Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia - User contributions [en]

Talk:Devotion Common to all Faiths

2026-07-26T16:55:47Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Śrī Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī

All faith traditions have one purpose: to elevate man by freeing him from his cares and worries. A human being has worries that are not shared by other creatures. But it must be noted that all religious systems proclaim that man can not only free himself from his cares if he makes an effort, but that he can also attain the enlightenment that is not within the reach of other creatures. They speak in one voice that he will be rid of his cares if he goes for refuge to the Great Power that rules all worldly activities. Devotion or ''bhakti'' is a feature common to all religious schools: ''Advaita'' (non-dualism), ''Dvaita'' (dualism), ''Viśiṣṭādvaita'' (qualified non-dualism), ''Śaiva Siddhānta'', Christianity, Islam and so on. The Buddha did not speak of devotion, but it seems his followers cannot regard their master without ''bhakti''. They have deified the Buddha and created images of him that are bigger than those sculpted for any deity. In very recent times several ''jñānins'' have laid stress on inquiry into the ''Ātman'' as the sole means of liberation. But they are themselves worshipped as Īśvara by their followers. ''Bhakti'' is an inborn characteristic of man; it is indeed an organic part of him.

Devotion in the ''Advaita'' system implies adopting an attitude of non-difference between the worshipper and the worshipped; that is, the devotee must look upon Īśvara as not being different from himself. It might be asked: "The devotee who worships the omnipotent and omniscient Lord has only very limited strength and knowledge. How can the two of them be the same?" But the question also arises: "Does Īśvara regard us as being different from himself? If there are objects, entities, different from Īśvara, how did they originate? If they came into existence as entities separate from Him, how can He hold sway over them?"

If we think on these lines, it will become clear that the one and only ''Paramātman'' exists in various forms: if the ocean stands for Īśvara, we have in contrast the pond, the well, and the little quantity of water contained in a spoon and so on, that stand for diverse living beings. The water in all is the same. There may be differences in the strengths of the various entities. But if you go to the base, the ground or root, you will discover that they are the same. If we go to the root, we will become one with the root. This is liberation according to ''Advaita''. Merely to talk about non-dualistic liberation is nothing more than an intellectual exercise and will serve no purpose. The truth of such liberation must become an inward reality. In other words, the quest must culminate in experience, and it can be had only with the grace of Īśvara. Great sages proclaim that it is only with the blessings of that Power which keeps us in a constant whirl of action that the whirl will stop and that we will have the ''Advaitic'' urge to seek the ground. ''Īśvarānugrahādeva puṃsām Advaitavāsanā.''

Even in the initial stages when we feel that Īśvara and his devotee are separate, we must try to cultivate the awareness, albeit to a small degree, that the ''Paramātman'' who appears as Īśvara is the same as the ''Paramātman'' that has become "us". If such be our approach, our love for the Lord will become more intense. After all, is there anything or anyone we love more than ourselves?

Īśvara awards us the fruits of our actions. If we become more and more devoted to him, as recipients of his grace, we will get closer and closer to him. He will himself reveal to us who he is and there will be no need for us to inquire about him or into him. In response to our devotion, he will deign to reveal his true nature to us. He declares so in the ''Gītā'': ''Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi. . . .'' (By devotion he comes to know who in truth I am. . .).

Countless are the attributes of Īśvara that bespeak his surpassing beauty and auspicious qualities. Devotees find constant delight in contemplating them. But for the ''jñānin'', the enlightened one, the ideal is the Īśvara that has no attributes, and it is in his Īśvara that he is finally absorbed. ''Saguṇopāsanā'' (worship of Īśvara with attributes) is the first step towards this end. For it, our Dharm has evolved the concept of ''iṣṭadevatā'' (''the deity of one's choice'', ''the deity one likes'').

What is special about ''Sanātana Dharm'' as it has come to be called? Alone among all faiths, it reveals the one and only Īśvara in many different divine forms, with manifold aspects. The devotee worships the Lord in a form suited to his mental make-up and is thus helped to come closer to the Lord with his love and devotion. These different forms are not the creation of anyone's imagination. The ''Paramātman'' has revealed himself in these forms to virtuous men, and they have had close contact, so to speak, with the deities so revealed. They have also shown us how we too may come face to face with these divinities, given us the mantras to accomplish this and also prescribed the manner in which the divine forms, whose vision they have had, are to be adored.

''Bhakti'' or devotion is common to all faiths, whatever the manner of worship they teach. It is not exclusive to our faith in which different deities are reverenced.

==References==
[[Category:VOICE OF THE GURU PUJYASRĪ CANDRAŚEKHARENDRA SARASVATĪ SVĀMĪ – "HINDU DHARMA", The Universal Way of Life]]

Talk:Man and Beast

2026-07-26T16:53:02Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Śrī Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī

Animals grow transversely. That is why they are called ''tiryak'' in Sanskrit. Man who grows upright ought to have, unlike beasts, a high ideal before him. He will then obtain more happiness than all other creatures. But what do we see in reality? Man experiences greater sorrow than all other creatures. Animals do not know so much desire, so much sorrow and so much humiliation, as do humans. More important, they are innocent of sin. It is we humans who keep sinning and suffering as a consequence.

In one sense it seems to me that Īśvara has not endowed us with the same advantages that he has endowed animals with. We are not fitted with weapons of defense. If a cow feels threatened it has horns to defend itself. The tiger has its claws. We have neither horns nor claws. Sheep have hair to protect them from the cold of winter, so too other animals. But man is not similarly equipped. So he cannot repulse an attack; nor can he run fast like the horse, which has no horns but is fleet-footed. Against all these handicaps, man has the advantage of being more intelligent than all other creatures.

In order to protect himself from the cold of winter, man removes the hair (fur) of animals and weaves it into rugs. When he wants to travel fast he yokes a horse to his cart. Īśvara has furnished man with this kind of skill; though he has neither claws nor horns to defend himself, a human being can forge weapons on his own. With the strength of his intelligence he remains the master of all other creatures and also rules over the entire world of inert matter.

All species of animals have their own habitats. Some types of bear that are native to the cold climes do not thrive in our country. The elephant is a denizen of the forests of India and some other countries of South-East Asia and Africa, but it does not flourish in a cold climate. But man inhabits the entire earth. He uses his brains to make any part of this planet fit for him to live.

But, even with his superior intelligence, man suffers. All hardships stem from the fact of birth. How can one save oneself from being born again? But, then, what is the cause of our birth? The wrongs committed by us are the cause of our birth, and we have taken this body of flesh and blood to suffer punishment for the same. Suppose a certain number of whiplashes are to be administered according to the law. If the body perishes after ten lashes, we take another birth to suffer the remaining strokes. The sins we commit in satisfying our desires are the cause of our being born again and again. If there is no doing, there will be no birth also. Anger is responsible for much of the evil we do, and desire is at the root of it. It is of the utmost importance that we banish desire from our hearts. But it is not possible to remain without any action after having cultivated so many attachments. If the attachments were done away with, we would cease to sin.

What is the cause of desire? Desire arises from the belief that there is something other than ourselves and our being attached to it. In truth, it is the one ''Śivam'' that manifests itself as everything.

The cow sees its reflection in the mirror and charges it, imagining it to be another cow. If a man sees his own image thus, does he think that there is another person in the mirror? He is not perturbed by his image because he knows that it is himself. Similarly, all that we see is the same thing. Desire springs from our belief in the existence of a second entity, and it causes anger, which, in turn, plunges us into sin. A new birth becomes inevitable now. If we are enlightened enough to perceive that all objects are one, there will be no ground for desire. There must be an object other than ourselves, a second entity, to be desired. No desire means no anger and no sin. In this state there will be neither any doing nor any birth. And, finally, there will be no sorrow.

How do we obtain such enlightenment or ''jñāna''? Our mother's milk sustains our body. It is Amba who nourishes us with the milk of ''jñāna''. She is indeed the personification of ''jñāna''. We will be rewarded with the light of wisdom if we firmly hold her lotus feet and dissolve ourselves in her. One who does so becomes Īśvara.

The first step in this process of enlightenment is to make a man truly a man, by ensuring that he does not live on an animal level. The second step is to raise him to the heights of divinity. All faith groups have this goal. They may represent different systems of thought and philosophy. But their concern ought to be that man is not condemned as he is today to a life of desire and anger. All faith groups speak in one voice: that man must be rendered good and invested with the qualities of love, humility, serenity, and the spirit of sacrifice.

==References==
[[Category:VOICE OF THE GURU PUJYASRĪ CANDRAŚEKHARENDRA SARASVATĪ SVĀMĪ – "HINDU DHARMA", The Universal Way of Life]]

Talk:The Purpose of Dharm

2026-07-26T16:50:07Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Śrī Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī

Religion is the means of realizing ''dharm'', ''artha'', ''kāma'' and ''mokṣa'', Dharm does not equal to religion. These four are called ''puruṣārthas''.

In Tamil, ''dharm'' is called “aram”; ''artha'' is known as “poruḷ”; and ''kāma'' and ''mokṣa'' are called “inbam” and ''viṭu'' respectively. ''Artha'' occurs in the term ''puruṣārthas'', but it is itself one of the ''puruṣārthas''? What a man wants for himself in his life are the aims of a man’s life, the ''puruṣārthas''. What does a man want to have? He wants to live happily without lacking for anything. There are two types of happiness: the first is ephemeral; and the second is everlasting and not subject to diminution. ''Kāma'' or ''inbam'' is ephemeral happiness and denotes worldly pleasure, worldly desires. ''Mokṣa'' or ''viṭu'' is everlasting happiness, not transient pleasure. It is because people are ignorant about such happiness, how elevated and enduring it is, that they hanker after the trivial and momentary joys of ''kāma''.

Our true quest must be for the fourth ''artha'' that is ''viṭu'' or ''mokṣa''. The majority of people today yearn for the third ''artha'' that is ''kāma''. When you eat, you are happy. When you are appointed a judge of the High Court, you feel elated. You are delighted when presented with a welcome address by some institution, aren’t you? Such types of happiness are not enduring. The means by which such happiness is earned is ''poruḷ''. ''Poruḷ'' may be corn, money, or a house. It is this ''poruḷ'' that is the way to happiness. But the pleasure gained from material possessions is momentary, and you keep constantly hungering for more.

''Mokṣa'' is the state of supreme bliss, and there is no quest beyond it. We keep going from place to place and suffer hardships of all kinds. Our destination is our home. A prisoner goes to his ''viṭu'' or his home after he is released. But the word ''viṭu'' also means release or liberation. Since we are now imprisoned in our body, we commit the grave mistake of believing that we are the body. The body is in fact our goal. Our real home is the bliss called ''mokṣa''. We must find release from the goal that is our body and dwell in our true home. God has sentenced us to the goal (that is, he has imprisoned us in our body) for our sins. If we practice virtue he will condone our sins and release us from the prison of our body before the expiry of the sentence. We must desist from committing sinful acts so that our term of imprisonment is not extended and endeavor to free ourselves and arrive in our true home, our true home that is the Lord. This home is bliss that passeth understanding, bliss that is not bound by the limitations of time, space and matter.

Lastly, we have the first ''puruṣārtha'', ''dharm''. ''Dharm'' denotes beneficent action, good or virtuous deeds. The word has come to mean giving, charity. “Give me ''dharmam''. Do ''dharmam'', mother,” cries the ''beggar''. We speak of “''dāna-dharm''” [as a portmanteau word]. The commandments relating to charity are called “''āra-kaṭṭalai''” in Tamil. Looked at in this way, giving away our ''artha'' or ''poruḷ'' will be seen to be ''dharm''. But how do we, in the first place, acquire the goods to be given away in charity? The charity practiced in our former birth by giving away our ''artha'' it is what brings us rewards in this birth. The very purpose of owning material goods is the practice of ''dharm''. Just as material possessions are a means of pleasure, so is ''dharm'' a means of material possessions. It is not charity alone that yields rewards in the form of material goods; all ''dharmas'' will bring their own material rewards.

If we practice ''dharm'' without expecting any reward in the belief that Īśvara gives us what he wills and in a spirit of dedication, the impurities tainting our being will be removed and we will obtain the exalted bliss. The pursuit of ''dharm'' that brings in its wake material rewards will itself become the means of attaining the ''Paramporuḷ''. Thus we see that ''dharm'', while being an instrument for making material gain and through it of pleasure, becomes the means of liberation also if it is practiced unselfishly. Through it we acquire material goods and are helped to keep up the practice of ''dharm''. This means that ''artha'' itself becomes a basis of ''dharm''. It is ''kāma'' or desire alone that neither fulfils itself nor becomes an instrument of fulfilling some other purpose. It is like the water poured on burning sands. Worse, it is an instrument that destroys everything—''dhārmic'' thoughts, material possessions, liberation itself.

All the same, it is difficult, to start with, to be without any desire altogether. Religion serves to rein in desire little by little and take a man, step by step, from petty ephemeral pleasure to the ultimate bliss. First we are taught the meaning and implications of ''dharm,'' and how to practice it, then we are instructed in the right manner in which material goods are to be acquired to practice this ''dharm''; and, thirdly, we are taught the proper manner in which desires may be satisfied. It is a process of gaining maturity and wisdom to forsake petty pleasure for the ultimate bliss of ''mokṣa''.

''Mokṣa'' is release from all attachments. It is a state in which the ''Ātman'' remains ever in untrammeled freedom and blessedness. The chief purpose of religion is to teach us how this supreme state may be attained.

We know for certain that ordinary people do not achieve eternal happiness. The purpose of any religion is to lead them towards such happiness. Everlasting blessedness is obtained only by forsaking the quest for petty pleasures. The dictates of ''dharm'' help us to abandon the pursuit of sensual enjoyments and endeavor for eternal bliss. They are also essential to create a social order that has the same high purpose: the liberation of all. Religion, with its goal of liberation, lays down the tenets of ''dharm''. That is why the great understand the word ''dharm'' itself to mean religion.

==References==
[[Category:VOICE OF THE GURU PUJYASRĪ CANDRAŚEKHARENDRA SARASVATĪ SVĀMĪ – "HINDU DHARMA", The Universal Way of Life]]

Talk:Dharm Alone Protects

2026-07-26T16:47:54Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

The ''pippala'' and the ''nimba'' are the royal children of Mother Nature’s kingdom of trees. As the New Year approaches, they shed their leaves, sprout tender green shoots again not long after. It is all the work of Mother Nature.

The custom of marrying the ''pippala'' to the ''nimba'' and of installing the idols of ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'' under them goes back to the dim past. After the winter months, these trees will be bare and ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'' will remain exposed to the sun. This is the time when we may sit under the open sky and bask in the sun because it is now neither too warm nor too cold. When it rains or when the sun beats down harshly on us, we need to shield ourselves with an umbrella. And when it is bitterly cold we cannot sit in the open and gaze at the sky. But now, when the leaves fall and the warmth of the sun is comforting (it is believed that with ''Śivarātri'' the cold season bids you goodbye with the chant, “śiva, śiva”), we may sit in the open, by day or at night, to gaze upon the sky. To proclaim the beneficial nature of this season as it were—when the ''pippala'' and the ''nimba'' are shorn of their leaves—Mother Nature worships the gods under the trees (''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'') with the rays of the gentle sun.

''Nāgarāja'' may also be called ''Subrahmaṇya''. Indeed, to the Telugu‑speaking people the name “Subbarāyudu” denotes both ''Subrahmaṇya'' and the snake. The Tamil‑speaking people worship snakes on ''Ṣaṣṭhī'', a custom that has existed from time immemorial. Mother Nature’s concern for ''Vighneśvara'' and ''Subrahmaṇya'', the children of ''Pārvatī'' and ''Parameśvara'', is but an expression of her love for all of us who too are but the offspring of the same primordial couple. There is fullness about this love. When it is neither too warm nor too cold, ''Vighneśvara'' and ''Nāgarāja'' are exposed to the sun. But, as the sun gets warmer with the advance of spring, Mother Nature protects these deities from the heat. How? The trees now burgeon and form a green umbrella over ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja''. The shedding of leaves, the burgeoning again, all this is a part of the natural process and according to the immutable law of the universe, which has been in force from the very beginning of time.

There is a law governing the behaviour of everything in this universe. All must submit to it for the world to function properly. Otherwise, things will go awry and end up in chaos. It is the will of the Lord that all his creation, all his creatures, should live in happiness. That is why he has ordained a ''Dharm'', a law, for each one of them. It is compliance with this ''Dharm'' that ensures all‑round harmony. While ''Īśvara'' protects his children from rain and sun, he also provides them, when needed, with the warmth of the gentle sun. His love for his children is expressed in the schema ordered by him for the functioning of Nature and the law he has laid down for trees is a part of it.

To be worthy of ''Īśvara''’s love we must possess certain qualities, certain virtues. If there is a law that applies to trees, there must be one that applies to us also. We shall deserve the Lord’s love and compassion only by living in accordance with this law and by working for the well‑being of all mankind. What is called ''dharm'' is this law, the law governing the conduct of man. ''Īśvara'' has endowed man with intelligence, but it is by using this very intelligence that human beings keep violating their ''dharm''. If it is asked why they do so, all we can say in answer is that it is but the sport of the Lord. Man goes seeking this and that, believing that they will make him happy, and all the while he keeps violating his ''dharm''. But he will discover sooner or later that it is ''dharm'' alone that gives him happiness in the end.

There is something that somehow turns people all over the world towards ''dharm''. It is this something that inspires human beings everywhere to go beyond their material needs and do things that appear strange. How? One man reads the Bible, cross in hand; another smears ashes all over his body; and a third man wears the Vaiṣṇava mark. From generation to generation mankind has been practicing such customs even without deriving any perceptible material benefit. What is the reason for this?

Man first earned the means for his daily upkeep. But he soon discovered that meeting the needs of the present would not be enough. So he tried to earn more and save for his needs also. The question, however, arose as to what precisely constituted his “future”. As he reflected on it, it became clear that his “future” on this earth would be endless, that he would not live a thousand years or ten thousand. So he concerned himself with earning enough to see him through his life and at the same time leaving enough for his children.

What happened to a man after his death was the question that worried him next. The virtuous men who emerged occasionally in various climes came to believe that the entity called man did not cease to exist even after his body perished. The truth dawned on them that the money and property acquired for the upkeep of a man’s body served no purpose after his passing. As a next step they formed a view of what a human being must do in this life to ensure for himself a happy state in the afterlife. Religious leaders in different countries taught different ways to achieve this. The cross, the ''namaz'', the sacred ashes, the sacred earth came to be adopted in this manner by people belonging to different religious persuasions.

“You must look upon the world as belonging to the Lord, and it is your duty to conduct yourself and conform yourself to this belief. This constitutes the ''dharm'' of humanity. Acts dictated solely by selfish interests will push one into unrighteousness. A man must learn to be less and less selfish in his thoughts and actions; he must always remember the Lord and must ever be conscious that he is the master of this entire world.” This view is the basis on which all religions have evolved.

No religion teaches us to live according to our whims and fancies; no religion asks us to acquire wealth and property for our personal needs alone. If a man believes that he alone is important, that he is all, he will live only for himself. That is why all religions speak of an entity called God and teach man to efface his ego or I‑feeling. “Child,” they tell him, “you are nothing before that Power, the author of this universe. It is he—that Power—who has endowed you with intelligence. Your intelligence, your intellect, must guide you on the path of ''dharm'', righteousness. For this purpose, you must look up to this Power for support.” The great importance attached to ''bhakti'' or devotion in all religions is founded on this belief, the need for divine support for virtuous conduct.

Ordinarily, it is not easy to develop faith in, or devotion to, God expressed in abstract terms. For the common people devotion must take the form of practical steps. That is how ritual originated. ''Sandhyāvandana'', and other forms of prayer are examples of such ritual.

“Love everyone.” “Live a life of sacrifice.” “Serve mankind.” Such are the teachings of the various religions. If a man lives according to these tenets, it is believed that his soul will reach God after it departs from his body. Those who subscribe to ''Advaita'' or non‑dualism declare that the soul will become one with the Godhead. According to another system of belief, after reaching the Lord, the soul will serve him and ever remain happy as the recipient of his compassion. There is no need to quarrel over the nature of the final state. “By following one path or another we attain the Lord. And that will be the end of all our sorrows, all our frustrations and all our failures in this world. There will now be nothing but bliss, full and everlasting.” No more than this do we need to know for the present.

If the ''Paramātman'' is to draw us unto himself we must, without fail, perform our duties to him as well as to the world. It is these duties that constitute what is called ''dharm''. Again, it is ''dharm'' that serves us when we dwell in our body and when we cease to dwell in it. It serves us in life and afterlife. When we are in this world we must do that which would take us to a desirable state after we depart from it. We take an insurance policy so that our relatives will be able to take care of themselves when we are gone. But is it not far more important to ensure that we will be happy in our after‑life? ''Dharm'' is after‑life insurance. But in this life too it is ''dharm'' that gives us peace and happiness.

There need be no doubt or confusion about the ''dharm'' we ought to follow. We are all steeped in the ''dharm'' that our virtuous men have pursued from generation to generation. They have inwardly realized eternal beatitude and we know for certain that they lived without any care, unlike people in our own generation who are always discontented and are embroiled in agitations and demonstrations of all kinds. All we need to do is to follow the ''dharm'' that they practiced. If we tried to create a new ''dharm'' for ourselves it might mean trouble and all the time we would be torn by doubts as to whether it would bring us good or whether it would give rise to evil. It is best for us to follow the ''dharm'' practiced by the virtuous men of the past, the ''dharm'' of our forefathers.

Man is subject to all kinds of hardships and misfortunes. To remind ourselves of this, we eat the bitter flowers of the ''nimba'' on New Year’s Day—that is, on the very first day of the year we accept the bitterness of life. During the ''Pongal'' ceremony, which is celebrated almost towards the close of the year, we have sugarcane to chew. If we have only sweetness in the beginning we may have to experience bitterness towards the end. We must not have any aversion for the bitter but welcome it as the medicine administered by Mother Nature or by ''dharm''. If we do so, in due course, we will learn to regard any experience, even if it were unpleasant, as a sweet one.

Great indeed were the misfortunes suffered by ''Śrī Rāma'' during his exile in the forest. To a son going on a long journey the mother gives food to take with him. ''Kauśalyā'' does the same when her son ''Rāma'' leaves for the forest, but she does so after much thought, for she wants the food to last during all the fourteen years of his exile. And what is that food? ''Kauśalyā'' gives ''Rāma'' the eternal sustenance of ''dharm''. ''Rāghava'', she says to him, “it is ''dharm'' alone that will protect you, and this ''dharm'' is what you yourself protect with courage and steadfastness.” It is the escort of ''dharm'' that the mother provides her son sent out from his kingdom.

''Yaṃ pālayasi dharmaṃ tvaṃ dhṛtayā ca niyamena ca''
''Sa vai Rāghava‑śārdūla dharmas tvām abhirakṣatu''

It was ''dharm'' that brought victory to ''Rāma'' after all his struggle. If a man treads the path of ''dharm'' he will win universal respect. If he slips into ''adharm'', unrighteousness, even his brother will turn a foe. The ''Rāmāyaṇa'' illustrates this truth. ''Śrī Rāma'' was regarded with respect by the ''vānaras''. What about ''Rāvaṇa''? Even his brother ''Vibhīṣaṇa'' forsakes him.

''Dharm'' and ''dharm'' alone is our protecting shield. How did ''Rāvaṇa'' with his ten heads perish and how did ''Śrī Rāmacandra'' rise with his head held high as ''Vijayarāghava'' (the victorious ''Rāghava'')? It was all the doing of ''dharm''.

One’s religion is nothing but the ''dharm'' practiced by one’s forefathers. May all adhere to their ''dharm'' with unwavering faith and courage and be rewarded with everlasting bliss.

==References==

[[Category: VOICE OF THE GURU PUJYASRI CHANDRASEKHARENDRA SARASWATI SWAMI- "HINDU DHARMA", The Universal Way of Life]]

Talk:Dharm Alone Protects

2026-07-26T16:46:40Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

The ''pippala'' and the ''nimba'' are the royal children of Mother Nature’s kingdom of trees. As the New Year approaches, they shed their leaves, sprout tender green shoots again not long after. It is all the work of Mother Nature.

The custom of marrying the ''pippala'' to the ''nimba'' and of installing the idols of ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'' under them goes back to the dim past. After the winter months, these trees will be bare and ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'' will remain exposed to the sun. This is the time when we may sit under the open sky and bask in the sun because it is now neither too warm nor too cold. When it rains or when the sun beats down harshly on us, we need to shield ourselves with an umbrella. And when it is bitterly cold we cannot sit in the open and gaze at the sky. But now, when the leaves fall and the warmth of the sun is comforting (it is believed that with ''Śivarātri'' the cold season bids you goodbye with the chant, “śiva, śiva”), we may sit in the open, by day or at night, to gaze upon the sky. To proclaim the beneficial nature of this season as it were—when the ''pippala'' and the ''nimba'' are shorn of their leaves—Mother Nature worships the gods under the trees (''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja'') with the rays of the gentle sun.

''Nāgarāja'' may also be called ''Subrahmaṇya''. Indeed, to the Telugu‑speaking people the name “Subbarāyudu” denotes both ''Subrahmaṇya'' and the snake. The Tamil‑speaking people worship snakes on ''Ṣaṣṭhī'', a custom that has existed from time immemorial. Mother Nature’s concern for ''Vighneśvara'' and ''Subrahmaṇya'', the children of ''Pārvatī'' and ''Parameśvara'', is but an expression of her love for all of us who too are but the offspring of the same primordial couple. There is fullness about this love. When it is neither too warm nor too cold, ''Vighneśvara'' and ''Nāgarāja'' are exposed to the sun. But, as the sun gets warmer with the advance of spring, Mother Nature protects these deities from the heat. How? The trees now burgeon and form a green umbrella over ''Vināyaka'' and ''Nāgarāja''. The shedding of leaves, the burgeoning again, all this is a part of the natural process and according to the immutable law of the universe, which has been in force from the very beginning of time.

There is a law governing the behaviour of everything in this universe. All must submit to it for the world to function properly. Otherwise, things will go awry and end up in chaos. It is the will of the Lord that all his creation, all his creatures, should live in happiness. That is why he has ordained a ''Dharm'', a law, for each one of them. It is compliance with this ''Dharm'' that ensures all‑round harmony. While ''Īśvara'' protects his children from rain and sun, he also provides them, when needed, with the warmth of the gentle sun. His love for his children is expressed in the schema ordered by him for the functioning of Nature and the law he has laid down for trees is a part of it.

To be worthy of ''Īśvara''’s love we must possess certain qualities, certain virtues. If there is a law that applies to trees, there must be one that applies to us also. We shall deserve the Lord’s love and compassion only by living in accordance with this law and by working for the well‑being of all mankind. What is called ''dharm'' is this law, the law governing the conduct of man. ''Īśvara'' has endowed man with intelligence, but it is by using this very intelligence that human beings keep violating their ''dharm''. If it is asked why they do so, all we can say in answer is that it is but the sport of the Lord. Man goes seeking this and that, believing that they will make him happy, and all the while he keeps violating his ''dharm''. But he will discover sooner or later that it is ''dharm'' alone that gives him happiness in the end.

There is something that somehow turns people all over the world towards ''dharm''. It is this something that inspires human beings everywhere to go beyond their material needs and do things that appear strange. How? One man reads the Bible, cross in hand; another smears ashes all over his body; and a third man wears the Vaiṣṇava mark. From generation to generation mankind has been practicing such customs even without deriving any perceptible material benefit. What is the reason for this?

Man first earned the means for his daily upkeep. But he soon discovered that meeting the needs of the present would not be enough. So he tried to earn more and save for his needs also. The question, however, arose as to what precisely constituted his “future”. As he reflected on it, it became clear that his “future” on this earth would be endless, that he would not live a thousand years or ten thousand. So he concerned himself with earning enough to see him through his life and at the same time leaving enough for his children.

What happened to a man after his death was the question that worried him next. The great men who emerged occasionally in various climes came to believe that the entity called man did not cease to exist even after his body perished. The truth dawned on them that the money and property acquired for the upkeep of a man’s body served no purpose after his passing. As a next step they formed a view of what a human being must do in this life to ensure for himself a happy state in the afterlife. Religious leaders in different countries taught different ways to achieve this. The cross, the ''namaz'', the sacred ashes, the sacred earth came to be adopted in this manner by people belonging to different religious persuasions.

“You must look upon the world as belonging to the Lord, and it is your duty to conduct yourself and conform yourself to this belief. This constitutes the ''dharm'' of humanity. Acts dictated solely by selfish interests will push one into unrighteousness. A man must learn to be less and less selfish in his thoughts and actions; he must always remember the Lord and must ever be conscious that he is the master of this entire world.” This view is the basis on which all religions have evolved.

No religion teaches us to live according to our whims and fancies; no religion asks us to acquire wealth and property for our personal needs alone. If a man believes that he alone is important, that he is all, he will live only for himself. That is why all religions speak of an entity called God and teach man to efface his ego or I‑feeling. “Child,” they tell him, “you are nothing before that Power, the author of this universe. It is he—that Power—who has endowed you with intelligence. Your intelligence, your intellect, must guide you on the path of ''dharm'', righteousness. For this purpose, you must look up to this Power for support.” The great importance attached to ''bhakti'' or devotion in all religions is founded on this belief, the need for divine support for virtuous conduct.

Ordinarily, it is not easy to develop faith in, or devotion to, God expressed in abstract terms. For the common people devotion must take the form of practical steps. That is how ritual originated. ''Sandhyāvandana'', and other forms of prayer are examples of such ritual.

“Love everyone.” “Live a life of sacrifice.” “Serve mankind.” Such are the teachings of the various religions. If a man lives according to these tenets, it is believed that his soul will reach God after it departs from his body. Those who subscribe to ''Advaita'' or non‑dualism declare that the soul will become one with the Godhead. According to another system of belief, after reaching the Lord, the soul will serve him and ever remain happy as the recipient of his compassion. There is no need to quarrel over the nature of the final state. “By following one path or another we attain the Lord. And that will be the end of all our sorrows, all our frustrations and all our failures in this world. There will now be nothing but bliss, full and everlasting.” No more than this do we need to know for the present.

If the ''Paramātman'' is to draw us unto himself we must, without fail, perform our duties to him as well as to the world. It is these duties that constitute what is called ''dharm''. Again, it is ''dharm'' that serves us when we dwell in our body and when we cease to dwell in it. It serves us in life and afterlife. When we are in this world we must do that which would take us to a desirable state after we depart from it. We take an insurance policy so that our relatives will be able to take care of themselves when we are gone. But is it not far more important to ensure that we will be happy in our after‑life? ''Dharm'' is after‑life insurance. But in this life too it is ''dharm'' that gives us peace and happiness.

There need be no doubt or confusion about the ''dharm'' we ought to follow. We are all steeped in the ''dharm'' that our great men have pursued from generation to generation. They have inwardly realized eternal beatitude and we know for certain that they lived without any care, unlike people in our own generation who are always discontented and are embroiled in agitations and demonstrations of all kinds. All we need to do is to follow the ''dharm'' that they practiced. If we tried to create a new ''dharm'' for ourselves it might mean trouble and all the time we would be torn by doubts as to whether it would bring us good or whether it would give rise to evil. It is best for us to follow the ''dharm'' practiced by the great men of the past, the ''dharm'' of our forefathers.

Man is subject to all kinds of hardships and misfortunes. To remind ourselves of this, we eat the bitter flowers of the ''nimba'' on New Year’s Day—that is, on the very first day of the year we accept the bitterness of life. During the ''Pongal'' ceremony, which is celebrated almost towards the close of the year, we have sugarcane to chew. If we have only sweetness in the beginning we may have to experience bitterness towards the end. We must not have any aversion for the bitter but welcome it as the medicine administered by Mother Nature or by ''dharm''. If we do so, in due course, we will learn to regard any experience, even if it were unpleasant, as a sweet one.

Great indeed were the misfortunes suffered by ''Śrī Rāma'' during his exile in the forest. To a son going on a long journey the mother gives food to take with him. ''Kauśalyā'' does the same when her son ''Rāma'' leaves for the forest, but she does so after much thought, for she wants the food to last during all the fourteen years of his exile. And what is that food? ''Kauśalyā'' gives ''Rāma'' the eternal sustenance of ''dharm''. ''Rāghava'', she says to him, “it is ''dharm'' alone that will protect you, and this ''dharm'' is what you yourself protect with courage and steadfastness.” It is the escort of ''dharm'' that the mother provides her son sent out from his kingdom.

''Yaṃ pālayasi dharmaṃ tvaṃ dhṛtayā ca niyamena ca''
''Sa vai Rāghava‑śārdūla dharmas tvām abhirakṣatu''

It was ''dharm'' that brought victory to ''Rāma'' after all his struggle. If a man treads the path of ''dharm'' he will win universal respect. If he slips into ''adharm'', unrighteousness, even his brother will turn a foe. The ''Rāmāyaṇa'' illustrates this truth. ''Śrī Rāma'' was regarded with respect by the ''vānaras''. What about ''Rāvaṇa''? Even his brother ''Vibhīṣaṇa'' forsakes him.

''Dharm'' and ''dharm'' alone is our protecting shield. How did ''Rāvaṇa'' with his ten heads perish and how did ''Śrī Rāmacandra'' rise with his head held high as ''Vijayarāghava'' (the victorious ''Rāghava'')? It was all the doing of ''dharm''.

One’s religion is nothing but the ''dharm'' practiced by one’s forefathers. May all adhere to their ''dharm'' with unwavering faith and courage and be rewarded with everlasting bliss.

==References==

[[Category: VOICE OF THE GURU PUJYASRI CHANDRASEKHARENDRA SARASWATI SWAMI- "HINDU DHARMA", The Universal Way of Life]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Complexity of the Law of Karm

2026-07-10T18:20:58Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': A theory (the Law of ''Karm'' in this case) should be simpler than the mass of facts and observations it explains. It seems, however, that the Law of ''Karm'' itself is very complex and allows for numerous exceptions and special cases, making it even more complex than the variety of ''Karm'' humans perform. Even the ''Gītā'' acknowledges this in the following words:

''What is action and what is inaction even the wise are deluded in this regard.'' '''Gītā 4.16'''

''The operation of ''Karm'' is difficult to understand.'' '''Gītā 4.17'''

'''Answer''': Human life is extremely complex and there are numerous factors that impact the moral value of our actions. Despite that, the Law of ''Karm'', along with the Doctrine of Rebirth, has tremendous explanatory value. The Bhagavān, who is just and all-knowing, delivers perfect justice for our actions. The Law of ''Karm'' appears complex because we human beings are not omniscient.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Divine Partiality

2026-07-10T18:20:39Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Some ''Śāstra'' declare that we do good or bad ''Karm'' through Divine Providence, and therefore we cannot rule out predestination. For instance, an ''Upaniṣad'' says:

''He whom the Bhagavān 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.'' '''Ṛgveda, Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad 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 Bhagavān is not a slave of the doctrine of ''Karm''. Secondly, we must not be proud of our good ''Karm'' and take heaven as our destination for granted, because it is the Bhagavān from whom we get the agency of ''Karm'', and we ought to accept the fruit of our ''Karm'' as His grace.

The Will of the Divine about sending people up or down is not whimsical but consistent with their respective ''Karm''. And it is for this reason that what we call ‘Fate’ is termed as ''Daiva'' (‘from the Divine’) merely to emphasize the fact that it is the Bhagavān who dispenses the fruit of our ''Karm''.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and the Beginning of the Creation

2026-07-10T18:18:40Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': We agree that people suffer or enjoy in life due to their prior ''Karm''. But the present universe has a starting point. ''Śāstra'' declares that even at the beginning of this creation, beings 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 ''Karm'' or even a just Bhagavān in present times as well.

'''Response''': In Hindu ''Dharm'', there is no absolute point of time when this creation started, before which there was no universe. This universe is neither the only universe, nor the first or the last. Peoples 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 ''Karm'' and its results has continued from a beginningless time and will continue likewise for ''Jīva''-s who have not attained ''Mokṣa''.

Even the destruction of the present universe does not destroy the fruit of our ''Karm''; they cling to us in the next cycle of creation.

''At the time of ''Pralaya'', the ''Deva'' who have not yet exhausted the fruit (= abode in heaven) of their good ''Karm'' are reborn in heaven during the next cycle of creation. Whereas those ''Deva'' who had exhausted the fruit of their ''Karm'' before the ''Pralaya'' are reborn as humans when the next cycle of creation starts.'' '''Mahābhārata 12.272.52'''

''In the next creation, ''Bhagavān'' connects each ''Jīvātman'' with the residual ''Karm'' from the previous cycle of creation. The cycle of creation and destruction of the universe, and ''Karm'', are both without a beginning.'' '''Brahmasūtra 2.1.35'''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Human Progress and Predestination

2026-07-10T18:18:10Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''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 communist 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 living. 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 planet. How then, can the karm theory stand these contradictions?”<ref>Sri Sadguru Keshavadasji. ''The Doctrine of Reincarnation and Liberation.'' Dasashrama Research Publications, 1970, Bangalore. p. 6</ref>

'''Response''': Scientific advancements have altered our lives tremendously and irreversibly, but have they altered the basic result of ''Karm'', which is the joys and sorrows we experience in our minds?

With changing times, human beings can experience the same happiness or pain, or avoid them, in different ways. For example, in ancient times when life expectancy was lower, people had more children and married earlier. In modern times, where medical advancements have increased life expectancy and decreased infant mortality, people marry later and have fewer children. Yet, the emotional impact of loss remains. A couple several centuries ago who lost 3 out of 10 children may have felt the same or even less grief than a modern couple who loses their only child or one of two children.

Similarly, though the internet allows us to send dozens of digital greeting cards to acquaintances, the joy of receiving even a few handwritten birthday cards in the past often outweighed this. What has changed is the medium and context, not the underlying experience of happiness or sorrow. Thus, the operation of ''Karm'' remains intact, even if its visible manifestations evolve across eras.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Blaming the Victim

2026-07-10T18:17:31Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': The Law of ''Karm'' promotes social inequalities like the caste system, and injustices like racism. This is because one is born into a certain ''Varṇa'', ''Jāti'', etc., due to his previous ''Karm'' and therefore, he is ‘supposed’ to suffer from social injustices.

'''Response''': According to ''Śāstra'', one is not passively reborn into a certain ''Varṇa'' or ''Jāti''. Rather, during the last moments of death, one’s dominant ''Karmāśaya'' (residual ''Karm'' impression) and ''Vāsanā''-s (desires and tendencies) come to the fore and shape the subtle body into a configuration that fits the physical form the individual will acquire during rebirth. From this understanding, our current physical birth is, in many ways, a result of the choices we made in past lives. In this way, we “choose” the form and state we are born into.

However, the extreme social stratification and inequities that exist across the world whether in societies or others are inconsistent with the spiritual core of Hindu ''Dharm'', which teaches us to see the same ''Ātman'' and ''Īśvara'' in all beings, and to treat everyone with compassion, equality, and reverence. Scriptural examples of this universal vision include:

''The wise see the same (''Ātman'') in a learned Brāhmaṇa endowed with humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or an outcaste.'' '''Gītā 5.18'''

''He excels, who regards equally a well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral person, mediator, the despicable, a relative, the virtuous and the sinful.'' '''Gītā 6.9'''

''He who is disciplined by ''Yog'' sees his ''Ātman'' present in all beings, and all beings present in the ''Ātman'' – regarding all everywhere as the same.'' '''Gītā 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.'' '''Gītā 6.30'''

''The yogi who, established in unity, worships Me as abiding in all beings, lives in Me in whatever way he otherwise acts.'' '''Gītā 6.31'''

''Arjuna, he who sees equally everywhere, and regards all others as if they were his own ''Ātman'', whether in pleasure or in pain, he is considered to be the perfect yogi.'' '''Gītā 6.32'''

''The learned ones see the same (''Ātman'') within a Brāhmaṇa who is endowed with knowledge and 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 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 is constantly aware of this, he becomes eligible to attain immortality.'' '''Mahābhārata 12.239.22'''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Divine Apathy

2026-07-10T18:16:22Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': The existence of pain, injustice, and suffering has long been raised as an objection to the doctrine of ''karm''. Critics argue that even if individuals experience the consequences of their own actions, a compassionate and omnipotent ''Bhagavān'' should intervene to alleviate suffering rather than allowing it to continue solely as the result of the law of ''karm''. The objection is sometimes summarized by the maxim, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."

'''Response''': By considering the doctrine of ''karm'' together with the doctrines of rebirth and temporary post-mortem states, suffering is understood as part of a larger moral order extending across multiple lifetimes. At the same time, Hindu texts encourage individuals to alleviate suffering, uphold ''dharma'', and oppose injustice rather than remaining passive.

A modern teacher expresses this perspective as follows:

''“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. Bhagavān 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.”''<ref>Vanamali. ''The Science of the Rishis.'' Inner Traditions, 2015, Rochester (Vermont, USA), p. 112.</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Mass-Deaths and the Doctrine of Karm

2026-07-10T18:12:24Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Incidents like an airplane crash or natural calamities like earthquakes or pandemics can kill or injure numerous people at the same time. Even ''Śāstra'' 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.'' '''Yājñavalkya Smṛti 3.165'''

But events causing mass deaths seem to invalidate the Law of ''Karm''. 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, especially when no such collective act can be determined.

'''Response''': Hindu ''Dharm'' rejects the notion of collective ''Karm'' resulting in a 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:

''“So that we may not be unduly disturbed by external factors, we deliberately take certain well-thought-out measures which are also ''Karm'' 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 ''Karm'' 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 ''Karm''.''

''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 ''Yog'' accompanied by a strong ''Puruṣakāra'' or free will.”''<ref>Swami Hariharananda Aranya. ''Yoga Philosophy of Patañjali with Bhāṣvatī.'' University of Calcutta, 2000, Calcutta. pp. 666–667</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Rebirth, Karm and Forgetfulness

2026-07-10T17:58:56Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Why should individuals be rewarded or punished for actions performed in a previous life that they do not remember? If the connection between ''karm'' and its consequences is not apparent, critics argue that individuals cannot learn from those consequences or modify their future conduct.

'''Response''': The doctrine of ''karm'' together with the doctrines of rebirth, the just nature of ''Bhagavān'', and the moral order governing the universe.

Within this framework, the loss of conscious memory of previous lives is not regarded as inconsistent with moral accountability. Some Hindu teachers further argue that retaining memories of numerous previous births, including their joys, sorrows, attachments, and traumas, would make it difficult for individuals to function meaningfully in their present lives.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Rebirth

2026-07-10T17:56:44Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Why does the doctrine of ''Karm'' have to be tied to the doctrine of rebirth? Several cultures believe in rebirth but have no definite views on ''Karm''. Likewise, Abrahamic religions believe in a rudimentary form of the doctrine of ''Karm'' (action and consequence) 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 ''Karm'', taken together with the doctrine of rebirth, is the best possible explanation of the diversity of human experience. If ''Īśvara'' is just, He cannot arbitrarily create people unequal at birth, with differing health conditions, wealth, talents, or mental faculties.

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 karm (reincarnation and karm are inseparable in the philosophical system of ''Sanātana Dharm''; 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 karm.”''

''“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 that these attempts at explanation became a whole category of philosophical argument called ‘theodicies’. None of these attempts, however, has ever been proven philosophically sustainable, demonstrable, or satisfactory. The reason why is precisely because it is impossible to explain the existence of suffering without turning to the concepts of karm 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 all-powerful Bhagavān would allow some of His children to be born less than whole. Only the Dharmic path can give an intellectually satisfactory and spiritually comforting explanation for this reality of human suffering.”''

The ''Sūkṣma Śarīra'' (subtle body) is the locus of ''karm'' and of the experiences of pleasure and pain arising from it. At death, the ''Sthūla Śarīra'' (gross physical body) perishes, while the ''Sūkṣma Śarīra'' continues and assumes another physical body upon rebirth.

Within this framework, the continuity of the ''Sūkṣma Śarīra'' ensures the continuity of moral responsibility across successive births. Consequently, the individual who performs actions is also the individual who experiences their consequences, despite the change of physical bodies through rebirth.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Human Apathy

2026-07-10T17:51:04Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Some critics argue that belief in the law of ''karm'' may encourage indifference towards those who are suffering. If suffering is understood as the result of one's own past actions, they ask whether assisting those in distress amounts to interfering with the operation of the law of ''karm''.

'''Response''': Hindu Dharm generally reject this conclusion. They emphasize virtues such as ''dayā'' (compassion), ''sevā'' (service), and ''vinaya'' (humility), and encourage individuals to alleviate the suffering of others. Within this framework, the timing of ''karmaphala'' is regarded as uncertain, and therefore present circumstances are not considered a reliable indication of a person's past actions. The responsibility for administering the fruits of ''karm'' belongs to the Divine, whereas human beings are expected to act in accordance with ''dharma'' by helping those in need.

A modern teacher explains this perspective as follows:

''“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 help the beggar if you have the means to do it without questioning his worth or his past karm. This is not your problem. Your problem is to make sure that you do not take in more negative karm by refusing to help a person who appears to be in need. Whether or not he 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.”''<ref>Vanamali. ''The Science of the Rishis.'' Inner Traditions, 2015, p. 112.</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Divine Apathy

2026-07-10T17:48:41Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': The existence of pain, injustice, and suffering has long been raised as an objection to the doctrine of ''karm''. Critics argue that even if individuals experience the consequences of their own actions, a compassionate and omnipotent ''Bhagavān'' should intervene to alleviate suffering rather than allowing it to continue solely as the result of the law of ''karm''. The objection is sometimes summarized by the maxim, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."

'''Response''': Hindu philosophical traditions generally respond by considering the doctrine of ''karm'' together with the doctrines of rebirth and temporary post-mortem states. Within this framework, suffering is understood as part of a larger moral order extending across multiple lifetimes. At the same time, Hindu texts encourage individuals to alleviate suffering, uphold ''dharma'', and oppose injustice rather than remaining passive. Divine revelation, particularly the Vedas and other sacred texts, is understood as providing guidance for righteous action.

A modern teacher expresses this perspective as follows:

''“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. Bhagavān 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.”''<ref>Vanamali. ''The Science of the Rishis.'' Inner Traditions, 2015, Rochester (Vermont, USA), p. 112.</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Karm and Fatalism

2026-07-10T17:46:42Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

'''Objection''': Some people argue that the doctrine of ''Karm'' leads 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 ''Karm'', then it was meant to be. It is all “Kismet” (Fate) and no one can change one’s fate.

'''Response''': The Law of ''Karm'' does not endorse or encourage reliance on fate or fatalism. A modern teacher explains how our destiny is not unchangeable:

''“Destiny is not fatalism. Destiny, according to ''Karm-yog'', is not the predetermination that makes one lose faith in human endeavor. The Sanskrit word for destiny is ''Adṛṣṭa''. ''Adṛṣṭa'' 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 ''Svabhāva'', 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 sown must be reaped. But we can always change our destiny if we follow the path of ''Karm-yog''.”''<ref>Swami Adiswarananda. ''The Four Yogas.'' Skylight Paths Publishing, 2006, Woodstock, Vermont (USA). p. 14</ref>

''“One question will naturally occur here: If everything is predetermined by the law of karm, then where is the scope for self-improvement through self-effort? In answer, the ''Bhagavad Gītā'' points out that the law of karm does not make everything pre-ordained…. Like all other natural laws operating in the physical universe, the law of karm 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 the 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.''

''''Karm-yog'' is the process of unchaining the Self from the thralldom of body and mind…”''<ref>Ibid., p. 15</ref>

As a practical example, consider a person who falls sick. If the patient were to believe that falling sick was his fate and therefore should not undergo any treatment, his illness could deteriorate, and he might even lose his life. However, the texts of ''Āyurveda''—while upholding the Law of ''Karm''—argue that fate does not imply resignation or inaction. One must act in alignment with ''Dharm'' and seek remedies, while surrendering the outcome to the Divine.

''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 ''Karm'' is often blamed for encouraging fatalism, it is in fact opposed to the latter, as can be seen from the following comparison:<ref>Krishnaswami, O. R. ''Rāja Yog – Yog of Meditation.'' Dev Publishers and Distributors, 2016, New Delhi. p. 298</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! S.NO. !! Fatalism charge on Doctrine of Karm !! The Reality of the Doctrine of Karm
|-
| 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 Bhagavān
|-
| 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 karm, the very opposite proves to be true. Rather than leading to a fatalistic view of human existence, Dharm 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 (saṃcita) karm to be faced. Merit and demerit (dharm and adharm) adhere to the self or are modes of the intellect mistakenly believed to belong to the puruṣa (in Sāṃkhya-Yog). 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 action. 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…..”<ref> Reichenbach, Bruce R. ''The Law of Karma – A Philosophical Study.'' University of Hawaii Press, 1990, Honolulu. p. 57 </ref>

'''Story: Madhavadeva''

A traditional account from the ''Kathā-Gurucarita'' illustrates the relationship between fate and human effort.

According to the narrative, Madhavadeva was travelling with fellow disciples of Śaṅkaradeva (1449–1568 CE) when a buffalo charged towards them. While the others fled, Madhavadeva remained where he was, saying that if it were his fate to die, he would be killed, and if not, the buffalo would spare him. The buffalo eventually moved away without harming him.

When Śaṅkaradeva heard of the incident, he is said to have admonished Madhavadeva, explaining that even a lamp supplied with oil and a sound wick must be protected from the wind. The narrative concludes by emphasizing that one should not neglect prudent action or rely exclusively upon fate.<ref>Sarma, Satyendranath. "Sankaradeva and Assam Vaisnavism." In ''Medieval Bhakti Movements in India,'' edited by N. N. Bhattacharyya, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1989, New Delhi, pp. 241–270.</ref>
[[File:A story from the Hindu tradition may be cited as an illustration.png|thumb]]

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses

2026-07-10T16:22:05Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Numerous objections have been raised against the doctrine of ''karm'', even though it has been regarded by many Hindu philosophers as providing a comprehensive explanation of human suffering, apparent luck or fortune, and divine justice, particularly when considered together with the doctrine of rebirth.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Interfaith Perspectives:Distinction between New Age and Dhārmic Notions of Karm

2026-07-10T16:19:02Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The first distinction concerns the administration of the law of ''karm''. Some modern spiritual movements maintain that ''karm'' operates as an entirely self-regulating mechanism, without the involvement of a divine agency. By contrast, many Hindu and Sikh traditions maintain that the Divine oversees the operation of the law of ''karm'', ensuring that each individual experiences the fruits of his or her own actions.

A second distinction concerns the concept of collective ''karm''. Some New Age and Theosophical interpretations propose the existence of collective, group, or national ''karm'', whereas many Hindu philosophical traditions emphasize the fundamentally individual nature of ''karm''.

A modern Hindu scholar summarizes the concept of collective ''karm'' as follows:<ref>Jayaram V. ''The Law of Karma in Hinduism.'' Available online at: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_karma.asp (accessed on 25 April 2022).</ref>

''“It is also believed that just as each person incurs karm through his or her actions, actions performed as groups also give rise to collective karm that would impact their collective future. According to this belief, nations, organizations, and associations also incur karm because of the collective actions and decisions of the people who are part of them…”''

Śrī Dharma Pravartaka Ācārya presents a different interpretation, arguing that the Vedic worldview does not recognize collective ''karm'' in a directly causative sense. According to this interpretation, individuals may experience the fruits of their respective ''karm'' simultaneously, giving the appearance of collective retribution, while each person nevertheless experiences the consequences of his or her own actions.<ref>Śrī Dharma Pravartaka Ācārya. ''Sanātana Dharm: The Eternal Natural Way.'' ISDS, Omaha (Nebraska), 2015, pp. 162–163.</ref>

Classical Hindu literature also contains passages that associate natural calamities, warfare, and environmental disturbances with the collective actions of communities. For example, texts of ''Āyurveda'' describe droughts, floods, and the pollution of air, water, and land as arising from the accumulated actions of multiple individuals. These passages have been interpreted in different ways by later commentators and illustrate the diversity of perspectives within the broader Hindu tradition regarding the relationship between individual and collective action.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Interfaith Perspectives:Distinction between New Age and Dhārmic Notions of Karm

2026-07-10T16:08:41Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The first distinction is that New Agers, Buddhists, and Jains believe that ''Karm'' is a self-operating mechanism meaning that the universe is intelligent enough to ensure that we all reap the fruit of our respective ''Karm'' 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 ''Karm''.

The second major difference between New Agers and Theosophists, on one hand, and the Dharm-based systems on the other, is that the former support a notion of “collective,” “group,” or “national” karm, whereas the latter advocate an entirely individualistic understanding of ''Karm''.

A modern Hindu scholar describes the notion of collective karm as follows:<ref>Jayaram V. ''The Law of Karma in Hinduism''. Available online at: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_karma.asp (accessed on 25 April 2022).</ref>

''“It is also believed that just as each person incurs karm through his or her actions, actions performed as groups also give rise to collective karm that would impact their collective future. According to this belief, nations, organizations, and associations also incur karm 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 karm and have to repay for the actions of their country through their own lives. The 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 ''Dharm'' rejects the notion that there is a group, collective, or national ''Karm''. A modern Hindu teacher explains why Hindus reject the doctrine of collective karm:

''“There is no such thing as collective karm in the directly causative sense anywhere in the Vedic worldview or scriptures, but only in the coincidental retributive sense. In other words, there is no such concept as ‘shared karm.’ Rather, it is possible for an incidental grouping of individuals to experience their individually accrued karm at the same place and time.”''

''“By both definition and logical necessity, karm is, and can only be, operative on an individual basis, and upon each particular ''Jīva'' (an ''Ātman'' who is presently in illusion), by his free will works containing ethical content. Thus, each individual is solely responsible for his actions and the resultant effects of those actions.”''

''“However, what does periodically occur is the manifestation of individual karm 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 karm at the same particular place and time. Even if you have several individuals all experiencing their karm at the same time and place, the individuals’ respective karm would be the result of their actions in previous lives, and not the result of some action they all performed collectively.”''

''“Experiencing karm in unison is more an instance of indirect and unrelated correlation of karmic events, and not ever because any group of individuals somehow ‘shared’ karm. The idea of ‘collective karm’ would directly negate the meaning of free will on the part of the person performing materially motivated action, and consequently producing karm, thus rendering the entire Vedic worldview null and void both metaphysically and logically. For this reason, there is no such thing as ‘shared karm.’”''<ref>Śrī Dharma Pravartaka Ācārya. ''Sanātana Dharm: The Eternal Natural Way''. ISDS, 2015, Omaha (Nebraska), USA. pp. 162–163.</ref>

The texts of ''Āyurveda'' do mention that natural calamities such as droughts, floods, pollution of air, water, and land, and the destruction of a country through war are results of the collective deeds of multiple individuals. However, these references are not developments of deep philosophical thought but rather reflections of popular belief. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the concept of collective ''Karm'' is foreign to the Hindu and other Dhārmic formulations of the Law of Karm.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Interfaith Perspectives:Distinction between New Age and Dhārmic Notions of Karm

2026-07-10T01:58:37Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The first distinction is that New Agers, Buddhists, and Jains believe that ''Karm'' is a self-operating mechanism—meaning that the universe is intelligent enough to ensure that we all reap the fruit of our respective ''Karm'' 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 ''Karm''.

The second major difference between New Agers and Theosophists, on one hand, and the Dharm-based systems on the other, is that the former support a notion of “collective,” “group,” or “national” karm, whereas the latter advocate an entirely individualistic understanding of ''Karm''.

A modern Hindu scholar describes the notion of collective karm as follows:<ref>Jayaram V. ''The Law of Karma in Hinduism''. Available online at: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_karma.asp (accessed on 25 April 2022).</ref>

''“It is also believed that just as each person incurs karm through his or her actions, actions performed as groups also give rise to collective karm that would impact their collective future. According to this belief, nations, organizations, and associations also incur karm 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 karm and have to repay for the actions of their country through their own lives. The 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 ''Dharm'' rejects the notion that there is a group, collective, or national ''Karm''. A modern Hindu teacher explains why Hindus reject the doctrine of collective karm:

''“There is no such thing as collective karm in the directly causative sense anywhere in the Vedic worldview or scriptures, but only in the coincidental retributive sense. In other words, there is no such concept as ‘shared karm.’ Rather, it is possible for an incidental grouping of individuals to experience their individually accrued karm at the same place and time.”''

''“By both definition and logical necessity, karm is, and can only be, operative on an individual basis, and upon each particular ''Jīva'' (an ''Ātman'' who is presently in illusion), by his free will works containing ethical content. Thus, each individual is solely responsible for his actions and the resultant effects of those actions.”''

''“However, what does periodically occur is the manifestation of individual karm 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 karm at the same particular place and time. Even if you have several individuals all experiencing their karm at the same time and place, the individuals’ respective karm would be the result of their actions in previous lives, and not the result of some action they all performed collectively.”''

''“Experiencing karm in unison is more an instance of indirect and unrelated correlation of karmic events, and not ever because any group of individuals somehow ‘shared’ karm. The idea of ‘collective karm’ would directly negate the meaning of free will on the part of the person performing materially motivated action, and consequently producing karm, thus rendering the entire Vedic worldview null and void both metaphysically and logically. For this reason, there is no such thing as ‘shared karm.’”''<ref>Śrī Dharma Pravartaka Ācārya. ''Sanātana Dharm: The Eternal Natural Way''. ISDS, 2015, Omaha (Nebraska), USA. pp. 162–163.</ref>

The texts of ''Āyurveda'' do mention that natural calamities such as droughts, floods, pollution of air, water, and land, and the destruction of a country through war are results of the collective deeds of multiple individuals. However, these references are not developments of deep philosophical thought but rather reflections of popular belief. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the concept of collective ''Karm'' is foreign to the Hindu and other Dhārmic formulations of the Law of Karm.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Benefits of the Science of Karm

2026-07-10T01:53:22Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Belief in the Science of Karm 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 Karm explains that this is a result of their previous Karm.

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 Karm.

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 Karm suffers, he explains his suffering to some bad karm 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-

“Karm 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.” <ref>Mumford, John (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). ''Karma Manual.'' Llewellyn Publications, 1999, St. Paul (Minnesota).p.1</ref>

“The holistic doctrine of Karm gives us a reason for everything and everything for a reason. Karm, as a philosophy, maintains hope in the midst of hopelessness and provides us with the courage to continue our personal evolution.” <ref>Mumford, John (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). ''Karma Manual.'' Llewellyn Publications, 1999, St. Paul (Minnesota).p. 2 </ref>

4. The Law of Karm is retributive because one reaps the fruit of one’s own Karm. Therefore, the fear of suffering in the future prevents many from doing evil Karm now.

5. The Law of Karm is consistent with the notion of a just Divine Bhagavān.

6. It helps us develop a rational plan for our ethical and spiritual progress and growth.

“Karm is the law on psycho-spiritual growth that involves an equal and opposite reaction for every action. Karm is a process designed to ensure evolution of consciousness.” <ref>Mumford, John (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). ''Karma Manual.'' Llewellyn Publications, 1999, St. Paul (Minnesota). p. 4 </ref>

The importance of the Law of Karm is summarized by a modern scholar in the following words -

''“The law of Karm 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 the 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 Bhagavān….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 have sown in their past life.”'' <ref>Pandey, S. L. "The Law of Karma: A Comparative View." In ''Perspectives on Karma and Rebirth,'' edited by Kewal Krishan Mittal, Eastern Book Linkers, 1990, pp. 26–32.</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa: Integral Yog in the Śaiva Tradition

2026-07-10T01:44:54Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The corresponding path or paths for those who worship Śiva as the Supreme ''Bhagavān'' are found in the tradition of Śaivism. Like Vaiṣṇavism, Śaivism enjoys a large and ancient following. It encompasses numerous sub-traditions such as Siddha Śaivism, Kāśmīra Śaivism, Vīra Śaivism, Pāśupata Śaivism, and others including tantric branches.

In Śaivism, the Absolute Supreme Being is identified as Śiva or ''Pati'' (''Bhagavān''), who is eternal and unbound. In contrast, individual beings called ''Jīvas'' or ''Paśu'' (bound souls) are entangled in ''Prakṛti'' through three ''Pāśas'' (bonds or impurities):

:''Āṇava'' (egoism)
:''Karm'' (action and its consequences)
:''Māyā'' (illusion or delusion)

Due to these three bonds, the soul undergoes repeated birth and death until liberated. Thus, the concepts of ''Pati'', ''Paśu'', and ''Pāśas'' form the foundational triad of Śaiva metaphysics.

Since Śaivism views all three ''Malas'' as causes of bondage, it places less exclusive emphasis on ''Karm'' alone and more broadly on severing all three to attain ''Mokṣa''. Various Śaiva schools propose different methods:

====Four Pādas (Paths) in Tantric Śaivism====
The tantric texts of Śaivism describe four methods or ''Pādas'' for liberation:
:''Vidyā Pāda'' or ''Jñāna Pāda'' – Scriptural knowledge
:''Kriyā Pāda'' or ''Karm Pāda'' – Rituals and mantras
:''Yog Pāda'' – Yogic practices like Kuṇḍalinī meditation
:''Caryā Pāda'' – Right conduct and service

====Pāśupata Śaivism====
Pāśupata Śaivism prescribes:
:''Vāsācārya'' – Moral conduct
:''Japa'' – Recitation of mantras
:''Dhyāna'' – Meditation
:''Rudra Smṛti'' – Constant remembrance of Śiva

Initiation by a ''Guru'' is essential. It is believed that a disciple’s past ''Karmas'' are destroyed at the time of ''Dīkṣā''. Pāśupata ascetics also practiced unusual or socially disruptive behaviors (e.g., strange laughter, public dancing, ash-smearing) as a method of ''Tapaḥ'' to invoke social humiliation and thereby dissolve the ego (''Ahaṃkāra'').

====Śaiva Siddhānta====
This school classifies souls based on their bondage:
:Bound only by ''Āṇava''
:Bound by ''Āṇava'' and ''Karm''
:Bound by ''Āṇava'', ''Karm'', and ''Māyā''

Śaiva Siddhānta accepts all four ''Pādas'' as valid paths. Here too, initiation (''Dīkṣā'') by a ''Guru'' is considered vital. Depending on the disciple's aptitude, the Guru assigns one of the following four ''Mārgas'':
:''Dāsa Mārga'' – Path of servant (''Caryā'')
:''Satputra Mārga'' – Path of son (''Kriyā'')
:''Saha Mārga'' – Path of friend (''Yog'')
:''San Mārga'' – True path (''Jñāna'')

Here, knowledge (''Jñāna'') is held to be more critical than devotional sentiment (''Bhakti'') in attaining ''Mokṣa''.

====Liberation in Śaivism====
Regardless of the method, the central emphasis in Śaivism is on liberating the ''Jīva'' by:
:Realizing one’s ''Śiva-Tattva'' (divine nature)
:Receiving the grace of Śiva through the ''Guru''
:Performing dispassionate rituals
:Cultivating experiential knowledge

Rituals may range from simple temple-based and mental offerings to elaborate tantric practices.

The parallels between the four ''Yogs'' (''Jñāna'', ''Bhakti'', ''Karm'', and ''Rāja'') of Vaiṣṇava systems and the four ''Pādas'' of Śaivism are evident, both aiming to integrate conduct, devotion, knowledge, and inner discipline toward the ultimate goal of liberation.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Bhakti Yog and Karm:Destruction of Kriyamāna Karm by Bhakti Yog

2026-07-10T01:28:43Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The ''kriyamāṇa karm'' of a perfected adherent of ''Bhakti yog'' does not produce any fruit because it is done as an offering to the Bhagavān.

''“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever oblations you offer, whatever you give, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kuntī, make it an offering to Me.”'' '''Gītā 9.27'''

''“You shall certainly be liberated from the bonds of karm, which produce good and evil fruit. With your mind disciplined by the yog of renunciation, you shall get liberated and will come to Me.”'' '''Gītā 9.28'''

The Bhagavān assures us that even an evil person who resolves to serve Him, love Him, and worship Him sincerely goes to the Bhagavān, for no true devotee ever perishes, and his account of past evil actions is erased.

[[File:God with us.png|thumb|Īśvara with us]]

He does not experience the typical effects (pain, temporariness, etc.) of the fruit of his actions because he has surrendered himself completely to the Divine Will, and the Bhagavān Himself ensures that His ''bhakta'' is freed from all evil effects of karm.

''“Hear from Me 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.”'' '''Gītā 18.64'''

''“Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer your obeisance to Me. In this way, you shall truly come to Me. I promise you, because you are dear to Me.”'' '''Gītā 18.65'''

''“Abandoning all ''dharmas'' completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils; do not grieve.”'' '''Gītā 18.66'''

Abandoning ''dharmas'' does not mean that we forsake our worldly or spiritual duties. Rather, it means that we perform ''pravṛtta karm'' as our offering to the Bhagavān and place our hope for liberation not in the fruits of our actions but in the grace of the Supreme.

===='''Haridās Ṭhākur: The Muslim Who Would Not Give Up His Faith in Kṛṣṇa'''====

[[File:Chaitanya Mahaprabhus.png|thumb|Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu]]

One of the most revered disciples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Haridās Ṭhākur, born in 1464 CE to Muslim parents in Budan (Jessore District, present-day Bangladesh). His original name is lost to history. In the ''Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava'' tradition, he is considered a dual incarnation of ''Bhagavān Brahmā'' and ''bhakta Prahlāda''.

Haridās became a devoted follower of Kṛṣṇa under the influence of Advaita Ācārya. It is said he chanted the holy names of Kṛṣṇa 300,000 times daily. Śrī Caitanya, who became his Guru, honored him with the title ''nāmācārya'' and gave him the responsibility of leading ''nāma-saṅkīrtana'' in Navadvīpa.

Bengal was then ruled by the Muslim Sultan Hussain Shah, who did not tolerate public displays of worship. Haridās's public devotion and conversion were seen as a challenge. He was imprisoned, where he preached the ''Vaiṣṇava'' faith even to the inmates, declaring there was no contradiction between Islam and Hindu ''dharm''.

This angered the authorities. The local magistrate sentenced him to be whipped in 22 marketplaces. Haridās endured the punishment peacefully while continuously chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. When assumed dead, he was thrown into a river, but he miraculously survived.

Later, he followed Śrī Caitanya to Purī, then under the rule of King Pratāparudra. Though he was not allowed entry into the Jagannātha Temple due to his Muslim birth, Śrī Caitanya arranged for him to reside nearby, where he could see the temple spire and receive daily ''prasāda''.

When his end was near, Haridās requested Śrī Caitanya to place His foot upon his chest. The Bhagavān fulfilled this wish and conducted his funeral with His own hands on the shores of Purī. Haridās Ṭhākur’s ''samādhi'' remains there to this day.

His life is a shining example of ''bhakti'' overcoming caste, creed, and persecution. Despite immense suffering, Haridās’s love for Kṛṣṇa remained unwavering, and the Bhagavān Himself assured his spiritual liberation.

===='''The Redemption of Vālmīki'''====

Another powerful example is the transformation of Vālmīki, the author of the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. Originally a highway robber, Vālmīki’s life changed through deep devotion to Śrī Rāma. Through penance and repetition of the name of Rāma even mistakenly at first he was purified and ultimately received divine knowledge, enabling him to compose one of the greatest epics in world literature.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Bhakti Yog and Karm:Destruction of Kriyamāna Karm by Bhakti Yog

2026-07-02T04:51:42Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The same verses of the ''Gītā'' as quoted above apply in this category as well. The ''kriyamāṇa karm'' of a perfected adherent of ''Bhakti yog'' does not produce any fruit because it is done as an offering to the Bhagavān.

''“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever oblations you offer, whatever you give, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kuntī, make it an offering to Me.”'' '''Gītā 9.27'''

''“You shall certainly be liberated from the bonds of karm, which produce good and evil fruit. With your mind disciplined by the yog of renunciation, you shall get liberated and will come to Me.”'' '''Gītā 9.28'''

The Bhagavān assures us that even an evil person who resolves to serve Him, love Him, and worship Him sincerely goes to the Bhagavān, for no true devotee ever perishes, and his account of past evil actions is erased.

[[File:God with us.png|thumb|Īśvara with us]]

He does not experience the typical effects (pain, temporariness, etc.) of the fruit of his actions because he has surrendered himself completely to the Divine Will, and the Bhagavān Himself ensures that His ''bhakta'' is freed from all evil effects of karm.

''“Hear from Me 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.”'' '''Gītā 18.64'''

''“Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer your obeisance to Me. In this way, you shall truly come to Me. I promise you, because you are dear to Me.”'' '''Gītā 18.65'''

''“Abandoning all ''dharmas'' completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils; do not grieve.”'' '''Gītā 18.66'''

Abandoning ''dharmas'' does not mean that we forsake our worldly or spiritual duties. Rather, it means that we perform ''pravṛtta karm'' as our offering to the Bhagavān and place our hope for liberation not in the fruits of our actions but in the grace of the Supreme.

===='''Haridās Ṭhākur: The Muslim Who Would Not Give Up His Faith in Kṛṣṇa'''====

[[File:Chaitanya Mahaprabhus.png|thumb|Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu]]

One of the most revered disciples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Haridās Ṭhākur, born in 1464 CE to Muslim parents in Budan (Jessore District, present-day Bangladesh). His original name is lost to history. In the ''Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava'' tradition, he is considered a dual incarnation of ''Bhagavān Brahmā'' and ''bhakta Prahlāda''.

Haridās became a devoted follower of Kṛṣṇa under the influence of Advaita Ācārya. It is said he chanted the holy names of Kṛṣṇa 300,000 times daily. Śrī Caitanya, who became his Guru, honored him with the title ''nāmācārya'' and gave him the responsibility of leading ''nāma-saṅkīrtana'' in Navadvīpa.

Bengal was then ruled by the Muslim Sultan Hussain Shah, who did not tolerate public displays of worship. Haridās's public devotion and conversion were seen as a challenge. He was imprisoned, where he preached the ''Vaiṣṇava'' faith even to the inmates, declaring there was no contradiction between Islam and Hindu ''dharm''.

This angered the authorities. The local magistrate sentenced him to be whipped in 22 marketplaces. Haridās endured the punishment peacefully while continuously chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. When assumed dead, he was thrown into a river, but he miraculously survived.

Later, he followed Śrī Caitanya to Purī, then under the rule of King Pratāparudra. Though he was not allowed entry into the Jagannātha Temple due to his Muslim birth, Śrī Caitanya arranged for him to reside nearby, where he could see the temple spire and receive daily ''prasāda''.

When his end was near, Haridās requested Śrī Caitanya to place His foot upon his chest. The Bhagavān fulfilled this wish and conducted his funeral with His own hands on the shores of Purī. Haridās Ṭhākur’s ''samādhi'' remains there to this day.

His life is a shining example of ''bhakti'' overcoming caste, creed, and persecution. Despite immense suffering, Haridās’s love for Kṛṣṇa remained unwavering, and the Bhagavān Himself assured his spiritual liberation.

===='''The Redemption of Vālmīki'''====

Another powerful example is the transformation of Vālmīki, the author of the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. Originally a highway robber, Vālmīki’s life changed through deep devotion to Śrī Rāma. Through penance and repetition of the name of Rāma even mistakenly at first he was purified and ultimately received divine knowledge, enabling him to compose one of the greatest epics in world literature.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Bhakti Yog and Karm:Destruction of Prārabdha Karm by Bhakti Yog

2026-07-01T16:58:22Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The result of ''prārabdha karm'', or ripened ''karm'' that has come into play, must be experienced and it cannot be wished away or destroyed. Some teachers like Swāmī Śivānanda interpret ''Gītā'' 4.37 (“The fire of spiritual wisdom then incinerates to ashes ALL ''karm's”) to mean that even ''prārabdha karm''s are destroyed when spiritual wisdom dawns.

But all traditional commentators add the caveat that the phrase ‘All ''karm''s’ excludes ''prārabdha karm''s and this seems to be the logical explanation for two reasons – first, we do see that enlightened saints like Swāmī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa and Rāmāṇa Mahārṣi died what we’d call a painful death. Second, it is this ''prārabdha karm'' that results in our rebirth, and the body we have. So obviously, destruction of ''prārabdha karm'' will lead to instant death of the ‘beneficiary’ which is our body. In other words, if spiritual wisdom literally destroys all of our ''prārabdha karm''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.

Śrīdhara Svāmī clarifies under this verse that ‘all ''karm''’ does not include ''prārabdha karm''. In other words, ''prārabdha karm'' is not reduced to ashes by knowledge because it has already come to fruition. Śaṅkarācārya too cites the following passage to qualify the statement of the ''Gītā'' that ‘all ''karm''s are reduced to ashes’:

''He has to wait only as long as he is unreleased; then, he attains perfection.'' '''Sāmaveda, Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2'''

Śaṅkarācārya uses this Upaniṣadic passage to conclude under this verse of the ''Gītā'' that the phrase ‘all ''karm''’ does not include the ''prārabdha karm''. Other śāstra-s too declare that the ''prārabdha karm'' must be experienced and borne even after one has become spiritually enlightened. For example, ''Brahmasūtra'' 4.1.19 declares that ''prārabdha karm'' is not extinguished by ''jñāna'' and must be experienced till it is exhausted. This is how Śaṅkarācārya and all other commentators explain this particular sūtra. In short, the tradition is fairly unanimous that spiritual enlightenment destroys one’s ''sañcita'' and ''kriyamāṇa karm''s, but not the ''prārabdha karm'', and the present verse of ''Gītā'' must be interpreted accordingly.

Swāmī Chidbhavananda explains that the fire of knowledge destroys the ''sañcita'' and the ''kriyamāṇa karm''s. It does not destroy the ''prārabdha karm''s but renders them ineffective because the ''jñānī'' 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 ''sant''s. For instance, Rāmāṇa Mahārṣi died of a cauliflower-sized tumor on his arm, and yet he bore the pain patiently till the very end. Swāmī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa had cancer in his throat that caused a lot of pain. His disciples often asked him to use his spiritual powers to approach Devī Kālī 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 ''mokṣa''.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Bhakti Yog and Karm

2026-07-01T16:38:26Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The path of ''bhakti yog'' is regarded as the easiest and most accessible path to liberation. It is open to all, regardless of one’s educational background, social status, or gender. This path emphasizes ''loving devotion to Bhagavān'' through sincere worship, complete surrender, and the performance of all duties with an attitude of offering.

In ''bhakti yog'', the seeker performs his worldly and spiritual actions with the intention of pleasing ''Bhagavān'', cultivating a personal relationship with Him and accepting ''His Will'' as supreme. The ''bhakta'' (devotee) surrenders his mind, heart, and will completely to the Divine and becomes a channel for the Divine Will. His thoughts, emotions, and actions become harmonized with Bhagavān’s purpose.

For this reason, modern teachers describe this attitude as ''nimitta bhāva'', becoming a divine instrument (''nimitta'') in the hands of Bhagavān.

''“Arjuna, Bhagavān dwells within the region of the heart of all beings, causing them all to revolve by māyā, as if mounted on a machine.”'' '''Gītā 18.61'''

''“Abandoning all ''dharmā''s completely, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all evils; do not grieve.”'' '''Gītā 18.66'''

By surrendering entirely to the Divine, the devotee relinquishes all ego and claims of doership. The ''bhakta'' recognizes that he is but an instrument (''nimitta-mātraṃ'') and that the fruits of his actions are governed solely by Bhagavān’s grace. This inner transformation brings profound ''peace, humility, and joy'', making ''bhakti yog'' both a transformative practice and a complete path to ''mokṣa''.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Dhyāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Prārabdha Karm by Dhyāna Yog

2026-07-01T16:34:21Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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 ''mokṣa''. But the practice of ''yog'' 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 ''yog'' 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 ''prāṇāyāma''. By ''pūraka'' (inhalation), somnolence is to be conquered. By ''kumbhaka'' (retention of breath), one can conquer the shivering sensation. By ''recaka'' (exhalation), one can conquer the augmentation or excess of heat in the body. '''Garuḍa Purāṇa 1.226.16'''''

'''Story: ''Sadāśiva Brahmendra Sarasvatī'''''
[[File:Sadāshiva Brahmendra Saraswatī.png|thumb]]

He was a great ''yogī'' and ''vedāntin'' 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 chose 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 halfway 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 Sadāśiva 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 earlier by Ṛṣi 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 yog. '''Vaiśeṣika Sūtra 5.2.16'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through mokṣa:Dhyāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Dhyāna Yog

2026-07-01T16:32:34Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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.”'' <ref>Swami Bhaskarananda. ''The Essentials of Hinduism.'' Viveka Press, 2002, Seattle.p. 126</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Jnāna Yog

2026-06-28T15:11:15Z

Sachi Anjunkar: Sachi Anjunkar moved page Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Jnāna Yog to Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa: Jnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Jnāna Yog

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa: Jnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Jnāna Yog]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa: Jnāna Yog and Karm:Destruction of Sanchita Karm by Jnāna Yog

2026-06-28T15:11:14Z

By Vishal Agarwal

When a person perfects ''jñāna-yog'', his ''ātmā'' attains parity with ''Paramātmā'' or ''Brahman'', and good and evil fruit of ''karm'' 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, Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.24.3'''''

''Then the enlightened one completely shakes off both virtue and vice, becomes taintless, and attains absolute equality (to Brahman). '''Atharvaveda, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 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 ''karm'', sometimes the fruit of his bad ''karm''. '''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. '''Gītā 4.36'''''

''Arjuna, just as the fire which is kindled reduces firewood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all ''karm'' to ashes. '''Gītā 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 ''jñāna''. '''Manusmṛti 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 ''karm''. '''Śivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.47'''''

''Sañcita-karmas'' are destroyed by the firm knowledge, ‘I am the Truth (''Brahman'') alone.’ ''Tattvabodha'' of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya <ref>Swami Tejomayananda. ''Tattvabodha.'' Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 2013, Mumbai.p. 125 </ref>

In fact,śāstrā 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. '''Sāmaveda, Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa 1.50'''''

''He shakes off both virtues and vices; his beloved relatives get his virtues and his hated relatives his vices. '''Ṛgveda, Kauṣītakī Upaniṣad 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. '''Manusmṛti 6.79'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:Jnāna Yog and Karm

2026-06-28T15:10:40Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

The path of ''jñāna-yog'' teaches that our ''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 one body to another till we achieve ''mokṣa''. 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 ''mokṣa''.

So this leads us to the conundrum – If we focus on ''jñāna-yog'', we cannot remain engaged in the world, and will have to desist from all ''karm''. And yet, if we perform ''karm'', then we will get entangled in the web of its good and bad results (''puṇya'' and ''pāpa''). Kṛṣṇa 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. '''Gītā 3.28'''

He reminds Arjuna that in the ''Sāṃkhya Darśana'', the ''ātmā'' is said to be merely ''sākṣī'' or witness/intelligent knower, and not a doer. All activity or ''karm'' is said to be in the domain of the three ''guṇas''. This insight means that one must engage in his ''karm'' with the ''sākṣī-bhāva'' (state of being a witness), by considering the three ''guṇas'' as the real actor, and the ''puruṣa'' merely 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…” <ref> Swami Sivananda (1999), p. 105. The follower of Bhakti Yoga adopts the ‘Nimitta Bhāva’ (becoming the instrument of the Lord). The follower of Karma Yoga adopts the Nārāyaṇa Bhāva (all actions are a service to the Lord, an offering to him). The Dhyāna Yogīs adopt the Ātma Bhāva (‘all are in Me, I am in all, and we all are in the Paramātman due to which we are all interconnected’). There is not much difference between the latter two and they are interchangeable because the Gita indicates a very strong connection between the paths of Karma Yoga and Dhyāna Yoga, with the latter typically being the sequel of the former. </ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm

2026-06-28T15:09:53Z

Sachi Anjunkar: Sachi Anjunkar moved page Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm to Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:Jnāna Yog and Karm

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:Jnāna Yog and Karm]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:Jnāna Yog and Karm

2026-06-28T15:09:52Z

Sachi Anjunkar: Sachi Anjunkar moved page Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:YJnāna Yog and Karm to Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa:Jnāna Yog and Karm

By Vishal Agarwal

The path of ''jñāna-yog'' 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 one body to another till we achieve ''mokṣa''. 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 ''mokṣa''.

So this leads us to the conundrum – If we focus on ''jñāna-yog'', we cannot remain engaged in the world, and will have to desist from all ''karm''. And yet, if we perform ''karm'', then we will get entangled in the web of its good and bad results (''puṇya'' and ''pāpa''). Kṛṣṇa 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. '''Gītā 3.28'''

He reminds Arjuna that in the ''Sāṃkhya Darśana'', the ''ātmā'' is said to be merely ''sākṣī'' or witness/intelligent knower, and not a doer. All activity or ''karm'' is said to be in the domain of the three ''guṇas''. This insight means that one must engage in his ''karm'' with the ''sākṣī-bhāva'' (state of being a witness), by considering the three ''guṇas'' as the real actor, and the ''puruṣa'' merely 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…” <ref> Swami Sivananda (1999), p. 105. The follower of Bhakti Yoga adopts the ‘Nimitta Bhāva’ (becoming the instrument of the Lord). The follower of Karma Yoga adopts the Nārāyaṇa Bhāva (all actions are a service to the Lord, an offering to him). The Dhyāna Yogīs adopt the Ātma Bhāva (‘all are in Me, I am in all, and we all are in the Paramātman due to which we are all interconnected’). There is not much difference between the latter two and they are interchangeable because the Gita indicates a very strong connection between the paths of Karma Yoga and Dhyāna Yoga, with the latter typically being the sequel of the former. </ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Transcending Karm through Mokṣa

2026-06-28T15:03:26Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

It might be argued, ‘Performance of virtuous actions consistent with ''dharm'' should be sufficient to achieve ''mokṣa'' 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. '''Gītā 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. Thus, 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 Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa also declares that ''sattva guṇa'' is like a golden chain, ''rajo guṇa'' like an iron chain, and ''tamo guṇa'' is like the ordinary jute rope or chain that binds human beings. In short, even good ''karmas'' are a golden rope. They tie us to ''saṃsāra'' when they are performed as ''pravṛtta karm'' –

''The rope of ''dharm'' uplifts one, whereas the rope of ''adharm'' drags one down. Cleaving both these ropes with the sword of knowledge, one attains peace (of ''mokṣa'') upon discarding the body. '''Śivadharmottara Upapurāṇa 3.42'''''

Following the path of ''pravṛtti dharm'' (or ''dharm'' in short). But Hindu ''dharm'' also teaches that a human being is capable of rising above ''pravṛtti dharm'' to pursue the goal of ''mokṣa''.

Note that ''nivṛtti dharm'' (''mokṣa dharm'' or ''karma-yog'') is one of the paths to achieve ''mokṣa'' but not the only one in the śāstrā. There are other paths that advocate total giving up of ''karm'' (with a single-minded focus on spiritual knowledge, wisdom and meditation) except actions needed for the bare maintenance of the body. Nevertheless, ''nivṛtta karm'' can be combined with the other paths to achieve ''mokṣa'' –

''Merit and defects arising from performance of virtuous and prohibited ''karmas'' do not affect those saints who are exclusively devoted to Me [''bhakti-yog''], who are of even mind [''dhyāna-yog''], and who have realized the soul that is superior to ''buddhi'' (intellect) [''jñāna-yog'']. '''Uddhava Gītā 15.36'''''

Swami Sivananda explains:

“The whole lot of ''sañcita karm'' is destroyed by attaining Knowledge of Brahman or the eternal. It can be gently modified by entertaining lofty, divine thoughts, and doing virtuous actions. ''Āgāmi karm'' can be destroyed by expiatory rites or ''prāyaścitta''; and by removing the idea of agency through ''nimitta bhāva'' (attitude that one is an instrument in the hands of ''Bhagavān'') and ''sākṣī bhāva'' (attitude that one is silent witness of the actions of the senses and of the mind).” <ref>Swami Sivananda. ''All About Hinduism.'' The Divine Life Society, 1993, Tehri-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), India.p. 79</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Pravritti and Nivritti Dharm:Pravritta Karm (Pravritti Dharm) and Nivritta Karm (Nivritti Dharm)

2026-06-28T15:01:33Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

From a ''karm''-centric viewpoint, we have the twin concepts of ''pravṛtti dharm'' (or ''pravṛtta karm'') versus ''nivṛtti dharm'' (or ''nivṛtta karm''). In a nutshell, the ''Manusmṛti'' defines them as below:

''Vedic ''karm'' is two-fold: ''pravṛtta'' and ''nivṛtta''. That which causes happiness in this world or in heaven is called ''pravṛtta'', and that which leads to the supreme good (or ''mokṣa'') is called ''nivṛtta''. '''Manusmṛti 12.88'''''

''Whatever action is done here or in the next world with a desire for its fruit is called ''pravṛtta karm''. And whatever action is performed without a desire for its fruit, being imbued with spiritual wisdom – that is called ''nivṛtta karm''. '''Manusmṛti 12.89'''''

''Performance of ''pravṛtta karm'' leads to attainment of the status of Devatā (in Heaven), whereas by performance of ''nivṛtta karm'', the doer transcends the five elements (from which the material Universe and this body are made), i.e., he attains liberation or ''mokṣa''. '''Manusmṛti 12.90'''''

In this pair, ''nivṛtti dharm'' / ''nivṛtta karm'' can be considered as equivalent to ''mokṣa dharm''. The ''Bhagavad Gītā'' presents an extremely systematic teaching on ''nivṛtti dharm'' or ''nivṛtta karm'' in the form of ''karma-yog''. The path of ''karma-yog'' is a very important and unique contribution of Kṛṣṇa to humanity.

In fact, many prominent people like Lokamānya Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi regard ''karma-yog'' as the central teaching of the ''Bhagavad Gītā''. Kṛṣṇa’s spiritual teachings are also scattered in some other sections of the ''Mahābhārata'', and in other scriptures like the ''Bhāgavata Purāṇa'', which also contain directives on ''karma-yog''.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Disenchantment with Saṃsāra:Exerting for Happiness produces Inequalities and Happiness can be Exceeded

2026-06-28T14:58:35Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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, Kṛṣṇajanma Khaṇḍa'')'''
[[File:Indra and Many Indras.png|thumb]]

Once, after Indra had defeated the powerful Asuras, he was faced with another challenge: rebuilding his capital, Amarāvatī, that had been destroyed in the war. He summoned his architect Viśvakarmā and said, “I am the mighty Indra who has defeated the powerful demon Vṛtra. I want you to build me a grand palace that befits my stature, because I am the King of all Devas.”
As commanded, Viśvakarmā 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 more grand.”
Viśvakarmā 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?” Viśvakarmā was disappointed, but out of fear of Indra, he set about designing an even grander palace. When the date of the inauguration was fixed, all the Devas could not stop admiring the beauty, grandeur, and opulence of Viśvakarmā’s palace for Indra. But to their surprise, Indra was still not satisfied, and he threatened Viśvakarmā for not doing justice to Indra’s glory.

Viśvakarmā now approached Brahmā and prayed, ''“''Bhagavān'', 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 to appreciate my creations!”'' Brahmā said, ''“Let us go to ''Bhagavān'' Viṣṇu and seek his help. He will set Indra in his right place!” And the two went to Viṣṇu, 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 by ‘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 the body of Viṣṇu 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, ''“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 Viṣṇu 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 who does numerous virtuous acts of ''dharm'' is reborn in a heaven within a universe as Indra. After the period of enjoyment, which is the fruit of these good deeds, is over, his Ātman is reborn as another creature. We become great or inferior only by our deeds. Good ''karm'' 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 ''dharm'', resulting in their birth as an insect.”''

Then, the boy revealed his true form as none other than Viṣṇu. Indra’s pride was vanquished. He realized that his vanity was pointless. Even though he had vanquished Vṛtra, he was not as mighty as Viṣṇu, and all his glory and fame would eventually vanish. Only the Supreme Being lasts forever.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Disenchantment with Saṃsāra:Exerting for Happiness produces Inequalities and Happiness can be Exceeded

2026-06-28T14:49:56Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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, Kṛṣṇajanma Khaṇḍa'')'''
[[File:Indra and Many Indras.png|thumb]]

Once, after Indra had defeated the powerful Asuras, he was faced with another challenge: rebuilding his capital, Amarāvatī, that had been destroyed in the war. He summoned his architect Viśvakarmā and said, “I am the mighty Indra who has defeated the powerful demon Vṛtra. I want you to build me a grand palace that befits my stature, because I am the King of all Devas.”
As commanded, Viśvakarmā 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 more grand.”
Viśvakarmā 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?” Viśvakarmā was disappointed, but out of fear of Indra, he set about designing an even grander palace. When the date of the inauguration was fixed, all the Devas could not stop admiring the beauty, grandeur, and opulence of Viśvakarmā’s palace for Indra. But to their surprise, Indra was still not satisfied, and he threatened Viśvakarmā for not doing justice to Indra’s glory.

Viśvakarmā now approached Brahmā and prayed, “''Bhagavān'', 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 to appreciate my creations!” Brahmā said, “Let us go to ''Bhagavān'' Viṣṇu and seek his help. He will set Indra in his right place!” And the two went to Viṣṇu, 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 by ‘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 the body of Viṣṇu 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, “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 Viṣṇu 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 who does numerous virtuous acts of ''dharm'' is reborn in a heaven within a universe as Indra. After the period of enjoyment, which is 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 ''karmas'' 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 ''dharm'', resulting in their birth as an insect.”

Then, the boy revealed his true form as none other than Viṣṇu. Indra’s pride was vanquished. He realized that his vanity was pointless. Even though he had vanquished Vṛtra, he was not as mighty as Viṣṇu, and all his glory and fame would eventually vanish. Only the Supreme Being lasts forever.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Disenchantment with Saṃsāra:Temporary Nature of Happiness Obtained through Ritualistic or Worldly Means

2026-06-28T14:33:40Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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, Kuvalyāśva, Yauvanāśva, Vadhryāśva, Aśvapati, Śaśabindu, Harīśchandra, Ambarīṣa, Ananakta, Śaryāti, Yayāti, Anaraṇya, Ukṣasena, 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 Upaniṣad 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 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. '''Garuḍa 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 do not last forever, either. We may use medicines and lotions to delay them, but eventually, old age catches up with us.

[[File:Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Ashvins from the Purāṇas .png|thumb]]
Illustrations: In his commentary on '''Gītā 11.27''', Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Aśvinī Kumāras from the Purāṇas that is relevant here:

Purūravas was extremely proud of his physical beauty and spent considerable time maintaining his handsome looks. Once, he was paid a visit by the Aśvinī 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 lasts forever, and said, “You can cover your wrinkles, but as Devas, we can see transformations happening to the minutest 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 ‘''śeṣa karm''’ or balance ''karm''. ''Śeṣa karm'' is like residual water that sticks to the side of a bottle after it has been emptied of water. <ref>Walli, Koshelya. ''Theory of Karman in Indian Thought.'' Bharata Manisha, 1977, Varanasi. pp. 46–48</ref> Numerous narratives in our scriptures describe the downfall of Indra and others like Nahuṣa after having dwelled in heaven.

''After a person has exhausted the results (fruit) from the performance of yajñas and charitable acts (''iṣṭāpūrta'') in heaven, he has to be reborn. '''Yajurveda, Taittirīya 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 (to earth) when their (heavenly) worlds obtained by performance of yajñas are exhausted and become miserable (again). '''Atharvaveda, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.9'''''

''There are others above them, we see the destruction of Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas, Gaṇas, Piśācas, 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. ''Bhagavān'', you are our deliverance, you are our deliverance.”''''' Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad 1.4b'''

'''Kṛṣṇa said:'''

''The knowers of the threefold Vedas who drink the soma (juice), and are purified of evil, worshipping Me with yajñas, seek the goal of heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the Devas in heaven. '''Gītā 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 ''dharm'' of the threefold Vedas, desirous of enjoyments, they attain the state of coming and going. '''Gītā 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 from these abodes. '''Anugītā 1.30'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Disenchantment with Saṃsāra:Temporary Nature of Happiness Obtained through Ritualistic or Worldly Means

2026-06-28T14:32:34Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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, Kuvalyāśva, Yauvanāśva, Vadhryāśva, Aśvapati, Śaśabindu, Harīśchandra, Ambarīṣa, Ananakta, Śaryāti, Yayāti, Anaraṇya, Ukṣasena, 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 Upaniṣad 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 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. '''Garuḍa 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 do not last forever, either. We may use medicines and lotions to delay them, but eventually, old age catches up with us.

[[File:Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Ashvins from the Purāṇas .png|thumb]]
Illustrations: In his commentary on '''Gītā 11.27''', Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Aśvinī Kumāras from the Purāṇas that is relevant here:

Purūravas was extremely proud of his physical beauty and spent considerable time maintaining his handsome looks. Once, he was paid a visit by the Aśvinī 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 lasts forever, and said, “You can cover your wrinkles, but as Devas, we can see transformations happening to the minutest 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 ‘''śeṣa karm''’ or balance ''karm''. ''Śeṣa karm'' is like residual water that sticks to the side of a bottle after it has been emptied of water. <ref>Walli, Koshelya. ''Theory of Karman in Indian Thought.'' Bharata Manisha, 1977, Varanasi. pp. 46–48</ref> Numerous narratives in our scriptures describe the downfall of Indra and others like Nahuṣa after having dwelled in heaven.

''After a person has exhausted the results (fruit) from the performance of yajñas and charitable acts (''iṣṭāpūrta'') in heaven, he has to be reborn. '''Yajurveda, Taittirīya 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 (to earth) when their (heavenly) worlds obtained by performance of yajñas are exhausted and become miserable (again). '''Atharvaveda, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.9'''''

There are others above them, we see the destruction of Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas, Gaṇas, Piśācas, 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. ''Bhagavān'', you are our deliverance, you are our deliverance.” '''Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad 1.4b'''

Kṛṣṇa said:

''The knowers of the threefold Vedas who drink the soma (juice), and are purified of evil, worshipping Me with yajñas, seek the goal of heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the Devas in heaven. '''Gītā 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 ''dharm'' of the threefold Vedas, desirous of enjoyments, they attain the state of coming and going. '''Gītā 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 from these abodes. '''Anugītā 1.30'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Disenchantment with Saṃsāra:Temporary Nature of Happiness Obtained through Ritualistic or Worldly Means

2026-06-28T14:30:39Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

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, Kuvalyāśva, Yauvanāśva, Vadhryāśva, Aśvapati, Śaśabindu, Harīśchandra, Ambarīṣa, Ananakta, Śaryāti, Yayāti, Anaraṇya, Ukṣasena, 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 Upaniṣad 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 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. '''Garuḍa 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 do not last forever, either. We may use medicines and lotions to delay them, but eventually, old age catches up with us.

[[File:Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Ashvins from the Purāṇas .png|thumb]]
Illustrations: In his commentary on '''Gītā 11.27''', Madhvāchārya cites the story of Purūravas and Aśvinī Kumāras from the Purāṇas that is relevant here:

Purūravas was extremely proud of his physical beauty and spent considerable time maintaining his handsome looks. Once, he was paid a visit by the Aśvinī 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 lasts forever, and said, “You can cover your wrinkles, but as Devas, we can see transformations happening to the minutest 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 ‘''śeṣa karm''’ or balance ''karm''. ''Śeṣa karm'' is like residual water that sticks to the side of a bottle after it has been emptied of water. <ref>Walli, Koshelya. ''Theory of Karman in Indian Thought.'' Bharata Manisha, 1977, Varanasi. pp. 46–48</ref> Numerous narratives in our scriptures describe the downfall of Indra and others like Nahuṣa after having dwelled in heaven.

''After a person has exhausted the results (fruit) from the performance of yajñas and charitable acts (''iṣṭāpūrta'') in heaven, he has to be reborn. '''Yajurveda, Taittirīya 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 (to earth) when their (heavenly) worlds obtained by performance of yajñas are exhausted and become miserable (again). '''Atharvaveda, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.9'''''

There are others above them, we see the destruction of Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas, Gaṇas, Piśācas, 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. ''Bhagavān'', you are our deliverance, you are our deliverance.” '''Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad 1.4b'''

Kṛṣṇa said:

''The knowers of the threefold Vedas who drink the soma (juice), and are purified of evil, worshipping Me with yajñas, seek the goal of heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the Devas in heaven. '''Gītā 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 ''dharm'' of the threefold Vedas, desirous of enjoyments, they attain the state of coming and going. '''Gītā 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 from these abodes. '''Anugītā 1.30'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Karm, Dharm and Saṃsāra

2026-06-28T13:42:35Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

When we are born, we inherit the samskāra-s of karm done in previous lives. In our present lives, we experience the pleasant and unpleasant results of some past karm (whether done in past lives or in the present) and accumulate the results of newer karm that we perform. When the present body dies, Brahman, the witness of our karm, causes us to be reborn appropriately in a new, different body. Once again, we experience results of some of our past karm, and generate new ‘non-ripened’ karm, causing us to be reborn.

This cycle of birth, death and rebirth has no beginning. Under the influence of our Karm, and the guidance of Brahman, who witnesses our Karm 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 Śāstras. <ref>Armstrong, Jeffrey (Kavindra Rishi). ''Karm, the Ancient Science of Cause and Effect.'' Mandala Publishing, 2007, San Rafael (California).pp. 10-11 </ref>Truth of repeated births naturally follows from the science of karm. They are like two sides of the same coin.<ref>This view is shared by other Dharmic traditions – Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. The difference within the Dharmic traditions is that whereas Hindu Dharm and Sikhism believe in Brahman as the overseer of Samsāra, the Jains reject the very existence of Brahman, and the Buddhists feel that there is no need to bring in a Brahman to explain the nature and existence of Samsāra. </ref>

‘Saṃsāra’ is a very common word used to describe this world.

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. <ref> Swami Sivananda. ''All About Hinduism.'' The Divine Life Society, 1993, Tehri-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), India.p. 81 </ref>

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 karm is broken through and the soul attains release consisting in its realization of Bhagavān.” <ref>Mahadevan, T. M. P. ''Outlines of Hinduism.'' Chetana Limited, 1956, Bombay.p. 62 </ref>

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.” <ref>Panchadashi of Vidyaranya Swami 1.30, quoted in T. M. P. Mahadevan (1956), p. 63 164 J A B van Buitenen’s translation of the Critical Edition, with slight modifications p. 63 </ref>

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, 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 Adharm, 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, karm, 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, 64-68164
'''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Related Concepts: Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharm and Karm

2026-06-28T13:38:13Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharm and Karm, four terms are used interchangeably in the śāstrā because the range of their meanings overlap a lot. ‘Ṛtaṃ’ was used more commonly in the ancient Vedic sacred texts and was almost replaced by ‘dharm’ in later texts. <ref>Sridhar, Nithin. ''Samanya Dharma—Ethical Duties Common to All.'' Subbu Publication, 2019, Hubli. pp. 13–21</ref>

''Satyaṃ'' literally means ‘true, truth’, ‘real’ (i.e., not imaginary), ‘existent’, ‘unchangeable, eternal’ and so on. One should speak that which is ''satyaṃ'', or truthful, accurate and non-misleading. A mirage is ''asatya'' or not ''satyaṃ'' 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.

''Dharm'' 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 ''dharm'' is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘‘dhri’’ which means to ‘uphold’, ‘adopt’ or ‘safeguard’ etc. Therefore, ''dharm'' basically means something we must practice, adopt, uphold and live by, so that it safeguards us. <ref>Mehta, J. M. ''Four Objectives of Human Life.'' Pustak Mahal, 2006, Delhi. p. 16</ref>

A scholar explains the term in the following words:

''“Dharm 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.”'' <ref>Mumford, John (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). ''Karma Manual.'' Llewellyn Publications, 1999, St. Paul (Minnesota). p. 4</ref>

''“The concept of dharm has a varied and comprehensive connotation. The word is 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 prajāḥ''); (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 ‘dharm’ is used in different cognate senses at different levels and in different contexts. Only in a secondary sense it is used to represent Bhagavān-centered religion as understood in the West.”'' <ref>Mukundcharandas, Sadhu. ''Karma and Reincarnation in Hinduism.'' 3rd Revised Edition, Swaminarayan Aksharapith, 2016, Ahmedabad (India). p. 61</ref>

As mentioned above, ''dharm'' is also taken to mean the nature, essential or inherent property of a substance or a creature. For example, the ''dharm'' of a snake is to bite its perceived enemy. The ''dharm'' of a liquid is to flow along the gradient of the surface on which it is poured. <ref>This aspect of dharm is discussed in detail in the texts of Vaiśeṣika Darśana and are beyond the scope of the present discussion. So are the discussions on karm in this darśana.</ref> In our present discussion, we will only use this term to mean the ''dharm'' of humans, or ethics, morality, virtue etc.

A fundamental, core and foundational principle of dharm is truth (satyaṃ). In most cases, that which is true is consistent with dharm although sometimes they contradict each other. For example, speaking a truth that causes pain to the listener is not always dharm. Leaving these exceptions aside, dharm and satyaṃ overlap quite a bit and therefore these two terms are used interchangeably. <ref>Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.14 says that dharm and satya are one.</ref>

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 dharm. For this reason, ṛtaṃ and dharm are often used interchangeably, although ṛtaṃ emphasizes the mental aspect or understanding whereas dharm emphasizes action based on it. In a way, dharm can also be taken as a subset of ṛtaṃ, with the former dealing with human beings and the latter with the entire universe.

Karm means action – physical, mental and verbal. In most cases, dharm is expressed through actions – like educating one’s children, worshipping the devas, giving alms and so on. Therefore, dharm and karm are often used synonymously or interchangeably. Karm is used typically for physically practiced dharm. Satyaṃ is typically used for verbal actions that are consistent with dharm.

A modern scholar summarizes:

''“... ṛta, satya, and dharm refer to the three aspects of the same principle of reality. Thought in sync with ultimate reality or universal order is ṛta. ṛta expressed in speech is satya or truth about reality. ṛta and satya when becomes manifest in action as ethical duties, is dharm.”'' <ref>Sridhar, Nithin. ''Samanya Dharma—Ethical Duties Common to All.'' Subbu Publication, 2019, Hubli. p. 21</ref>

He also cites <ref>Sridhar, Nithin. ''Samanya Dharma—Ethical Duties Common to All.'' Subbu Publication, 2019, Hubli. p. 21</ref> Śatāvadhānī R. Gaṇeśa –

''“The wise understand ṛta as a system inherent in the universe, satya as a manifest reality of that system, and dharm as the work that is done with a firm understanding of the system and its manifestations. So, ṛta corresponds to an inner realization, satya corresponds to an external manifestation and dharm corresponds to an action leading to a result.”''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Related Concepts: Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharm and Karm

2026-06-28T13:37:33Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharm and Karm, four terms are used interchangeably in the śāstrā because the range of their meanings overlap a lot. ‘Ṛtaṃ’ was used more commonly in the ancient Vedic sacred texts and was almost replaced by ‘dharm’ in later texts. <ref>Sridhar, Nithin. ''Samanya Dharma—Ethical Duties Common to All.'' Subbu Publication, 2019, Hubli. pp. 13–21</ref>

''Satyaṃ'' literally means ‘true, truth’, ‘real’ (i.e., not imaginary), ‘existent’, ‘unchangeable, eternal’ and so on. One should speak that which is ''satyaṃ'', or truthful, accurate and non-misleading. A mirage is ''asatya'' or not ''satyaṃ'' 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.

''Dharm'' 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 ''dharm'' is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘‘dhri’’ which means to ‘uphold’, ‘adopt’ or ‘safeguard’ etc. Therefore, ''dharm'' basically means something we must practice, adopt, uphold and live by, so that it safeguards us. <ref>Mehta, J. M. ''Four Objectives of Human Life.'' Pustak Mahal, 2006, Delhi. p. 16</ref>

A scholar explains the term in the following words:

''“Dharm 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.”'' <ref>Mumford, John (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). ''Karma Manual.'' Llewellyn Publications, 1999, St. Paul (Minnesota). p. 4</ref>

''“The concept of dharm has a varied and comprehensive connotation. The word is 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 prajāḥ''); (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 ‘dharm’ is used in different cognate senses at different levels and in different contexts. Only in a secondary sense it is used to represent Bhagavān-centered religion as understood in the West.”'' <ref>Mukundcharandas, Sadhu. ''Karma and Reincarnation in Hinduism.'' 3rd Revised Edition, Swaminarayan Aksharapith, 2016, Ahmedabad (India). p. 61</ref>

As mentioned above, ''dharm'' is also taken to mean the nature, essential or inherent property of a substance or a creature. For example, the ''dharm'' of a snake is to bite its perceived enemy. The ''dharm'' of a liquid is to flow along the gradient of the surface on which it is poured. <ref>This aspect of dharm is discussed in detail in the texts of Vaiśeṣika Darśana and are beyond the scope of the present discussion. So are the discussions on karm in this darśana.</ref> In our present discussion, we will only use this term to mean the ''dharm'' of humans, or ethics, morality, virtue etc.

A fundamental, core and foundational principle of dharm is truth (satyaṃ). In most cases, that which is true is consistent with dharm although sometimes they contradict each other. For example, speaking a truth that causes pain to the listener is not always dharm. Leaving these exceptions aside, dharm and satyaṃ overlap quite a bit and therefore these two terms are used interchangeably. <ref>Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.14 says that dharm and satya are one.</ref>

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 dharm. For this reason, ṛtaṃ and dharm are often used interchangeably, although ṛtaṃ emphasizes the mental aspect or understanding whereas dharm emphasizes action based on it. In a way, dharm can also be taken as a subset of ṛtaṃ, with the former dealing with human beings and the latter with the entire universe.

Karm means action – physical, mental and verbal. In most cases, dharm is expressed through actions – like educating one’s children, worshipping the devas, giving alms and so on. Therefore, dharm and karm are often used synonymously or interchangeably. Karm is used typically for physically practiced dharm. Satyaṃ is typically used for verbal actions that are consistent with dharm.

A modern scholar summarizes:

''“... ṛta, satya, and dharm refer to the three aspects of the same principle of reality. Thought in sync with ultimate reality or universal order is ṛta. ṛta expressed in speech is satya or truth about reality. ṛta and satya when becomes manifest in action as ethical duties, is dharm.”'' <ref>Sridhar, Nithin. ''Samanya Dharma—Ethical Duties Common to All.'' Subbu Publication, 2019, Hubli. p. 21</ref>

He also cites <ref>Ibid, p. 21</ref> Śatāvadhānī R. Gaṇeśa –

''“The wise understand ṛta as a system inherent in the universe, satya as a manifest reality of that system, and dharm as the work that is done with a firm understanding of the system and its manifestations. So, ṛta corresponds to an inner realization, satya corresponds to an external manifestation and dharm corresponds to an action leading to a result.”''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Overcoming Anxiety over Stock of Good and Evil Karm

2026-06-28T13:36:21Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Even a virtuous person can get anxious and obsessive about what his stock of good or bad karm 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 dharm (svadharma) to the best of our abilities and with the best intentions and leave everything in the hands of the Bhagavān by surrendering to Him and His will wholeheartedly.
==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Evil Karm over-riding Good Karm

2026-06-28T13:35:04Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Sants and śāstras declare that some bad karmas can override good karmas, e.g., insulting a sant can destroy our good karmas. <ref>Bhagavān Swāmīnārāyaṇa’s ''Vachanāmṛta'', Gādhadā II.45 quoted by Sadhu Mukundcharandas (2016), p. 16. 143 R. S. Sethi (2008), p. 17</ref> This happens in rare instances where the intensity and magnitude of evil karmas is great.

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Study of the Vedas and other Sacred Texts

2026-06-28T13:33:02Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

''Studies that studied the ṛks, thereby offering milk to the devas. The devas then manifested. With the study of yajus, the ṛṣis made the offerings of clarified butter; with sāmans, they made an offering of soma; with the atharvāṅgiras, they made the offering of honey. With the study of brāhmaṇas, itihāsa, nārāśaṃsī, 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 brahmayajña, the ṛṣis attained proximity to the Supreme Being.'' '''''Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 2.9.2'''''

''Just as the aśvamedha sacrifice is the king of all sacrifices and destroys the taints of all pāpas; in a similar way, the aghamarṣaṇa hymn (Ṛgveda 10.190.1–3) also destroys the taints of all pāpas.'' '''''Manusmṛti 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 pāpas.'' '''''Manusmṛti 11.245'''''

''By studying the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda together with their brāhmaṇas and upaniṣads three times with a focused mind, one becomes free from all pāpas.'' '''''Manusmṛti 11.262'''''

''Just as a strong and blazing fire incinerates even moist trees, so does a knower of the Vedas destroy the taints of pāpas resulting from doing prohibited deeds.'' '''''Manusmṛti 12.101'''''

The Vedas and other sacred literature contain guidance on what is dharm and what is not dharm. Good deeds do 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: Ekanātha’s son-in-law overcomes his bad habits with the help of the Bhagavad Gītā'''
[[File:Ekanath’s son-in-law overcomes his bad habits with the help of Bhagavad Gita .png|thumb]]

Sant Ekanātha was a renowned saint of Mahārāṣṭra. He married his daughter to a famous scholar (*paṇḍita*) 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. Ekanātha’s daughter became very worried about her husband’s behavior and she spoke to her father about it.

Ekanātha 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 Gītā*. This will benefit her greatly. Then, you can go out wherever you please.” The *paṇḍita* agreed. So every night before he stepped out, he would read a couple of verses of the *Bhagavad Gītā* to his wife, and explain the meaning to her.

Slowly and slowly, the *paṇḍita* realized how beautiful the teachings of the *Bhagavad Gītā* were. They started having an influence on his own mind. After some time, with the effect of the *Gītā*, the *paṇḍita* stopped going out at night. He had not intended to study the *Gītā* 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'''
[[File:Recollection of a Sacred Verse Saves a Scholar from committing a Theft .png|thumb]]

A traditional story is narrated from the times of the virtuous and scholarly king Rājā Bhoja, who ruled central India in the 11th century CE. In his kingdom, there lived a virtuous brāhmaṇa who was very learned in śāstrā but was very poor. The brāhmaṇa was too proud to beg for food. But one day, he was so overcome by the hardships of poverty that he decided to rob Rājā 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 brāhmaṇa could have stolen some of them, but just at that moment, he recalled the teachings of the śāstras that one must not steal. Heeding the teaching, he refrained from the evil act. But now, he realized that the sun was rising on the horizon and darkness was vanishing rapidly. There was no way he could flee 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 brāhmaṇa 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 brāhmaṇa. The King asked him the reason for his hiding. The brāhmaṇa narrated how he wanted to rob the palace but that he recalled the words of the śāstras at that very moment and therefore stopped himself.

The King was pleased to hear the truthful brāhmaṇa 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, Rājā Bhoja ordered that the brāhmaṇa be sent away with costly presents. <ref>Chaitanya, Devendra, and Sudarshan Singh Chakra. ''Drishtaanta Mahāsāgara.'' Randhir Prakashan, 2013, Haridwar. (in Hindi). pp. 662–663</ref>

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna

2026-06-28T13:30:30Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna also may help Lessen the Evil Karm,

''Confessing one’s pāpas 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 pāpas.'' '''''Manusmṛti 11.227'''''

''Ṛṣi Vyāsa said, One can get purified of the results of his evil karmas 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, yajñas, fasting, recourse to spiritual knowledge, bathing in holy rivers and resorting to places dwelt by people devoted to japa and yajñas are effective atonements.'' '''''Mahābhārata 12.36.6–7ab'''''

''One should give alms to destroy his pāpas. 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 Smṛti 45'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna

2026-06-28T13:30:02Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Charity, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Jnāna also may help Lessen the Evil Karm,

''Confessing one’s pāpas 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 pāpas.'' '''''Manusmṛti 11.227'''''

''Sage Vyāsa said – One can get purified of the results of his evil karmas 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, yajñas, fasting, recourse to spiritual knowledge, bathing in holy rivers and resorting to places dwelt by people devoted to japa and yajñas are effective atonements.'' '''''Mahābhārata 12.36.6–7ab'''''

''One should give alms to destroy his pāpas. 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 Smṛti 45'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]

Talk:Reducing Bad Karm and Adding Good Karm:Lessening Evil Karm:Japa, Yajna, Devapūjā

2026-06-28T13:28:56Z

Sachi Anjunkar:

By Vishal Agarwal

Japa, Yajna, Devapūjā may help an individual lessen their evil karm, as mentioned in the scriptures,

''Diseases resulting from prior evil karmas performed are alleviated by performing japa, worship of devatās and Vedic sacrifices.'' '''''Śātātapa Smṛti 1.4'''''

''Whatever pāpa is committed in ignorance during the night or during daytime too is destroyed by performing the three sandhyā (twilight) worships.'' '''''Yājñavalkya Smṛti 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.'' '''''Viṣṇu Dharmasūtra 22.90'''''

''By performance of japa and homa etc., a brāhmaṇa becomes as resplendent as the purifying fire.'' '''''Atri Saṁhitā 1.141a'''''

==References==
[[Category:The Science of Karma]]