Karma
By Shankara Bharadwaj Khandavalli
Karma is a fundamental concept which has no direct translation into English. It has multiple levels of applicability and can approximately be defined as the natural order of action and each action has an associated result often called fruit of the karma. The three karmas are Sanchita, Prarabdha and Agami, and 3 afflictions are Adhyatmika, Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika.
"Though Karma is shaped by desires, it does not cease to exist when desires vanish." - Sriranga
As you sow, so you reap is the gist of the theory. Each action has a fruit and it depends on many factors:
- Sincerity in action
- The purpose of action
- The means chosen
- Righteousness of action[1]
One reaps the fruit if one's actions. Apart from the direct result of action or its effect on the surroundings, each action creates an impression on its doer. These impressions accumulate and constitute the karma of the individual. Any action done in the present is aided and affected by the impressions of previous actions. Thus Dharma forms basis for Karma and many principles are consequent of the Karma theory, like:
- Don't hurt anyone.
- Do unto others only what you want to be done unto yourself.
- Do those actions that bring happiness to oneself and does good to others.
- Do not speak harshly.
- Wish only good for others.
- Do not hesitate to take up cudgels to protect dharma.
When men are thus good and cooperative to each other, social well-being is caused. If for some reason it is disturbed, it would be restored sooner or later, either because men realize the order going bad or because nature intervenes to restore the order. For self-realization (Mokṣa), one has to work on the self to rid bad karma. Self-conforming is expounded by philosophers throughout the ages:
| For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends. But for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be his greatest enemy. | ||
—Krishna | ||
| Conquer callous, cruel, and insensitive feelings toward all beings. | ||
—Patanjali | ||
| Some think themselves the conqueror of the ten directions, yet have not even conquered the six enemies within, which are their own five senses and mind. | ||
—Narada [2] | ||
| To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle. | ||
—Gautama Buddha | ||
| Fight with yourself. Why fight with external foes. He who conquers himself will obtain happiness. | ||
—Vardhamana Mahavira | ||
| By conquering oneself, one conquers the world. | ||
—Guru Nanak | ||
Rebirth[edit]
There is rebirth[3] according to Sanātana dharma. The being or atman, assumes three bodies - gross,[4] subtle[5] and causal.[6] With these three one experiences gross, subtle and causal objects as explained in the Māndukya Upaniṣad. Only the gross body is left during death and subtle body is with ātman throughout and assumes new gross body in the next life. The sukṣma śarira carries the impressions of the experiences of previous lives and acts as an accumulator in the evolution. The accumulated backlog of impressions from previous lives is called prārabdha.
Individual Karma[edit]
In the cycle of its evolution, the jiva has two movements - pravritti and nivritti. During pravritti impressions/saṅskāras are accumulated. One is recommended to do noble actions so as to reap their sweet fruits. During nivritti, one tries to get rid of prārabdha and exhaust karma by experiencing its fruits[7] so as to break the cycle of life and death. One is recommended to perform actions without attachment, so that its fruit or impression does not add to the baggage of one's own karma. When one performs detached actions, he only performs action as long as his previous karma phala is not nullified. One performs the highest kind of action at this stage and such action always results in the benefit of surroundings.[8]
Mokṣa is through total karma nivritti and transcending the action-fruit cycle. This is possible if one realizes and discriminates between ātman and non-ātman.[9] One can get beyond the ambit of karma by experiencing the One beyond qualities.[10] Akarma is a state where an action is not bound by karma/phala. This is the kind of action performed by a liberated person. Akarma is not inaction, but sterilized action.
Freewill[edit]
Fate and freewill both are significant in one's actions. While many factors like daivabala,[11] prārabdha[12] affect the fruit of action, it is human effort[13] that predominates action. Man is said to be the master of his actions,[14] though not wholly the owner of the fruits of the actions.
God is said to be the witness of all action.[15] One way, it is true that God is the one who inspires and drives all action, and bears its fruit. But He does it through the instruments. Man is that instrument. In the microcosm, daiva[16] is said to follow puruṣa prayatna,[17] and in the macrocosm it is the other way round.
Group Karma[edit]
When a group of individuals do actions that affect each other, it results in group karma. This could be a collectivity or persons closely attached to each other. In the latter case the group is called a group soul.[18] In the former, the persons do not get combined as a group soul but reap the fruit of collective action. This kind of karma drives the life-cycle of a society.
Textual References[edit]
The Veda Samhita does not directly indicate or explain the karma concept. In fact, karma is simply equated to yajna in the Veda. This is because in the Vedic sense all life and all action is Yajna, and thus karma is equal to yajna. The Veda refers to karma in this sense, throughout.
Example: The Mother Godess Durgā is praised as the controller and giver of the fruits of action,
"Karmaphaleshu justam"[19]
References[edit]
- ↑ It means Dharma.
- ↑ Bhagavata Purana 7.8.11
- ↑ It is also called as (punarjanma).
- ↑ It means sthula in hindi.
- ↑ It means sukṣma.
- ↑ It means kāraṇa.
- ↑ It means karma phala.
- ↑ It means loka kalyāṇa.
- ↑ It means body, mind etc.
- ↑ These beyond triguṇas or qualities are satwa, rajas, tamas.
- ↑ It means destiny or God-will.
- ↑ It means one's own previous actions.
- ↑ It means puruṣakara.
- ↑ It refers destiny here.
- ↑ It means karma sākśi.
- ↑ It means godly reward.
- ↑ It means conscious effort.
- ↑ Soul means yakṣa.
- ↑ (Durgā Suktam, Taittiriya Araṇyaka).