53 results for “Karma”

These (fires) were assigned to the three types of Karmas, viz. Kdmya (those depending on desire), Maimittika (occasional) and constant {Mitya). In the previous Manvantara they passed away along with the fair sens,

Brahmanhood is attained through Kamasannydsa (renunciation of the fruits of Karman) . Assimilation (in the supreme Atman) is obtained through detachment. Kaivalya (complete identity with Brahman ) is obtained through perfect knowledge. These are the five goals of life.

Karman is attained by penance; through Karman fame is attained; through fame truth is attained; and through truth eternal Brahman is attained.

Everyday they observe the six rites ; they are flourishing householders; they believe in Adrsta (the Unseen Principle) , the cause of Karmans, and act accordingly. They maintain their lives without rustic vulgarities; they prepare their own tasty dishes ; they maintain families ; they are prosperous externally and internally.

The VamSakarin Devas (Vasavartins) were Sahasradhara, Visvatman, Sami tara, Brhad vasu, Visvadha, ViSvakarma Manasvanta, Virad. Yasas, Jyotis, Vibhavya and Kirtiman.

When the sons born of Karman were created, Brahma took up his Semen Virile in the ghee-pot and performed the Homa.

The three-headed Visvarupa was the great son of Tvastr. Visvakarman is remembered as the younger twinbrother of Visvarupa.

Brhaspati’s sister was an excellent woman, celibate and having Yogic Siddhis. Unattached (to the worldly affairs or things) she roamed the entire Universe. She who became the wife of Prabhasa, the eighth among the Vasus, had a son ViSvakarma who was the Prajapati of all SiIpis (artisans and sculptors ) .

Bhauvana (i.e. ViSvakarman) brought two egglike skulls of Surya. Keeping them in his hands, he sang the Rathantara hymn. Suddenly an elephant arose out of the Saman hymn.1 Bhauvana presented that elephant to Iravati as her son. Being thus the son of Iravati, the elephant was called Airavata. Since it was the vehicle of the king of Devas, it became the first king of elephants. It had the lustre of a pure cloud. The glorious elephant Airavata has four tusks.

The sons were Srutasrava, the knower of Dharma, and Srutakarman. Both of those lordly ones were equal to Manu the eldest-born.

Srutasravas will become Savarni Manu. The planet Sanaiscara (Saturn) is to be known as Srutakarman.

Their sisters were five: Karmavati, Dharmavati, Satanku, Ra§frapala and the comely lady Kahva.

Haryanga’s successor was the king Bhadraratha. Bhadraratha’s son was Bj*hatkarma, the lord of subjects.

(Defective verse) Satya gave birth to the famous Vijaya who was of mixed Brahmana-Ksatriya caste (?) Vijaya’s son was Dhfti and his son was Dhftavrata. 113* Dhrtavrata’s son was Satyakarma of great fame. Satyakarma’s son was Adhiratha, the charioteer.

Bj*hadvasu’s son was Bfhadvi$nu who was very strong. His son was Brhatkarma whose son was Brhadratha.

Sukjtta ruled over the earth for fiftysix years. Brhatkarman ruled the kingdom for twentythree years.

All those noble souls are Brahma’s mental sons. They are Sutramans, Sudharmans and Sukarmans.

The Sutramans are the present Prayajyas and Ajyapas. The Anuyajyas and those who partake Pj*§adajya are Sukarmans. The Upayajyas are Sudharmans. Thus the Devas have been recounted. Divaspati of great prowess will be their Indra.

Understand the Sukarmans* They are—Suparva, Vf?abha, Pr§fa, Krpi, Dyumna, VipaScita, Vikrama, Karma, Nibhjrta and Kanta. These Devas are Sukarmans. Now understand their sons (i.e. Suparas ?)

The cessation of attachment (Rdga) and hatred ( Dvesa) is called knowledge. Ignorance is the root-cause of Tamas. Rajas has two-fold Karman (the auspicious and inauspicious) as its result. The resumption of the physical body once again is the result of Karmas. Thus great misery begins to function.

Otherwise why should you be fettered by the worldly Karmans? It does not affect you. You are untouched for ever by the divine Maya that hides perfect knowledge. 910 Vayu Purdtia

Urged by Brahma, Viivakarma made the wonderful club (out of it) . He turned the bone of the demon in the lathe that could crush even Vajra (thunderbolt) and kept it in the heaven itself.

2.50 He, who is established in evenness of mind in the performance of actions, relinishes good and evil Karmas which have accumulated from time immemorial causing bondage endlessly. Therefore acire this aforesaid evenness of mind (Buddhi Yoga). Yoga is skill in action. That is, this evenness of mind when one is engaged in action, is possible through great skill, i.e., ability.

10.3 He who exists 'without being born' at any particular time unlike other beings is 'unborn' in the sense of being eternal. For, this attribute denotes a unie state distinct in kind both from insentient things which are subject to modifications, and from the self in Its state of involvement in Samsara when It is united with insentient matter. In that state the birth of the self involved in matter is generated by Karma. The temr 'Anadi', or without beginning, is used to distinguish the state of the Lord, which is distinct in kind, from that of the liberated state which is birthless but can be said to have a beginning. For, to the liberated self, the state of liberation has a beginning, because, in regard to this, conjunction with matter which deserves to be abandoned, existed previously. Hence the term 'Anadi' implies that the Lord is without such conjunction and does not deserve the same description. The Sruti also says: 'Him who is stainless' (Sve. U., 4.19). Thus, he who is undeluded among the mortals understands Me as 'the great Lord of the worlds,' as the Lord of the lords of the worlds. My nature is incompatible with association with evil which has to be given up. What is called 'delusion' is the wrong knowledge of taking Me as one among other entities of the same kind. To be bereft of this delusion is to be 'undeluded'. Such a person is released from all sins which stand against the rise of Bhakti to Me. The meaning is this: In this world, the king who rules over men is only like all those men. He has become a ruler by some good Karma. Such is not the case with the Lord of the gods (the Supreme Being). Even the lord of the cosmic egg (Brahma) is of the same class as other beings in Samsara, because he too is a created being coming within the threefold classification of beings according to the three innate tendencies for growth - namely Karma-bhavana, Brahma-bhavana and Ubhaya-bhavana. These three are described respectively as fitness to practise work alone, fitness to practise meditation alone and fitness to practise both together. Brahma comes under the third group. The Sruti also says, 'He who creates Brahma' (Sve. U., 6.18). The same is the case with all those who have acired the eight superhuman powers like becoming atomic etc. But I, the Supreme Being, is the great Lord of the worlds. He who is not subject to the delusion of regarding Me as of the same order as others, - such a person knows Me as distinct in kind from non-conscient matter in its states as cause and effect, from the self whether bound or free, and from everything else, on account of all of them being subject to My control. I am antagonistic to all that is evil and I am the sole centre of innumerable auspicious attributes, unsurpassed and incomparable. It is also My inherent nature to be the controller of everything. One who understands Me to be all this is released from every sin. Thus, after showing the annihilation, by meditation on His nature, of all evil impeding the rise of Bhakti, and also of the rise of devotion, through implication, by the destruction of such opposing factors, Sri Krsna now explains the way in which Bhakti develops by meditation on His sovereign power and on the multitude of His auspicious attributes:

12.12 More than the practice of remembrance (of the Lord), which is difficult in the absence of love for the Lord, the direct knowledge of the self, arising from the contemplation of the imperishable self (Aksara), is conducive to the well-being of the self. Better than the imperfect knowledge of the self, is perfect meditation on the self, as it is more conducive to the well-being of the self. More conducive than imperfect meditation (i.e., meditation unaccompanied with renunciation), is the activity performed with renunciation of the fruits. It is only after the annihilation of sins, through the performance of works accompanied by renounciation of fruits, that peace of mind is attained. When the mind is at peace, perfect meditation on the self is possible. From meditation results the direct realisation of the self. From the direct realisation of the self results supreme devotion. It is in this way that Atmanistha or devotion to the individual self becomes useful for a person who is incapable of practising loving devotion to the Supreme Being. And for one practising the discipline for attaining the self (Jnana Yoga) without acisition of perfect tranillity of mind, disinterested activity (Karma Yoga), including in it meditation on the self, is the better path for the knowledge of the self. [Thus the steps are performance of works without desire for fruits, eanimity of mind, meditation on the self, self-realisation, and devotion to the Lord.] Now Sri Krsna enumerates the attributes reired of one intent on performance of disinterested activity:

13.30 When he perceives that 'all acts are performed by the Prakrti' in the manner previously stated in, 'Prakrti is said to be the cause of agency to the body and sense-organs' (13.20), and perceive also that 'the self, being of the form of knowledge, is not the doer,' and that the self's conjunction with the Prakrti, Its direction of the body and Its experiences of happiness and misery are the result of ignorance of the nature of Karma - then indeed he perceives the pure self.

3.1 'Arjuna said If you consider that knowledge is superior to works, why do you engage me in this terrible deed?' What is said here is this: If the firm adherence to knowledge is the only means to the vision of the self, then how can one accept the idea that devotion to works (Karma) leads to it? It was said before that this firm devotion to knowledge, which forms the means for the vision of the self, could arise by the cessation of the activities of all the senses and the mind in relation to their respective objects such as sound. If the vision of the self is to be attained, which arises by the cessation of the activities of the senses, I should be guided to engage myself solely to acire firm devotion to knowledge, which is preceded by the abandoning of all works. For what purpose, then, do you engage me in this terrible deed, which consists in the activities of all the senses, and is thus an obstacle for the vision of the self?

3.20 It is also declared that Karma Yoga alone Janaka and others reached perfection. Because, Karma Yoga is the best means for securing the vision of the self even for a person who is alified for Jnana Yoga, royal sages like Janaka and others, who are foremost among the Jnanins, preferred Karma Yoga as the means for attaining perfection. Thus, having first declared previously that Karma Yoga must be practised by an aspirant for release who is alified for Karma Yoga alone, as he is unfit for Jnana Yoga, it was next stated with reasons that, even for one who is alified for Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga is better than Jnana Yoga Now it is going to be declared (in verses 20-26) that Karma Yoga must be performed in every way by one who is virtuous. At least for the guidance of the world, you should do work even if there is no need of it for yourself.

3.24 If I do not do the work suitable to My station in life, likewise all the virtuous men also, neglecting their duties by following My example, would be destroyed on account of not performing their duties. That is, they will become lost. Thus I would be bringing about chaos among all virtuous men on account of My failure to conduct Myself as prescribed in the scriptures. Therefore I would be destroying all these people. Even so, if you, Arjuna, a son of Pandu and a brother of Yudhisthira and the foremost of the virtuous, claim to be alified for Jnana Yoga, then the virtuous aspirants, who do not know everything and who follow your way, without knowing their own competency, would give up practising Karma Yoga and will be lost. Therefore work should be done by one who is recognised as learned and worthy.

3.3 The Lord said You have not properly understood what I taught you before. In this world, full of people with varying degrees of alifications, I have taught in the days of yore two ways, that of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and that of works, according to the alifications of aspirants. There is no contradiction in this. It is not possible for all people of the world in whom the desire for release has arisen, to become capable immediately for the practice of Jnana Yoga. But he who performs the worship of the Supreme Person without desire for fruits and thery gets completely rid of inner impurities and keeps his senses unagitated - he becomes competent for the path of knowledge. That all activities are for performing the worship of the Supreme Person will be taught in the Gita verse, 'He from `whom the activities of all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded - by worshipping Him with his duty man reaches perfection' (18.46). Earlier also performance of activities without any attachment to the fruits is enjoined by the verse beginning with. 'You have the right to work alone ৷৷.' (2.47). Next for those whose intellect has been redeemed by this kind of discipline, is enjoined Jnana Yoga by the words, 'When a man renounces all the desires ৷৷.' (2.55). Conseently, firm devotion to Jnana Yoga is taught only to the Sankhyas, i.e., those persons who are competent to follow the discipline of the knowledge of the self, and Karma Yoga to Yogins, i.e., to those competent for the path of work. Sankhya means Buddhi and those who are endowed with the Buddhi (intellectual or mental disposition) having only the self for its object, are Sankhyans. Therefore those who are not fit for this are alified for Karma Yoga. Those who are possessed of Buddhi which is agitated by objects of the senses, are the persons alified for Karma Yoga, whereas those whose Buddhi is not thus agitated, are alified for Jnana Yoga. Therefore nothing contradictory and confusing is taught. It is said in the next stanza that Jnana Yoga is difficult to practise all at once, even when the desire for release arises in any worldy person:

2.14 As sound, touch, form, taste and smell with their bases, are the effects of subtle elements (Tanmatras), they are called Matras. The contact with these through the ear and other senses gives rise to feelings of pleasure and pain, in the form of heat and cold, softness and hardness. The words 'cold and heat' illustrate other sensations too. Endure these with courage till you have discharged your duties as prescribed by the scriptures. The brave must endure them patiently, as they 'come and go'. They are transient. When the Karmas, which cause bondage, are destroyed, this 'coming and going' will end. The Lord now explains the purpose of this endurance:

2.18 The root 'dih' means 'to grow.' Hence these bodies (Dehas) are characterised by complexity. They have an end - their nature is perishablity. For, jugs and such other things which are characterised by complexity are seen to have an end. The bodies of the embodied self, which are made of conglomerated elements, serve the purpose of experiencing the effects of Karmas, as stated in Brh. U. IV. 4.5, 'Auspicious embodiments are got through good actions.' Such bodies perish when Karmas are exhausted. Further the self is imperishable. Why? Because it is not measurable. Neither can It be conceived as the object of knowledge, but only as the subject (knower). It will be taught later on: 'He who knows It is called the knower of the Field by those who know this (13.1). Besides, the self is not seen to be made up of many (elements). Because in the perception 'I am the knower' throughout the body, only something other than the body is understood as possessing an invariable form as the knower. Further, this knower cannot be dismembered and seen in different places as is the case with the body. Therefore the self is eternal, for (1) It is not a complex being of a single form; (2) It is the knowing subject; and (3) It pervades all. On the contrary, the body is perishable, because (1) it is complex; (2) it serves the purpose of experiencing the fruits of Karma by the embodied self; (3) it has a plurality of parts and (4) it can be pervaded. Therefore, as the body is by nature perishable and the self by nature is eternal, both are not objects fit for grief. Hence, bearing with courage the inevitable strike of weapons, sharp or hard, liable to be received by you and others, begin the action called war without being attached to the fruits but for the sake of attaining immortality.

2.39 'Sankhya' means 'intellect,' and the truth about the Atman, which is determinable by the intellect, is 'Sankhyam'. Concerning the nature of the self which has to be known, whatever Buddhi has to be taught, has been taught to you in the passage beginning with, 'It is not that I did not exist' (II.12) and ending with the words, 'Therefore, you shall not grieve for any being' (II.30). The disposition of mind (Buddhi) which is reired for the performance of works preceded by knowledge of the self and which thus constitutes the means of attaining release, that is here called by the term Yoga. It will be clearly told later on, 'Work done with desire for fruits is far inferior to work done with evennes of mind' (II. 49). What Buddhi or attitude of mind is reired for making your act deserve the name of Yoga, listen to it now. Endowed with that knowledge, you will be able to cast away the bondage of Karma. 'Karma-bandha' means the bondage due to Karma i.e., the bondage of Samsara. Now Sri Krsna explains the glory of works associated with the Buddhi to be described hereafter:

2.42 - 2.44 The ignorant, whose knowledge is little, and who have as their sole aim the attainment of enjoyment and power, speak the flowery language i.e., having its flowers (show) only as fruits, which look apparently beautiful at first sight. They rejoice in the letter of the Vedas i.e., they are attached to heaven and such other results (promised in the Karma-kanda of the Vedas). They say that there is nothing else, owing to their intense attachment to these results. They say that there is no fruit superior to heaven etc. They are full of worldly desires and their minds are highly attached to secular desires. They hanker for heaven, i.e. think of the enjoyment of the felicities of heaven, after which one can again have rirth which offers again the opportunity to perform varied rites devoid of true knowledge and leads towards the attainment of enjoyments and power once again. With regard to those who cling to pleasure and power and whose understanding is contaminated by that flowery speech relating to pleasure and lordly powers, the aforesaid mental disposition characterised by resolution, will not arise in their Samadhi. Samadhi here means the mind. The knowledge of the self will not arise in such minds. In the minds of these persons, there cannot arise the mental disposition that looks on all Vedic rituals as means for liberation based on the determined conviction about the real form of the self. Hence, in an aspirant for liberation, there should be no attachment to rituals out of the conviction that they are meant for the acisition of objects of desire only. It may be estioned why the Vedas, which have more of love for Jivas than thousands of parents, and which are endeavouring to save the Jivas, should prescribe in this way rites whose fruits are infinitesimal and which produce only new births. It can also be asked if it is proper to abandon what is given in the Vedas. Sri Krsna replies to these estions.

3.7 Conseently, he who, with aspiration to have the vision of the self, directs his senses to action according to the scriptures, such action being of the same class as those which he practised earlier, and who then begins to practise Karma Yoga, after renouncing attachment, with the senses which are naturally inclined to action - he, by reason of there being no chance of errors, excels a man following Jnana Yoga, because there is no fear of a fall in his case.

3.8 'Obligatory' (Niyatam) means 'concomitant' (Vyaptam); for action is concomitant with that which is conjoined with Prakrti or the body. The contact with Prakrti has arisen from beginingless subtle impressions (Vasanas). You must perform work, because the performance of action is easy and may not cause accidents by reason of its being obligatory. Action is superior to non-action, i.e., even to the devotee of Jnana. Because of the instruction at the beginning (of this context), 'No man experiences freedom from activity' (3.4), devotion to Jnana alone is indicated by the word, 'Non-action' (Akarma). Even in the case of one alified for devotion to Jnana, devotion to Karma indeed is better because Jnana-nistha is difficult to perform and liable to accidents, as it has not been practised previoulsy and as it does not come to one naturally. Subseently it will be described how, one with the knowledge of the true nature of the self can carry on actions along with that knowledge. Conseently, we should take the meaning here to be that, because knowledge of the self too is included in Karma Yoga, this kind of Yoga is superior. This statement on the superiority of activity (Karma Yoga) over Jnana Yoga is valid even when there is competency for one to adopt Jnana Yoga. For, if you abandon all activities to alify yourself for Jnana Yoga, then, for you, who is thus inactive while following Jnana Yoga, even the nourishment of the body, which is necessary even for Jnana-nistha, will not be achieved. The body has to be necessarily sustained until the means are executed to the full. Performing 'great sacrifices' with the help of honestly earned wealth, the body should be sustained by consuming the remainders left after such sacrifices. This is made clear from scriptural texts like, 'When the food is pure, the Sattva (mind or inner organ) becomes pure; when the Sattva is pure, then the remembrance (meditation) will be steady' (Cha. U., 7.26.2). Sri Krsna himself will declare: 'The sinful ones who cook food for their own sake eat sin (3.13). Conseently,even the sustenance of the body will not be possible in the case of one who practises Jnana-nistha, and does not act. In other ways also Karma Yoga is superior to Jnana Yoga even in respect of one who is alified for Jnana-nistha; for, obligatory and occasional rites like the 'great sacrifices' must be carried out by one who follows Jnana Yoga too, as he has to sustain the body until he attains perfection. Besides, the understanding of the true nature of the self is incorporated in Karma Yoga, as it involves the contemplation of the self as being a non-agent. It is also in line with the nature of life (Prakrti). Karma Yoga, is for these reasons easier and it is free from danger of downfall. Therefore, you must perform Karma Yoga only. This is the purport of the verse. If it is contended that any action such as earning money implies 'I-ness', 'My-ness' etc., and will therefore be disturbing to the senses, and that such a person devoted often to works will be in bondage through subtle impressions of his acts, Sri Krsna says:

4.1 - 4.2 The Lord said This Karma Yoga declared to you should not be considered as having been taught now merely, for creating encouragement in you for war. I Myself had taught this Yoga to Vivasvan at the commencement of Manu's age as a means for all beings to attain release, which is man's supreme end. Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu to Iksvaku. The royal sages of old knew this Yoga transmitted by tradition. Because of long lapse of time and because of the dullness of the intellect of those who heard it, it has been almost lost.

4.12 All men, desirous of the fruits of their actions, 'sacrifice', i.e., worship or propitiate Indra and other divinities only. But nobody worships Me abandoning attachment to fruits - Me, who am the Self of Indra and other divinities and the real enjoyer of all sacrifices. Why is this so? Because in this world of men, fruits in the form of sons, cattle, food etc., follow soon from their performance of such sacrificial rites. The phrase, 'the world of men' implies heaven etc., also. Because the unending accumulation of evil heaped up from beginningless time has not been exhausted, all those worldly people lack discernment. Therefore they want rapid results and perform those rituals which consist of the worship of Indra and other divinities for the sake of sons, cattle, food etc., and for the sake of heaven etc. But none with his mind anguished by Samsara and aspiring for final release, practises Karma Yoga of the kind described above. Real Karma Yoga is My worship. Sri Krsna now speaks of the cause which annuls the evil obstructing the starting of Karma Yoga.

4.28 Some Karma Yogins perform the sacrifice of material objects. Some worship the gods with materials honestly acired. Some practise charity, some engage themselves in sacrifices and in making oblations into the sacred fire. All these perform sacrifice with material objects. Some do the sacrifice of austerity by devoting themselves to Krcchra, Candrayana, fast, etc. Others perform the sacrifice of Yoga. Some devote themselves to making pilgrimages to sacred sanctuaries and holy places. Here the term Yoga means pilgrimages to sacred sancturaries and holy places as the context relates to aspects of Karma Yoga. Some are devoted to recitation of Vedic texts and some to learning their meaning. They are all devoted to the practice of self-control and of strict vows, i.e., they are men to steady resolution.

4.4 Arjuna said According to the calculation of time, your birth was indeed later, contemporaneous with our births. And the birth of Vivasvan was at an earlier time, reckoned as twenty-eight cycles of units of four Yugas each. How can I understand as true that you taught it in the beginning? Now, there is no contradiction here, for it was ite possible that He had taught Vivasvan in a former birth. The memory of what was done in former births is ite natural for great men. This should not be taken to mean that Arjuna does not know the son of Vasudeva, the speaker, as the Lord of all. Because he (Arjuna) says later on: 'You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light and the Supreme Purifier. All the seers proclaim You as the eternal Divine Purusa, the Primal Lord, unborn and all-pervading. So also proclaim the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa. You Yourself also are saying this to me' (10.12-13.) Arjuna had heard repeatedly from Bhisma and others during the Rajasuya sacrifice of Yudhisthira, 'Krsna alone is the cause of creation and submergence of all the worlds. This universe, consisting of things both animate and inanimate, was created for the sake of Krsna' (Ma. Bha., 2.38.23) 'The entire universe is subservient to Krsna' is the meaning of 'For the sake of Krnsa'. This apparent contradiction may be explained as follows: Arjuna surely knows the son of Vasudeva as the Bhagavan. Though knowing Him as such, he estions as if he did not know Him. This is his intention. Can the birth of the Lord of all, who is antagonistic to all that is evil and wholly auspicious, omniscient, whose will is always true and whose desires are fulfilled - can the birth of such a Person be of the same nature as that of the gods, men etc., who are subject to Karma? Or can it be false like the illusions of a magical show? Or could it be real? In other words, is the birth of the Supreme Being as the incarnate a real fact or a mere illusory phenomenon produced by a magician's art? If His birth is real, what is the mode of His birth? What is the nature of His body? What is the manner of His birth? What is the nature of this body of His? What is the casue of His birth? To what end is He born? The way in which Sri Krsna answers Arjuna's estion, justifies the construing of his estion in this way.