous deeds. And whom He wishes to push down to lower worlds, He makes them do evil deeds. Rigveda, Kaushitaki Upanishad 3.8
Therefore, why do human beings have to suffer for doing deeds that they have been forced to do by Him?
Answer: Texts like these are not meant to be taken literally because their purpose is to emphasize that the Lord is not a slave of the doctrine of Karma. Secondly, we must not be proud of our good Karma and take heaven as our destination for granted because it is the Lord from whom we get the agency of Karma, and we ought to accept the fruit of our Karma as His grace. The Will of the Divine with regard to sending people up or down is not whimsical but consistent with their respective Karma. And it is for this reason, what we call ‘Fate’ is termed as ‘Daiva’ (‘from the Divine’) merely to emphasize the fact that it is the Lord who dispenses the fruit of our Karma. See Section 4.1 above for a more explanation.
20.14 Karma and Divine Incarnations
Objection: Hindu scriptures state that when evil is on the ascendant, the Divine incarnates as an Avatāra to protect the virtuous and re-establish Dharma. This intervention can violate the natural implementation of the Law of Karma.
Answer: The response to this is-
“Divine intervention may itself be regarded as an outcome of the good and bad actions of people. People will get what is due to them on account of their own Karma-s. When Ravana and Kamsa are killed at the hands of Rama and Krishna, then their dooms are earned by their own Karma-s. This is also the fulfillment of the Law of Karma. Besides, Supreme Being is regarded as Karmādhyaksha by the theists. It is His duty to direct actions of the people. So, by incarnating Him in some human form, He gets an opportunity to set examples before the world.”
20.15 Complexity of the Law of Karma
Objection: A theory (the Law of Karma in this case) should be simpler than the mass of facts and observations it explains. It seems however, that the Law of Karma itself is very complex and allows for numerous exceptions and special cases making it even more complex than the variety of Karma-s humans perform. In fact, even the Gita acknowledges this in the following words:
What is action and what is inaction – even the wise are deluded in this regard. Gita 4.16 The operation of Karma is difficult to understand. Gita 4.17
Answer: Human life is extremely complex and there are numerous factors that impact the moral value of our actions, as explained in Section 2.3-2.10 and Section 3. Despite that the Law of Karma along with the Doctrine of Rebirth has tremendous explanatory value. The Lord, who is just and all-knowing delivers perfect justice for our actions. The Law of Karma appears complex because we human beings are not omniscient. But as explained in Section 3.4, it is an excellent general guideline.
21.0 Conclusion
The law of Karma is a doctrine of hope. Through good deeds, we can surely fashion a brighter future for ourselves and prepare ourselves for Moksha. When properly understood, it is a doctrine of strength and responsibility because it makes us take ownership of our current situation, accept our challenges and strive further to make things better in our lives.
The Science of Karma taken together with the Doctrine of Rebirth, is the best possible explanation of the diversity of our human experience. There could be innumerable questions and objections against these Dharmic doctrines, and innumerable answers to counter them. Debates and discussions on these topics can go on endlessly and it can be a futile exercise altogether. This is where, the Yoga Psychology (Yoga Buddhi) steps in. It teaches us how to deal with our present situation, rather than get completely side-tracked by philosophical speculations that cannot completely resolve the complexity of our lives.
Bibliography
Acknowledgements: The images used in this document are taken from various websites.
Original Texts: Representative passages from Hindu sacred literature were referenced/cited using standard translations with or without slight modifications, for illustrative purposes. Some translations are mine. It was not my intent to create an exhaustive compilation of all relevant scriptural passages here because that would have led to multiple volumes. The sacred texts used for this essay are: Rigveda, Atharvaveda (Shaunaka Saṃhitā and Paippalāda Saṃhitā), Yajurveda (Mādhyandina Samhita, Taittirīya Saṃhitā), Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, Kaushitaki/Shānkhāyana Brāhmaṇa, Shatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa, Jaiminiya Brāhmaṇa, Taittiriya Āraṇyaka, Īshāvāsya Upanishad, Kaushitaki Upanishad, Chhāndogya
Upanishad, Kena Upanishad, Brihadāranāyaka Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, Shvetāshvatara Upanishad, Taittirīya Upanishad, Maitrāyaṇīya Upanishad, Muṇdaka Upanishad, Prashna Upanishad, Manusmriti, Yājnavalkya Smriti with Mitāksharā, Āpastamba Dharmasūtra, Gautama Dharmasūtra, Shankha Likhita Dharmasūtra, Vishnu Dharmasūtra, Vyāsa Smriti, Shātātapa Smriti, Atri Saṃhitā, Hārita Smriti, Yama
Smriti, Vādhūla Smriti, Daksha Smriti, Brihaspati Smriti, Samvartta, Smriti, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Bhagavad Gita (with various commentaries like those of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Shrīdhara Swami, Swami Sivananda, Swami Chidbhavananda, Srila Prabhupāda Bhaktivedānta), Anugita, Brahmasūtra, Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtra with Shābara Bhāṣhya, Siddhāntamuktāvalī of Vishvanātha, Sāṃkhya Sūtra, Sāṃkhya Kārikā, Yuktidīpikā, Tattvasamāsa Sūtra with Kramadīpikā, Vaisheṣhika Sūtra, Nyayasutra with Bhāṣhya of Vātsyāyana, Yogasutra with Vyāsabhāṣhya and Vāchaspati Mishra’s Tattvavaishāradī, Yogaratnākara, Vishnu Purāṇa, Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Brahma Purāṇa, Vāmana Purāṇa, Matsya Purāṇa, Vayu Purāṇa, Markandeya Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa, Garuda Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Bhaviṣhya Purāṇa, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Nārada Purāṇa, Shivadharmottara Upapurāṇa, Charaka Saṃhitā, Sushruta Saṃhitā, Yogavāsiṣhṭha, Shankaracharya’s commentary on Brahmasutras, Tattvabodha of Adi Shankaracharya, Panchadashī of Swami Vidyāraṇya, Ramanujacharya’s commentary on Bhagavad Gita, Bhagawān Swaminarayan’s Vachanāmrut, Panchatantra, Amarakoṣha, Vriddha Yavanajātaka
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