Karma karma phala karma phala tyaga

Sarva karma sanyaasa | Advaita Vedanta & Forum

And finally, what your good self explained in the mail pertains to 'karma phala
tyAga' with ahaMkAra & mamakAra tyAgaBut story does not end there, shankara
We are addressing some of the questions raised in the course of these
presentations. One is by Shree Bhaskar in terms of sanyaasa.
Bhaskar:
And finally, what your good self explained in the mail pertains to karma phala
tyAga with ahaMkAra & mamakAra tyAgaBut story does not end there, shankara
at various places without any ambiguity insists on sarva karma saNyAsa too i.e.
nivrutti mArga. If time permits kindly share your thoughts on these two points.

Here is my perspective on the topic addressed:

Karma phala tyaaga is what it says I am renouncing the results of an action
What does that mean or what does that really involve. Let us take an example. I
worked very hard for a month and as a result I got paid, the salary that is due to
me. Now scripture says I have to practice karma phala thyaaga for my chitta suddhi
or for purification of my mind. Does that involve renouncing my salary? If so, pretty
soon I will be on the streets begging for food. In addition, I will be dragging all
others who depend on that salary. Obviously that is not what karma phala tyaaga
implies. When it says that I have to renounce the results of my action, I can do so
only if there is feeling that the results are mine that is there is a mamakaara
associated with the results. I cannot definitely renounce that which does not belong
to me. There is a famous saying in Telugu attagari sommu alluDu daanamu
cesinaTTu that is it is like mother-in-laws wealth the son-in-law is readily and freely
donating to others. Hence, I have to own it for me to renounce. The salary belongs
to me since I worked hard and earned out my sweat; we say. That is our attitude
when we perform an action and gets the results of the action. We think we deserve.
By the by, there is a booklet with the title Serve & Deserve by Swami
Tejomayanandaji glorifying Hanuman who serves without any expectations and
returns; hence deserves to be revered as God himself. The essence of the book is I
have to serve in order for me to deserve.
The renunciation of fruits of the action, therefore, involves a change in the attitude
with which I receive the fruits of my actions. In addition, it involves an attitude with
which I expend or dispose off the fruits of action. First, the purpose of karma yoga is
to prepare my mind for jnana yoga, the very karma has to be done with Iswara
arpita buddhi or an action performed with an attitude of offering to the Lord. Lord
will accept only if it is offered with devotion yat karoshi yadaShNaati .. tat
kuruShva madarpanam whatever you do, eat etc offer it to Me says Krishna.
Before that He says,- I will accept whatever you offer patram, pushpam, phalam,

toyam, yo me bhktyaa prayacchasi who ever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or

even little water, I will accept it if it is offered with devotion. Therefore it is not what
I offer but with what attitude I offer counts.
Since the Lord is everywhere, including in the field of action that I am involved, in
order for me to offer the action to the Lord, the action should be offer-worthy. That
means first it should be 1) dhaarmic action, and 2) complete action, well executed
to the best of my ability, taking into consideration all the factors that go into the
action. Dhaarmic actions could be those that are obligatory; that is obligatory
because of my status in the family, in the society, in the organization that I am
involved or actions that are done for the benefit of society at large. We say Lord is
omnipresent, that is present everywhere or there is no place where He is not.
However, when I recognize this fact and recognize His presence in every field of
action or set-up that I am involved, I cannot but be a devotee all the time. Hence I
am not a devotee only in the temple; I have to be a full-time devotee, if and when I
recognize the truth of the statement that He is omnipresent. That is jnaana part of
the karma yoga, that is, the recognition of His presence everywhere, in every field
of action.
Hence karma yoga involves performing all obligatory actions while remaining as a
full time devotee of the Lord. Hence as a father I am a devotee + a father thus
becoming a devoted father, as a husband I become devoted husband, similarly
devoted wife, devoted son/daughter, devoted student/teacher, devoted
employee/employer, devoted citizen; thus the seal of devotion goes with every
action, since in every action He is there. Hence Krishna says yogaH karmasu
koushalam the dexterity in action becomes a norm for a karma yogi. This is what
is involved in offering action as a prayer to the Lord, as a devotee. All the obligatory
actions become the best that I can perform with as much of perfection as possible.
In that perfection, the Lord Himself manifests in the action or the action itself
becomes an inspired action. The second aspect is to recognize that Lord is karma
phala daata the one who gives the results for the action taking into consideration
innumerable factors that are involved in framing the results. Let us take a simple
action of throwing a stone. Once I throw a stone or once throwing action is
completed, the trajectory of the stone does not depend any more on me but on the
gravitational laws, frictional laws etc which are authored by Him. In addition, other
factors can come in, such as someone or something coming in between the stone
and the target thereby undermining the result of the intended action, for which I
have no control. Hence all those factors that I have no control in formulating the
results of the action are together called daivam, discussed in 18th Ch. of Gita. In
essence, the results for my action come from Him and I have no control on the
result. Another way of looking at this is, I can only perform an action in the present
and the result is always is future to the action and I have no control on the future.
Hence Krishnas statement karmani eva adhikaaraste; maaphaleshu kadaachana
to be translated as, one has only choice in action but not in the results of the
action. I cannot will the result of an action. Thus I have recognized His presence in
the set up and perform the action as best as I can and offer the action with devotion
as a prayer to the Lord. Since the result of action comes from Him, I accept the
result as prasaadam (I do not know an equivalent word in English) that is with
reverential attitude, since it comes from Him. This means there is no mamakaara in
the result when I accept the result as His prasadam. I have no attachment to the

result. Next when someone offers as Lords prasaadam my attitude in receiving it is

an attitude of reverence, since it comes from Him. Irrespective of whether it is a
sweet, hot or bitter; food, flower, or water, I accept it without questioning why or
why not thus only with a reverential attitude without any likes and dislikes
superimposed on it. Thus the result is accepted without a reaction. If the result is
not what I wanted, then I learn from the result and formulate or refine the next
course of action and perform with greater skill which again is offered to the Lord as
kaikaryam or as a prayer. Krishna says when everyone performs their allotted action
cooperatively for the benefit of the totality, it forms a yagna and the gods which are
deities of the phenomenal forces have to shower the results when they are pleased
by the action (that is when the action is perfect). Thus we please the gods in
performing our action in unison cooperatively, and gods have to please us by giving
proper results; and we perform again thus setting the eternal wheel of action and
results. In the cooperative action, I have to share the results with those who
participated in the yago of action, in proportion to the input. That is the wheel of
dharma set into eternal motion- says Krishna. In essence the karma phala tyaaga
involves 1. performace of action as a duty (which is called service) and accepting
the result as prasaadam without reaction other than a reverential attitude. In the
process mamakaara or notion that this is mine goes away What I have is His gift
and what I do with what I have is my gift to Him- says Gurudev Swami
Chinmayanandaji this continuous exchange of gifts forms dhaarmic wheel of
action set forth by the creator himself in the beginning of creation, says Krishna.
This is the essence of karma phala tyaagam. In the process, from the result, I utilize
part of it for my and for my family needs, and the rest I put back into the field of
action for the benefit of the totality. Thus whatever I have is His gift and that has to
be properly utilized giving back to the totality or to the Lord Himself as my gift, after
taking care of my needs as well as those who depend on me. Living within that
frame of mind will purify the mind and prepare it for the jnaana yoga.
The next level of understanding comes with jnaana where I understand that I am
not ever a doer to have the result. Here there is no karma phala tyaaga since karma
itself does not belong to me. It is clear understanding that I am never a doer to
begin with. This understanding comes with jnaana where I understand that I am
akarthaa in spite of actions being done by the body, mind and intellect, BMI. This
understanding comes only when I recognize that they (BMI) are in me and I am not
in them. They are part of prakRiti which is my lower nature. My true nature is I am
pure existence-consciousness-limitless. I pervade this entire universe of beings and
objects in an unmanifested form
maya tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta muurtinaa,
mastaani sarva bhuutani na ca aham teshu avasthitaH| says Krishna.
I pervade this entire universe in unmanifested form. In Me only all beings are there,
but yet I am not in any of them. When jnaani understands that I am that tat tvam
asi- any claims that I am doer gets transcended in that understanding He may
scream with ecstasy akartaaham abhoktaaham ahameva ahamavyayaH I am
neither doer nor enjoyer, I am that I am eternal and inexhaustible. When that
understanding sinks in, I recognize that BMI belongs to the prakRiti which is nothing
but maayaa only maayantu prakRitim viddhyaat says swetasvatara Up. I

recognize that I am pure saakshii and prakRiti becomes dynamic in my presence

and performs an action and Sat-chit-ananda that I am is never get affected by the
actions or inactions of the prakRiti. Krishna says: prakRiti eva ca karmaaNi
kriyamaanaani sarvaShaH|,
yaH pasyati tat aatmaanam akartaaram sa pasyati||
All actions are done by prakRiti alone and who ever recognizes that I am never a
doer he alone sees the truth. Hence jnaani understands that actions do not belong
to him but to prakRiti but that prakRiti acts in his presence only. He remains
akarthaa or non-doer in spite of any action that is being done in his presence.
Krishna discusses action, inaction and unaction exhaustively in Ch. 4 saying that
many have misconceptions about it.
With this understanding we can look at the question what does the sarva karma
sanyaasa renunciation of all actions implies. This cannot be done by giving up the
action as Krishna discusses in the 18th Ch. Gita. He starts the gitopadesha with the
statement that no one can remain even for a second without performing an action.
If so, how can I give up an action. However if I understand correctly that I am never
an actor in spite of the action that is being done at BMI level, then I have as
though renounced any notion that I am actor that forms the essence of sarva
karma sanyaasa giving up all the actions without any exception. Hence the
statement essentially means there is no more kartRitva bhaavam, that is the notion
that I am doer is gone in the awakening of the knowledge that I am pure saakshii
swaruupam. Clear understanding of this fact is sarva karma sanyaasa. It is
essentially renouncing the wrong notions that I am doer and therefore I have give
up the doing. If I am never a doer, where is there then to give up. Therefore karma
sanyaasa should imply I am renouncing the notion that I am a doer. That can
happen only when I understand the fact that I am pure sat-chit-ananda swaruupa.
Hence Krishna says:
naivakinchit karomiiti yukto manyeta tattavavit|
pasyanshRinvanspRishan jigran ashnan gacchanswapansvasan||
pralayan visRijan gRahanan unmiShannimiShannapi|
indriyanindriyaartheShu vartanta iti dharayan||
All activities are being done by the senses as they are programmed and jnaani
understands that he is never a doer Krishna lists all the activities at BMI level as
being performed by the prakRiti itself.
That understanding is sarva karma sanyaasa it is not really renouncing actions
that I never do but renouncing the notion that I am doer. Notions will get removed
only in the awakening of the knowledge.
Hari Om!
Sadananda

Bhagavad Gita As It Is, 18: Conclusion--The Perfection of

Dedication of fruit of work for God is Karma Phala Tyaga. The work indicates
the practical sacrifice or service to God. When your work is devoid ..
Meaning of Jnana, Bhakti and Karma
Work for God is karma sanyasa. Dedication of fruit of work for God is Karma
Phala Tyaga. The work indicates the practical sacrifice or service to God.
When your work is devoid of ego, God is pleased to give the salvation. Bible
means the work polluted by ego by the word work. When such pollution
exists, you demand the salvation just like purchasing an item from the market
by paying the money, where the grace of the seller is not required.
When your work is devoid of this ego and is purified by total surrender, God is
pleased by such work. Shankara praised the divine Mother by beautiful verses
composed by Himself under the title Soundarya Lahari. The verses were
beautiful beyond imagination. In the last verse Shankara told that He is
submitting this prayer to the Divine Mother, which were actually composed by
the Divine Mother Herself and taken by Him.
He said, it is like taking the water from the ocean and pouring it down in the
ocean as a drink submitted to the ocean. Therefore, the sacrifice of such pure
work without ego alone can please the God, and salvation is the consequence
of His pleasure only. Salvation is not directly linked to your work like the
monthly salary linked to your work. Therefore, there is no contradiction.

At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

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About Dattaji
H. H. Shri Datta Swami is a complete incarnation of the Lord (Pari Purna
Avatara). He has come to this world to preach Divine Knowledge to mankind.
In the past incarnations of the Lord, this wonderful Divine Knowledge was not

revealed to its fullest extent. Today, more than ever, there is a real need for
this wonderful Divine Knowledge. The situation is rather peculiar. People are
not ignorant about the true knowledge. They are highly intelligent. Their minds
have been sharpened by the advancement in science and technology. They
know the truth but they do not like it. They want to reach the true goal by the
false and convenient path. For this purpose they have twisted the meaning of
the scriptures. Humanity stands divided by a number of religions and religious
sects. Therefore there is a dire need at present, for Lord Datta Himself to
come down and reveal the true knowledge to the wonderful people. He has
come in the form of His Holiness Shri Datta Swami to give this Divine and
special knowledge to us.
Birth of a Great Soul
Ancient history of Nagulwaram. In the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh,
in Guntur district, Vinukonda taluk, is a small village called Nagulavaram. This
place has an ancient history. Thousands of years ago, the illustrious and
righteous King Parikshit, of the Pandava dynasty, ruled India. In a moment of
weakness, he once insulted a sage called Shamika. The sages son, Shringi,
cursed the king to die within seven days from the bite of a snake. Parikshit
realized his mistake, since there was no sin greater than insulting a sage of
the stature of Shamika.
Faced with his impending death, the king was filled with renunciation. He left
his family and kingdom and went to the forest in the refuge of Sage Shuka,
who preached the Holy Bhagavatam to him. The news of the imminent death
of Parikshit sent tremors among the wise ones. The great sage, Kashyapa,
rushed to the rescue of the king. In the meanwhile Takshaka, the serpent king
was dispatched by the heavenly executives to deliver the fatal bite to Parikshit
and fulfill the curse of Shringi.
Takshaka, knew that he would be unable to kill the king if Sage Kashyapa
were protecting him. He made up his mind to seek blessings of success from
the sage and dissuade him from protecting the king. He met the sage in what
is now the village of Nagulvaram. In the past, this village was the abode of
snakes. Takshaka respectfully received Sage Kashyapa and gave a cow in
donation to him. He requested the great sage to not protect King Parikshit.
The king had committed a sin and Shringis cursed had to be fulfilled
otherwise it would be a violation of the Law of Dharma (justice). Sage
Kashyapa finally agreed with Takshaka. He blessed Takshaka and went his
way.

King Parikshit was immersed in the devotion of the Lord by listening to the
Holy Bhagavatam preached by Shuka. He had given up all his worldly
attachments. When Takshaka came to deliver the fatal bite, Parikshit was
prepared. He attained salvation.
Swamis ancestors. In the same village of Nagulwaram, in recent times, lived
a devout Brahmin (priest) called Sri Koteswara Sastry. He belonged to the
lineage (gotra) of the same Sage Kashyapa. He spent his entire life repeating
the name of the Lord (Rama nama japam). Even when he passed away, the
name of the Lord alone was on his lips and his fingers were counting the
rosary. His son, Sri Veerabhadra Shastry is a poet in Sanskrit and Telugu and
has written more than a hundred books. He is also a great astrologer. His wife
is called Hanumayamma.
Two distant cousins of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, were evil sorcerers. They
were skilled in black magic and had terrorized the whole village. They had the
power to kill people with a mere look or the utterance of certain words or
mantras. They used to worship ghosts, evil forces and demons. Cemeteries
and cremation grounds used to be their haunts. According to some peoples
estimate, they had killed hundreds of people including over three hundred
children, using their evil powers. They were sworn enemies of Sri
Veerabhadra Shastry and had cast an evil spell on Sri Veerabhadra Shastrys
family that his lineage may come to an end. As a result of the spell, seven
children in the joint family, which included Sri Veerabhadra Shastry and his
two brothers, had died.
The eighth child. When Hanumayamma was pregnant with the eighth child in
the extended family of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, there was a lot of anxiety for
the survival of the infant. On Sunday, phalguna shukla vidiya, in the early
hours of the 4th part of uttarabhadra, makara lagna, vyaya year, (February
24th 1947) the Child of Veerabhadra Shastry and Hanumayamma was born.
The Child was a boy. As soon as He was born, the two evil sorcerers, who had
tried to destroy the family of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, died all of a sudden.
The two sorcerers were paternal uncles of the newborn Child. With their
death, the evil influence on the family and the entire village ended. The Child
was not christened (namakarana) till the age of 7 years because the family
was still afraid that the Child may not survive; the earlier seven children had
died only after they were christened. Little did the family know that this boy
was none other than the Lord Himself and that He would be known as Swami
(master, Lord) or Datta Swami in the future. There are several parallels

between the life of Lord Krishna and Swami. Lord Krishna was the eighth child
of his parents. Swami was the eighth child in His family. Lord Krishnas
maternal uncle was a very cruel king and had killed the elder siblings of Lord
Krishna along with innumerable innocent people. In Swamis case, it was His
two paternal uncles who were cruel and they killed Swamis elder siblings and
cousins apart from hundreds of other villagers. Owing to the similarities
between Lord Krishna, and Swami, His paternal aunt named him as
Venugopala Krishna Murthy.
Early Life
Swami the prankster. As Swami, grew up to be a young boy, He brought life
and enthusiasm in His family and the whole village. His enchanting pranks at
once entertained and exasperated His parents. His mischief was very similar
to that of Lord Krishna. Like Lord Krishna, Swami too was fond of butter and
curd. He too would collect a band of village kids and sneak into neighbors
homes to steal butter and curd. His whole day would be spent in playing with
His band of friends, teasing villagers and breaking their earthen pots. His
friends adored Him and considered Him as their leader. Inspite of His
incessant mischief, He was the heart-throb of the entire village. Occasionally,
some villager would complain to Swamis parents about His being a perfect
menace. But on the whole they tolerated and even enjoyed His pranks.
Another reason why the villagers tolerated Swamis mischief was that Swamis
family was greatly respected in the village. Their ancestors were landlords in
the village. The elder brother of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, (Swamis paternal
uncle) was an Ayurvedic doctor and a very generous and compassionate
man. He would treat many poor villagers free of charge. He was almost like
the village headman to them. Any new person visiting the village was
automatically a respected guest of Swamis family. Therefore the villagers did
not mind if a little boy from that family did some mischief at their expense.
Swamis upanayanam. When Swami turned seven, just a few days after His
christening ceremony (namakarana), His father decided that it was about time
that his son got a little serious. With a view to reduce the mischief of Swami
and instill some discipline in Him, His father performed the upanayanam
ceremony for Swami. The upanayanam is the initiation of a child into the
traditional study of the scriptures. A large ceremony was performed and food
was distributed to the entire village. After the upanayanam, Swamis father
started teaching Sanskrit to Swami. He started by teaching eight verses from
the epic, Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa. But from the ninth verse onwards, Swami

started revealing the meanings of Sanskrit verses without any further

teaching. This happened when Swami was seven years of age. The father
was taken aback by the extraordinary talent of his seven-year-old son.
However he was worried and thought that Swami was possessed by a
Brahma Rakshasa, a ghost of a scholarly demon, and that as a result, Swami
could suddenly expound the Sanskrit epic without any prior study. His father
performed several rituals and the chanting of mantras (sacred hymns) so that
Swami may get rid of the Brahma Rakshasa. He had no idea of the divinity of
his son. When Swami related this to His devotees, many years later, He
jokingly said that His father did not know which ghost had possessed Him.
Swami said that He was possessed by Lord Datta, whose original form is
described as that of a ghost called Avadhuta Datta Digambara Pishacha
Rupa. Lord Datta in this form is Lord Shiva, who is the ruler of all ghosts.
Swami the extraordinary. Thereafter, Swami began composing shlokas
(verses) in Sanskrit on His own. The ancient and intricate Sanskrit language
gushed forth from Swamis pen. Swami started writing poems, epics, stotrams
(paeans) and philosophical books in hundreds. Sanskrit scholars were
dumbfounded seeing the compositions of Swami when He was barely eleven
years old. Great scholars like Sri M. Satyanarayana Sastry and Sri Tatacharya
compared the works of Swami to those of the legendary Kalidasa. Sri Vavilala
Venkateswara Sastry, a great philosopher, appreciated Swami extensively. Sri.
D. Prabhakara Sastry and Sri. J. Venkateswara Sastry recognized that
Swamis genius was out of the ordinary. They realized that it was not genius
but it was Divinity.
Swami the astrologer. At the age of ten, Swami used to tell the future. Initially,
people thought that He must have inherited some of His fathers astrological
skills. However two incidents convinced people of Swamis divinity rather than
astrological skills. Once when Swami was present by His fathers side, a
farmer from the neighboring village of Kookatlapally, came to them and invited
them to his daughters wedding. Swami suddenly said that the bride would die
immediately after the wedding. Everyone in Swamis family was shocked.
They scolded Swami for making such an outrageous statement. The farmer,
who had come to invite them, was speechless. Yet he proceeded with the
wedding of his daughter. After the wedding was over and when the bride
prostrated before her in-laws, to receive their blessings, as per tradition, she
immediately fell down dead. This incident became the talk of the town.
Another incident took place when Swami went to visit His uncle in Kundurti. In
His uncles house, Swami took a diary and wrote that His aunt would pass

away due to cholera on a particular date. He signed the same with the date of
prediction. On the predicted day, Swamis aunt died of cholera. Swamis uncle
had not seen the note that Swami had made and signed in the diary and came
to know of it only later on.
Swami the student. Swami was exceptionally brilliant in His studies. He
completed His bachelors degree at the age of sixteen and proceeded to the
prestigious Allahabad University for His masters and PhD. During His fiveyear stay in Allahabad, He would wake up at 3.00 am every morning and walk
to the holy river, Ganga (Ganges) to perform severe penance. He would first
bathe in the holy waters. Then He would make a mud idol in the form of a
Shiva Lingam, hold it in His left hand and shower it with the holy water of the
Ganga with the right hand. This, He would do standing on one leg in the water
till 7.00 am. At the end of it, Swami would immerse the mud idol in the river
and proceed to the university to attend classes and do His research. Every full
moon day (pournima), Swami would go to the holy city of Varanasi (Benaras)
which is just a few hours away from Allahabad. There, He would worship Lord
Shiva by performing the Rudrabhishekam.
By the age of seventeen, Swami had completed His Masters degree in
chemistry. He continued working towards a PhD. Swami worked in the
laboratory for His PhD for only thirty days and completed His thesis in a few
months after joining the PhD program. His thesis was titled A New
Supersonic Technique for Metallurgical Testing. It was a very short thesis and
contained only thirty pages. Swami was inspired by Newton and Einstein,
whose ground breaking theses in their time, were very short. Swami did not
want to submit a watered down thesis running into hundreds of pages; He
rather wanted a short, power-packed thesis with an original idea. His
professors were extremely impressed with Swamis thesis, His original work,
and His brilliance as a researcher. However they could not accept His thesis
so soon. The university had a rule that the minimum time frame for the
completion of a PhD degree should be twenty months. Swami was obliged to
wait for that period before He could submit His thesis.
Swami the Vedic scholar. Swami spent this time, enacting another divine
drama in this world. It was a particularly important phase of His life from the
point of view of His Divine Mission on earth. He would go to the university
every morning but not to the chemistry department; He would go to the G. N.
Jha Research Institute, which was on campus. In this famous institute there
are hundreds of thousands of original palm-leaf manuscripts of ancient
philosophical texts including the Vedas, Brahmasutras, Bhagavad Gita and

commentaries of great ancient masters on the scriptures. Swami would study

them all day. His colleagues in the chemistry department would joke that His
admission to the chemistry department was a mere formality; He was always
to be found in the G. N. Jha Research Institute. They would add that Swami
was not a research scholar in chemistry but a scholar in Sanskrit and
philosophy.
The director of the G. N. Jha Research Institute was Dr. Umesh Mishra, a
great scholar and a spiritually advanced soul. He was the ex-vice chancellor
of the Sanskrit University of Darbhanga. He was a purva mimamsaka
(ritualist) by belief. He had once performed the ashwamedha yajna (fire ritual
involving a divine horse) in Darbhanga. During the ritual a divine horse had
actually appeared in the fire altar. Dr. Mishra was able to take a photograph of
the horse. While studying the ancient manuscripts in the G. N. Jha Institute,
Swami would get into scholarly spiritual debates with Dr. Mishra. These
debates were a recapitulation of the same great debate that had ensued
between Lord Adi Shankaracarya and the great ritualistic scholar Mandana
Mishra. Lord Shankaras point of view was theistic and consisted in accepting
God as the Creator and Controller of creation. Mandana Mishras point of view
was that human effort and actions yield proportional results independently;
there was no need to bring God into the picture. The historic debate had
lasted twenty one days and finally Mandana Mishra accepted Lord Shankaras
point of view. He totally surrendered to Lord Shankara and became His
disciple, who later became famous as Sureshwara. Likewise, in the debate
between Swami and Dr. Mishra, Dr. Mishra finally accepted Swamis point of
view. He even gave a certificate signed by him to Swami, accepting that
Swamis point was correct.
During His stay in Allahabad, Swami would also engage in debates and
discussions with many other great scholars. There is a reputed Vedantic
philosophical magazine published in Varanasi, called Prabha. Swami wrote an
article in it on the commentary of a particular Brahmasutra. The Brahmasutras
are condensed aphorisms which contain the entire Vedic knowledge in them.
However interpreting and understanding the Brahma Sutras is very difficult
since it requires a comprehensive and fully assimilated knowledge of the
entire Vedas. Only the most advanced students of Vedanta are able to study
the Brahmasutras. Swami wrote the article on the Brahmasutra (1.1.4), tat tu
samanvayat. He gave one hundred interpretations of the term tu. His article
was so exceptional that it transcended the level of usual scholarly Vedantic
writing. Impressed by this article, Sri Karapatra Swami, the head monkteacher (Pithadhipati) of the sacred seat of learning at Varanasi (Kashi

Pitham), invited the young Swami to take up monkhood (samnyasa) and

become the next head monk-teacher (Pithadhipati) of the Kashi Pitham.
Varanasi is the holiest city of the Hindus. It is where the scriptures have been
taught, preserved and propagated from generation to generation for several
thousand years. It is the abode of the greatest scholars and saints in India.
The opportunity of becoming the head monk of this ancient and sacred seat of
learning, is extremely rare and prestigious. Swami was offered this position,
when He was not even out of His teens. However, when His father came to
know about this, he did not accept the offer. Swami was his eldest son. He
was not going to let his eldest son become a monk. He wanted Swami to carry
on the name of his family. It is indeed our good fortune that Swami did not
take the offer at that time. Otherwise we would not have had the opportunity to
know Him so closely and live with Him.
Swami upholds Sanatana Dharma. In India, a sacred event called the
Mahakumbha Mela is celebrated at certain holy places. It is an event with
astronomical significance and it occurs every 12 years. At this time, over a
million people congregate at these holy spots to have a ritual bath in the holy
waters. It is also the time when great scholars, sages and holy men come out
of seclusion and interact with each other. Rare jewels of Divine Knowledge
are exchanged. At the time of the Mahakumbha Mela in Prayag (Allahabad),
situated on the confluence of the three holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and
Saraswati, a heated argument took place between the followers of Arya Samaj
and those of Sanatana Dharma. Both are sects of Hinduism. Arya Samaj
believes in Formless God (Nirakara) whereas the Sanatanas believe in God
having form (Sakara) and God coming down as a human incarnation
(Naravatara). At the age of 16, Swami entered the debate on the side of the
Sanatanas. He argued with the great scholars of Arya Samaj in Sanskrit.
Following is an excerpt from that argument:
Swami: Do you believe that the Lord is Omnipotent?
Arya Samaj: Yes, all religions accept this.
Swami: Then you would also accept that He has the power or ability to come
down as a human incarnation so that the devotees can see, talk and interact
with Him. When sincere devotees yearn for serving and interacting with Him,
He fulfills their desire and takes a human incarnation.
Arya Samaj: No, interaction such as talking, seeing and living with Him would
be possible only if He were to have a form. The Vedas say that He has no

form (nastiya pratima, arupam). They also say that He cannot be seen with
ones eyes (nacakshusha) These quotations clearly prove that God formless.
Therefore it is not possible to interact with Him.
Swami: However the Vedas also say elsewhere that the Lord is available to
direct perception (yatsakshat aparokshat brahma,
pratyagatmanamaikshat). The Vedas thus testify that one can see the Lord
with ones own eyes. What you call formless is not the Lord but the undefined
power of the Lord. It is true that the Lord is beyond any form and beyond the
reach of the mind and intellect. Yet the same God created the universe which
has form. Every religion agrees to the fact that the Lord is Omniscient (allknowing) and Omnipotent (all-powerful). If it is true that He is Omnipotent,
then He, who is beyond all forms, can take up any form by His Will. If there is
even a single form that He cannot take up, then He is not all-powerful.
Therefore the Lord can take up even the human form. He can take up a
human form and come to earth as a human being; the human incarnation of
God or an Avatara. Not only that He can do so, but He has also done so in
every age and continues to do so even today.
Arya Samaj: Even if it is accepted that He could take up a form if He so
wished, we argue that He does not need to take a form. Why would He, who
is beyond all forms, need to take a form, and a human form at that?
Swami: The answer to this is simple. He comes to the world for the sake of
His devotees. The devotee is a jivatma (soul with subtle body) wearing the
physical body and living in a physical world. Such a human individual can
perceive only physical things on earth. He has five senses which are his only
means to knowledge or perception. No being can perceive the Lord in His
absolute nature, since He is beyond the reach of the mind and beyond form.
However God appears in each world (or plane of existence) in a form that is
perceptible to jivatmas in that world. The human being, who is in this world,
cannot perceive the Lord in His Cosmic Form or in the different energetic
bodies that He takes up in the upper worlds. When the jivatma leaves the
physical body in death, it goes to the upper worlds (heaven or hell). Here it
takes up an energetic body itself. In the upper worlds the physical body is
replaced by the energetic body which becomes the medium of interaction in
those worlds. Being in the energetic body, the jivatma is able to perceive the
energetic body of the Lord in the upper world. However while jivatmas are on
earth they possess physical bodies and hence can perceive only other
physical objects and bodies. For humans on earth the energetic body of God
is generally too subtle to be perceived.

Only human beings who perform penance for a long time can see the
energetic body in visions in this world. In these cases too, the energetic body
of the Lord has to be intensified so that those humans can perceive them. The
intensified body does not remain for long and disappears by diffusion in a
short while. Such energetic bodies cannot live and talk with us for a long time
and cannot be touched by us.
When human beings who are extremely devoted to God and yearn for Him,
the Lord, in all His compassion comes down in human form to satisfy His
devotees. In the human form alone, can the devotee serve the Lord, feed Him,
live with Him, talk to Him and love Him fully. One cannot serve, love, or talk to
the Lord in the Cosmic Form, as the Formless Power or God in an energetic
body. The only other option for a human is worshipping an idol, which is not
the Lord but represents Him. It is like a person separated from his or her loved
one, holding the photograph of his beloved to his heart. The photograph is not
the same as the loved one but it represents the loved one and offers a means
to approach that which is otherwise inaccessible. The representative idol or
picture of the Lord is not the same as the Lord. You may pretend that you are
feeding the idol, decorating it, loving it and so on. However worship done to
the idol can never reach the Lord. The idol or image being inanimate cannot
respond to that worship or devotion. Thus in reality, you have no opportunity to
serve, worship, decorate or praise the Lord as the Formless One, in an
energetic body or in the form of an idol. No matter how devoted you are, you
can never attain fulfillment in your devotion and worship. You can never be
satisfied by your worship. The only way that you can actually serve, worship,
love, talk and sing to the Lord is when He comes down as a human
incarnation (Avatara).
In any case you (followers of Arya Samaj) do not accept the idol worship since
worshipping idols is not the same as worshipping God. However what you
need to understand is that worshipping God as the Formless One is not a
better option either since the Formless is not God either; it is His Formless
power. Worshipping the Formless is also representative worship and in that
sense is no different from idol worship.
In fact, one cannot worship God in any way other than through a medium. The
human body of a human incarnation of the Lord is a medium to worship Him.
However from the point of view of humans, it is far superior to any other
medium that the Lord takes up, since interaction, service and direct worship is
possible only through the human body of the incarnation.

The Lord has power to come in human form and He comes in human form.
Devotees desire such a form. Who are you to come between the Lord and His
devotees? If you cannot accept the human form, you are free to not worship it.
You can continue to worship the formless aspect of God such as energy or
formless space. But keep in mind that it is not direct worship of the Lord. You
are only worshipping the power of God and not God Himself. It is mere
representative worship; the formless aspect is only the power of God. When
the devotees worship the Lord in human form, they worship God directly. The
human incarnation is said to be God-in-the-flesh.
With this argument the proponents of Arya Samaj fell silent.
Swami the unifier of the three philosophies. Once, Swami had a debate with
the head monk of the monistic tradition (Advaita Matha Pithadhipati), on the
Brahmasutra commentary (bhashya). The monistic tradition to which the
Pithadhipati belonged asserts that the individual who seeks God is already the
Lord Himself. There is no essential difference between the Lord and the
individual soul. It is only an apparent difference. Due to Ignorance (Maya) the
individual has forgotten his real nature. With the right knowledge each
individual will realize that he is the Lord Himself and that the Ignorance never
existed. Following is an excerpt from the debate that Swami had with the
Pithadhipati:
Pithadhipati: In the Chandogya Upanishad (in the Vedas), the father blessed
his son, Shvetaketu saying Tat-tvam-asi (thou art That). This means that the
individual (the son) is already, the Lord (Brahman). Shvetaketu was an
ordinary individual. Is there any contradiction in the fact that an ordinary
individual (jiva) can be called the Lord (Brahman)?
Swami: Asi is the verb in the sentence quoted above. It commonly means to
be. Therefore you interpreted the above sentence as an identitythe
individual is identical with the Lord. However, in this case, the verb asi is
used in a slightly different sense. It is used in the sense of shortly going to
become. As per Sanskrit grammar, the present tense can be used to indicate
the imminent future (avyavahita bhavishyati lat). The sentence shows the
intensity of love of the father who is also the preacher in this case. Thus the
father in the above context tells his son that the son will shortly become one
with the Lord. The father means that the son will soon have God realization.

As Swami said this, the Pithadhipati saw Swami as Lord Dattatreya (the Lord
as the Creator, Sustainer and the Destroyer of creation). He felt exceedingly
happy and said to Swami that He alone was capable of unifying the three
philosophical traditions (trimata bhashyas). The Vedas are the Hindu
scriptures and the revealed Word of God. There are three schools of
interpreting the Vedas. The three schools are called the monistic, qualified
monistic and dualistic schools. Although the three schools place final authority
in the same Vedas, they have very different views on basic philosophical
concepts relating to God, the spiritual goal and the spiritual path. Centuries
have passed but no successful effort has been made to unify the three
philosophies. It seemed a task beyond the capacities of any human being.
Swami achieved this great task by writing works in Sanskrit such as Trimata
Samanvaya Bhashyam.
Swami gets a doctoral degree. At the age of 19, Swami obtained a Ph.D. in
chemistry, which is a record of sorts. He was invited for a postdoctoral position
in Ohio State University, USA, but Swami refused since He did not want to
travel abroad. He instead accepted a one-year senior research fellowship
granted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in
Allahabad. After that, Swami took up another appointment as a postdoctoral
researcher in Madras University.
Swami the professor. At the age of 30, Swami became a professor in
chemistry. Swami leads a simple life in Vijayawada, India. He is a professor in
K. L. Engineering College, Vijayawada. He has published numerous original
research papers in internationally acclaimed journals. He is a rare
combination of a scientist and a spiritual genius. He is a strong proponent of a
rational approach to spirituality. In His eyes, science and religion are not
different. In fact, He says that a rationalist can easily be a spiritualist. Swami
lives with His wife, Smt. Jayalakshmi Narasakumary. His three sons are
named, Anjaneya, Veerabhadra and Vatsararushi. His youngest child is a
daughter by the name of Hanumayamma. While living in the world, Swami,
teaches Divine Knowledge to devotees and ordinary people.
Swami among ordinary people.
In the earlier part of His life, Swami used to engage in talks, discussions and
debates with scholars well versed in Sanskrit and Vedanta alone. However in
the latter part of His life, He turned His attention to the common man. He
wanted to uplift the lives of normal people living and struggling in the world.
He wrote several books such as Datta Vedam, Upanishad, Datta Guru
Bhagavad Gita for the followers of knowledge (jnana marga) and hymns and

songs such as Gopi Gitalu & Bhakti Ganga for the followers of the
devotional path (Bhakti marga). Swamis message is that one should avoid
wasting time in watching television, movies, reading novels or indulging in
gossip. Instead, one should spend time usefully in the spiritual effort
(sadhana). The greatest sadhana is serving the Lord with full love and
devotion without expecting anything in return. It means loving the Lord in spite
of all the good and bad events in our life.
Practical spirituality. Swami is a practical spiritualist. He practices what He
preaches. He has committed Himself to the mission of spreading the Divine
Knowledge of the Lord, in intellect, mind, words, and deeds. He has donated
His intelligence and words in the form of Divine Knowledge. He donated His
mind and words by spontaneously composing and singing several devotional
songs, which represent devotion or love for God. He is continuously sacrificing
His action (karma samyasa) by giving divine discourses, answering the
questions from devotees, singing devotional songs and writing books on
spirituality. It is surprising to note that once He gave a divine discourse in
Mumbai for 14 hours non-stop! He had written more than a hundred books in
Sanskrit on spirituality by the time He turned sixteen years of age. Later He
wrote several books on spirituality in different languages. All these are glorious
examples of His sacrifice of work (karma samnyasa).
Even after all this intense work and sacrifice, Swami says that His devotees
are greater than Him since they sacrifice the fruit of work (money) for the
mission of the Lord. But it is a great secret that Swami has sacrificed His
entire lifes savings for the sake of the mission. His family lives only on the
income of their ancestral property, not on Swamis income and savings.
Swami preaches that one should have the sole bond with the Lord and that
one should be detached from family bonds. In order to preach this by
example, Swami did not go to His home for one full year and did not allow any
of His family members to meet Him either. He did this only to prove His point
that internal detachment is essential in spirituality. Swami says that the overattachment to these family bonds obstructs the formation of the bond with the
Lord and breeds intense selfishness. Selfishness is the cause for all fighting
and corruption in the society, which lead to social injustice. Both justice in the
world, and Brahmaloka (highest heaven) are simultaneously achieved if one
has complete internal detachment from family bonds. The Lord is pleased by
detachment from family bonds on two counts: one, that it establishes justice in
the world and secondly because it enables the formation of an infallible bond
with God. The formation of the bond with God leads to service of the Lord,

which in turn takes the devotee to Brahmaloka. Swami says that salvation
does not mean liberation from this physical world, but it means the liberation
from blind family bonds.
Jnana means knowledge related to God and not the knowledge related to the
creation like mathematics, physics etc. Similarly, Bhakti means love to God and not
love to the world. Similarly, karma (seva) means service to God and not to service
to your family or society. The word karma in the entire Gita strictly means the work
related to God. But people have written commentaries on Gita interpreting the word
karma to worldly works also. Gita clearly says that one should attach to the work of
God (Matkarmaparamobhava) only. The word sanyasa means both complete
attachment as well as detachment. In the first sense God is taken and in the second
sense the world is taken.
The word karmaphalatyaga means the sacrifice of the fruit of worldly work only
because there is no point of any fruit of in the case of Gods work. Karmasanyasa
means dedication of the work to God or detachment of work from the world. The
meanings should be fixed according to the proper context and if you reverse the
meanings the reverse concepts result.

At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

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About Dattaji
H. H. Shri Datta Swami is a complete incarnation of the Lord (Pari Purna Avatara). He
has come to this world to preach Divine Knowledge to mankind. In the past
incarnations of the Lord, this wonderful Divine Knowledge was not revealed to its
fullest extent. Today, more than ever, there is a real need for this wonderful Divine
Knowledge. The situation is rather peculiar. People are not ignorant about the true
knowledge. They are highly intelligent. Their minds have been sharpened by the
advancement in science and technology. They know the truth but they do not like it.
They want to reach the true goal by the false and convenient path. For this purpose
they have twisted the meaning of the scriptures. Humanity stands divided by a
number of religions and religious sects. Therefore there is a dire need at present, for
Lord Datta Himself to come down and reveal the true knowledge to the wonderful
people. He has come in the form of His Holiness Shri Datta Swami to give this Divine
and special knowledge to us.
Birth of a Great Soul

Ancient history of Nagulwaram. In the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, in

Guntur district, Vinukonda taluk, is a small village called Nagulavaram. This place
has an ancient history. Thousands of years ago, the illustrious and righteous King
Parikshit, of the Pandava dynasty, ruled India. In a moment of weakness, he once
insulted a sage called Shamika. The sages son, Shringi, cursed the king to die
within seven days from the bite of a snake. Parikshit realized his mistake, since
there was no sin greater than insulting a sage of the stature of Shamika.
Faced with his impending death, the king was filled with renunciation. He left his
family and kingdom and went to the forest in the refuge of Sage Shuka, who
preached the Holy Bhagavatam to him. The news of the imminent death of Parikshit
sent tremors among the wise ones. The great sage, Kashyapa, rushed to the rescue
of the king. In the meanwhile Takshaka, the serpent king was dispatched by the
heavenly executives to deliver the fatal bite to Parikshit and fulfill the curse of
Shringi.
Takshaka, knew that he would be unable to kill the king if Sage Kashyapa were
protecting him. He made up his mind to seek blessings of success from the sage
and dissuade him from protecting the king. He met the sage in what is now the
village of Nagulvaram. In the past, this village was the abode of snakes. Takshaka
respectfully received Sage Kashyapa and gave a cow in donation to him. He
requested the great sage to not protect King Parikshit. The king had committed a sin
and Shringis cursed had to be fulfilled otherwise it would be a violation of the Law
of Dharma (justice). Sage Kashyapa finally agreed with Takshaka. He blessed
Takshaka and went his way.
King Parikshit was immersed in the devotion of the Lord by listening to the Holy
Bhagavatam preached by Shuka. He had given up all his worldly attachments. When
Takshaka came to deliver the fatal bite, Parikshit was prepared. He attained
salvation.
Swamis ancestors. In the same village of Nagulwaram, in recent times, lived a
devout Brahmin (priest) called Sri Koteswara Sastry. He belonged to the lineage
(gotra) of the same Sage Kashyapa. He spent his entire life repeating the name of
the Lord (Rama nama japam). Even when he passed away, the name of the Lord
alone was on his lips and his fingers were counting the rosary. His son, Sri
Veerabhadra Shastry is a poet in Sanskrit and Telugu and has written more than a
hundred books. He is also a great astrologer. His wife is called Hanumayamma.
Two distant cousins of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, were evil sorcerers. They were
skilled in black magic and had terrorized the whole village. They had the power to
kill people with a mere look or the utterance of certain words or mantras. They used
to worship ghosts, evil forces and demons. Cemeteries and cremation grounds used
to be their haunts. According to some peoples estimate, they had killed hundreds of
people including over three hundred children, using their evil powers. They were
sworn enemies of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry and had cast an evil spell on Sri
Veerabhadra Shastrys family that his lineage may come to an end. As a result of
the spell, seven children in the joint family, which included Sri Veerabhadra Shastry
and his two brothers, had died.

The eighth child. When Hanumayamma was pregnant with the eighth child in the
extended family of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, there was a lot of anxiety for the
survival of the infant. On Sunday, phalguna shukla vidiya, in the early hours of the
4th part of uttarabhadra, makara lagna, vyaya year, (February 24th 1947) the Child
of Veerabhadra Shastry and Hanumayamma was born. The Child was a boy. As soon
as He was born, the two evil sorcerers, who had tried to destroy the family of Sri
Veerabhadra Shastry, died all of a sudden. The two sorcerers were paternal uncles
of the newborn Child. With their death, the evil influence on the family and the
entire village ended. The Child was not christened (namakarana) till the age of 7
years because the family was still afraid that the Child may not survive; the earlier
seven children had died only after they were christened. Little did the family know
that this boy was none other than the Lord Himself and that He would be known as
Swami (master, Lord) or Datta Swami in the future. There are several parallels
between the life of Lord Krishna and Swami. Lord Krishna was the eighth child of his
parents. Swami was the eighth child in His family. Lord Krishnas maternal uncle was
a very cruel king and had killed the elder siblings of Lord Krishna along with
innumerable innocent people. In Swamis case, it was His two paternal uncles who
were cruel and they killed Swamis elder siblings and cousins apart from hundreds
of other villagers. Owing to the similarities between Lord Krishna, and Swami, His
paternal aunt named him as Venugopala Krishna Murthy.
Early Life
Swami the prankster. As Swami, grew up to be a young boy, He brought life and
enthusiasm in His family and the whole village. His enchanting pranks at once
entertained and exasperated His parents. His mischief was very similar to that of
Lord Krishna. Like Lord Krishna, Swami too was fond of butter and curd. He too
would collect a band of village kids and sneak into neighbors homes to steal butter
and curd. His whole day would be spent in playing with His band of friends, teasing
villagers and breaking their earthen pots. His friends adored Him and considered
Him as their leader. Inspite of His incessant mischief, He was the heart-throb of the
entire village. Occasionally, some villager would complain to Swamis parents about
His being a perfect menace. But on the whole they tolerated and even enjoyed His
pranks.
Another reason why the villagers tolerated Swamis mischief was that Swamis
family was greatly respected in the village. Their ancestors were landlords in the
village. The elder brother of Sri Veerabhadra Shastry, (Swamis paternal uncle) was
an Ayurvedic doctor and a very generous and compassionate man. He would treat
many poor villagers free of charge. He was almost like the village headman to them.
Any new person visiting the village was automatically a respected guest of Swamis
family. Therefore the villagers did not mind if a little boy from that family did some
mischief at their expense.
Swamis upanayanam. When Swami turned seven, just a few days after His
christening ceremony (namakarana), His father decided that it was about time that
his son got a little serious. With a view to reduce the mischief of Swami and instill
some discipline in Him, His father performed the upanayanam ceremony for Swami.
The upanayanam is the initiation of a child into the traditional study of the
scriptures. A large ceremony was performed and food was distributed to the entire

village. After the upanayanam, Swamis father started teaching Sanskrit to Swami.
He started by teaching eight verses from the epic, Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa. But
from the ninth verse onwards, Swami started revealing the meanings of Sanskrit
verses without any further teaching. This happened when Swami was seven years of
age. The father was taken aback by the extraordinary talent of his seven-year-old
son. However he was worried and thought that Swami was possessed by a Brahma
Rakshasa, a ghost of a scholarly demon, and that as a result, Swami could suddenly
expound the Sanskrit epic without any prior study. His father performed several
rituals and the chanting of mantras (sacred hymns) so that Swami may get rid of
the Brahma Rakshasa. He had no idea of the divinity of his son. When Swami
related this to His devotees, many years later, He jokingly said that His father did
not know which ghost had possessed Him. Swami said that He was possessed by
Lord Datta, whose original form is described as that of a ghost called Avadhuta
Datta Digambara Pishacha Rupa. Lord Datta in this form is Lord Shiva, who is the
ruler of all ghosts.
Swami the extraordinary. Thereafter, Swami began composing shlokas (verses) in
Sanskrit on His own. The ancient and intricate Sanskrit language gushed forth from
Swamis pen. Swami started writing poems, epics, stotrams (paeans) and
philosophical books in hundreds. Sanskrit scholars were dumbfounded seeing the
compositions of Swami when He was barely eleven years old. Great scholars like Sri
M. Satyanarayana Sastry and Sri Tatacharya compared the works of Swami to those
of the legendary Kalidasa. Sri Vavilala Venkateswara Sastry, a great philosopher,
appreciated Swami extensively. Sri. D. Prabhakara Sastry and Sri. J. Venkateswara
Sastry recognized that Swamis genius was out of the ordinary. They realized that it
was not genius but it was Divinity.
Swami the astrologer. At the age of ten, Swami used to tell the future. Initially,
people thought that He must have inherited some of His fathers astrological skills.
However two incidents convinced people of Swamis divinity rather than astrological
skills. Once when Swami was present by His fathers side, a farmer from the
neighboring village of Kookatlapally, came to them and invited them to his
daughters wedding. Swami suddenly said that the bride would die immediately
after the wedding. Everyone in Swamis family was shocked. They scolded Swami
for making such an outrageous statement. The farmer, who had come to invite
them, was speechless. Yet he proceeded with the wedding of his daughter. After the
wedding was over and when the bride prostrated before her in-laws, to receive their
blessings, as per tradition, she immediately fell down dead. This incident became
the talk of the town.
Another incident took place when Swami went to visit His uncle in Kundurti. In His
uncles house, Swami took a diary and wrote that His aunt would pass away due to
cholera on a particular date. He signed the same with the date of prediction. On the
predicted day, Swamis aunt died of cholera. Swamis uncle had not seen the note
that Swami had made and signed in the diary and came to know of it only later on.
Swami the student. Swami was exceptionally brilliant in His studies. He completed
His bachelors degree at the age of sixteen and proceeded to the prestigious
Allahabad University for His masters and PhD. During His five-year stay in
Allahabad, He would wake up at 3.00 am every morning and walk to the holy river,

Ganga (Ganges) to perform severe penance. He would first bathe in the holy waters.
Then He would make a mud idol in the form of a Shiva Lingam, hold it in His left
hand and shower it with the holy water of the Ganga with the right hand. This, He
would do standing on one leg in the water till 7.00 am. At the end of it, Swami would
immerse the mud idol in the river and proceed to the university to attend classes
and do His research. Every full moon day (pournima), Swami would go to the holy
city of Varanasi (Benaras) which is just a few hours away from Allahabad. There, He
would worship Lord Shiva by performing the Rudrabhishekam.
By the age of seventeen, Swami had completed His Masters degree in chemistry. He
continued working towards a PhD. Swami worked in the laboratory for His PhD for
only thirty days and completed His thesis in a few months after joining the PhD
program. His thesis was titled A New Supersonic Technique for Metallurgical
Testing. It was a very short thesis and contained only thirty pages. Swami was
inspired by Newton and Einstein, whose ground breaking theses in their time, were
very short. Swami did not want to submit a watered down thesis running into
hundreds of pages; He rather wanted a short, power-packed thesis with an original
idea. His professors were extremely impressed with Swamis thesis, His original
work, and His brilliance as a researcher. However they could not accept His thesis so
soon. The university had a rule that the minimum time frame for the completion of a
PhD degree should be twenty months. Swami was obliged to wait for that period
before He could submit His thesis.
Swami the Vedic scholar. Swami spent this time, enacting another divine drama in
this world. It was a particularly important phase of His life from the point of view of
His Divine Mission on earth. He would go to the university every morning but not to
the chemistry department; He would go to the G. N. Jha Research Institute, which
was on campus. In this famous institute there are hundreds of thousands of original
palm-leaf manuscripts of ancient philosophical texts including the Vedas,
Brahmasutras, Bhagavad Gita and commentaries of great ancient masters on the
scriptures. Swami would study them all day. His colleagues in the chemistry
department would joke that His admission to the chemistry department was a mere
formality; He was always to be found in the G. N. Jha Research Institute. They would
add that Swami was not a research scholar in chemistry but a scholar in Sanskrit
and philosophy.
The director of the G. N. Jha Research Institute was Dr. Umesh Mishra, a great
scholar and a spiritually advanced soul. He was the ex-vice chancellor of the
Sanskrit University of Darbhanga. He was a purva mimamsaka (ritualist) by belief.
He had once performed the ashwamedha yajna (fire ritual involving a divine horse)
in Darbhanga. During the ritual a divine horse had actually appeared in the fire
altar. Dr. Mishra was able to take a photograph of the horse. While studying the
ancient manuscripts in the G. N. Jha Institute, Swami would get into scholarly
spiritual debates with Dr. Mishra. These debates were a recapitulation of the same
great debate that had ensued between Lord Adi Shankaracarya and the great
ritualistic scholar Mandana Mishra. Lord Shankaras point of view was theistic and
consisted in accepting God as the Creator and Controller of creation. Mandana
Mishras point of view was that human effort and actions yield proportional results
independently; there was no need to bring God into the picture. The historic debate
had lasted twenty one days and finally Mandana Mishra accepted Lord Shankaras

point of view. He totally surrendered to Lord Shankara and became His disciple, who
later became famous as Sureshwara. Likewise, in the debate between Swami and
Dr. Mishra, Dr. Mishra finally accepted Swamis point of view. He even gave a
certificate signed by him to Swami, accepting that Swamis point was correct.
During His stay in Allahabad, Swami would also engage in debates and discussions
with many other great scholars. There is a reputed Vedantic philosophical magazine
published in Varanasi, called Prabha. Swami wrote an article in it on the
commentary of a particular Brahmasutra. The Brahmasutras are condensed
aphorisms which contain the entire Vedic knowledge in them. However interpreting
and understanding the Brahma Sutras is very difficult since it requires a
comprehensive and fully assimilated knowledge of the entire Vedas. Only the most
advanced students of Vedanta are able to study the Brahmasutras. Swami wrote the
article on the Brahmasutra (1.1.4), tat tu samanvayat. He gave one hundred
interpretations of the term tu. His article was so exceptional that it transcended
the level of usual scholarly Vedantic writing. Impressed by this article, Sri Karapatra
Swami, the head monk-teacher (Pithadhipati) of the sacred seat of learning at
Varanasi (Kashi Pitham), invited the young Swami to take up monkhood (samnyasa)
and become the next head monk-teacher (Pithadhipati) of the Kashi Pitham.
Varanasi is the holiest city of the Hindus. It is where the scriptures have been
taught, preserved and propagated from generation to generation for several
thousand years. It is the abode of the greatest scholars and saints in India. The
opportunity of becoming the head monk of this ancient and sacred seat of learning,
is extremely rare and prestigious. Swami was offered this position, when He was not
even out of His teens. However, when His father came to know about this, he did
not accept the offer. Swami was his eldest son. He was not going to let his eldest
son become a monk. He wanted Swami to carry on the name of his family. It is
indeed our good fortune that Swami did not take the offer at that time. Otherwise
we would not have had the opportunity to know Him so closely and live with Him.
Swami upholds Sanatana Dharma. In India, a sacred event called the Mahakumbha
Mela is celebrated at certain holy places. It is an event with astronomical
significance and it occurs every 12 years. At this time, over a million people
congregate at these holy spots to have a ritual bath in the holy waters. It is also the
time when great scholars, sages and holy men come out of seclusion and interact
with each other. Rare jewels of Divine Knowledge are exchanged. At the time of the
Mahakumbha Mela in Prayag (Allahabad), situated on the confluence of the three
holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, a heated argument took place between
the followers of Arya Samaj and those of Sanatana Dharma. Both are sects of
Hinduism. Arya Samaj believes in Formless God (Nirakara) whereas the Sanatanas
believe in God having form (Sakara) and God coming down as a human incarnation
(Naravatara). At the age of 16, Swami entered the debate on the side of the
Sanatanas. He argued with the great scholars of Arya Samaj in Sanskrit. Following is
an excerpt from that argument:
Swami: Do you believe that the Lord is Omnipotent?
Arya Samaj: Yes, all religions accept this.

Swami: Then you would also accept that He has the power or ability to come down
as a human incarnation so that the devotees can see, talk and interact with Him.
When sincere devotees yearn for serving and interacting with Him, He fulfills their
desire and takes a human incarnation.
Arya Samaj: No, interaction such as talking, seeing and living with Him would be
possible only if He were to have a form. The Vedas say that He has no form
(nastiya pratima, arupam). They also say that He cannot be seen with ones
eyes (nacakshusha) These quotations clearly prove that God formless. Therefore it
is not possible to interact with Him.
Swami: However the Vedas also say elsewhere that the Lord is available to direct
perception (yatsakshat aparokshat brahma, pratyagatmanamaikshat). The
Vedas thus testify that one can see the Lord with ones own eyes. What you call
formless is not the Lord but the undefined power of the Lord. It is true that the Lord
is beyond any form and beyond the reach of the mind and intellect. Yet the same
God created the universe which has form. Every religion agrees to the fact that the
Lord is Omniscient (all-knowing) and Omnipotent (all-powerful). If it is true that He is
Omnipotent, then He, who is beyond all forms, can take up any form by His Will. If
there is even a single form that He cannot take up, then He is not all-powerful.
Therefore the Lord can take up even the human form. He can take up a human form
and come to earth as a human being; the human incarnation of God or an Avatara.
Not only that He can do so, but He has also done so in every age and continues to
do so even today.
Arya Samaj: Even if it is accepted that He could take up a form if He so wished, we
argue that He does not need to take a form. Why would He, who is beyond all forms,
need to take a form, and a human form at that?
Swami: The answer to this is simple. He comes to the world for the sake of His
devotees. The devotee is a jivatma (soul with subtle body) wearing the physical
body and living in a physical world. Such a human individual can perceive only
physical things on earth. He has five senses which are his only means to knowledge
or perception. No being can perceive the Lord in His absolute nature, since He is
beyond the reach of the mind and beyond form. However God appears in each
world (or plane of existence) in a form that is perceptible to jivatmas in that world.
The human being, who is in this world, cannot perceive the Lord in His Cosmic Form
or in the different energetic bodies that He takes up in the upper worlds. When the
jivatma leaves the physical body in death, it goes to the upper worlds (heaven or
hell). Here it takes up an energetic body itself. In the upper worlds the physical body
is replaced by the energetic body which becomes the medium of interaction in
those worlds. Being in the energetic body, the jivatma is able to perceive the
energetic body of the Lord in the upper world. However while jivatmas are on earth
they possess physical bodies and hence can perceive only other physical objects
and bodies. For humans on earth the energetic body of God is generally too subtle
to be perceived.
Only human beings who perform penance for a long time can see the energetic
body in visions in this world. In these cases too, the energetic body of the Lord has
to be intensified so that those humans can perceive them. The intensified body does

not remain for long and disappears by diffusion in a short while. Such energetic
bodies cannot live and talk with us for a long time and cannot be touched by us.
When human beings who are extremely devoted to God and yearn for Him, the
Lord, in all His compassion comes down in human form to satisfy His devotees. In
the human form alone, can the devotee serve the Lord, feed Him, live with Him, talk
to Him and love Him fully. One cannot serve, love, or talk to the Lord in the Cosmic
Form, as the Formless Power or God in an energetic body. The only other option for
a human is worshipping an idol, which is not the Lord but represents Him. It is like a
person separated from his or her loved one, holding the photograph of his beloved
to his heart. The photograph is not the same as the loved one but it represents the
loved one and offers a means to approach that which is otherwise inaccessible. The
representative idol or picture of the Lord is not the same as the Lord. You may
pretend that you are feeding the idol, decorating it, loving it and so on. However
worship done to the idol can never reach the Lord. The idol or image being
inanimate cannot respond to that worship or devotion. Thus in reality, you have no
opportunity to serve, worship, decorate or praise the Lord as the Formless One, in
an energetic body or in the form of an idol. No matter how devoted you are, you can
never attain fulfillment in your devotion and worship. You can never be satisfied by
your worship. The only way that you can actually serve, worship, love, talk and sing
to the Lord is when He comes down as a human incarnation (Avatara).
In any case you (followers of Arya Samaj) do not accept the idol worship since
worshipping idols is not the same as worshipping God. However what you need to
understand is that worshipping God as the Formless One is not a better option
either since the Formless is not God either; it is His Formless power. Worshipping the
Formless is also representative worship and in that sense is no different from idol
worship.
In fact, one cannot worship God in any way other than through a medium. The
human body of a human incarnation of the Lord is a medium to worship Him.
However from the point of view of humans, it is far superior to any other medium
that the Lord takes up, since interaction, service and direct worship is possible only
through the human body of the incarnation.
The Lord has power to come in human form and He comes in human form. Devotees
desire such a form. Who are you to come between the Lord and His devotees? If you
cannot accept the human form, you are free to not worship it. You can continue to
worship the formless aspect of God such as energy or formless space. But keep in
mind that it is not direct worship of the Lord. You are only worshipping the power of
God and not God Himself. It is mere representative worship; the formless aspect is
only the power of God. When the devotees worship the Lord in human form, they
worship God directly. The human incarnation is said to be God-in-the-flesh.
With this argument the proponents of Arya Samaj fell silent.
Swami the unifier of the three philosophies. Once, Swami had a debate with the
head monk of the monistic tradition (Advaita Matha Pithadhipati), on the
Brahmasutra commentary (bhashya). The monistic tradition to which the
Pithadhipati belonged asserts that the individual who seeks God is already the Lord

Himself. There is no essential difference between the Lord and the individual soul. It
is only an apparent difference. Due to Ignorance (Maya) the individual has forgotten
his real nature. With the right knowledge each individual will realize that he is the
Lord Himself and that the Ignorance never existed. Following is an excerpt from the
debate that Swami had with the Pithadhipati:
Pithadhipati: In the Chandogya Upanishad (in the Vedas), the father blessed his
son, Shvetaketu saying Tat-tvam-asi (thou art That). This means that the individual
(the son) is already, the Lord (Brahman). Shvetaketu was an ordinary individual. Is
there any contradiction in the fact that an ordinary individual (jiva) can be called the
Lord (Brahman)?
Swami: Asi is the verb in the sentence quoted above. It commonly means to be.
Therefore you interpreted the above sentence as an identitythe individual is
identical with the Lord. However, in this case, the verb asi is used in a slightly
different sense. It is used in the sense of shortly going to become. As per Sanskrit
grammar, the present tense can be used to indicate the imminent future
(avyavahita bhavishyati lat). The sentence shows the intensity of love of the father
who is also the preacher in this case. Thus the father in the above context tells his
son that the son will shortly become one with the Lord. The father means that the
son will soon have God realization.
As Swami said this, the Pithadhipati saw Swami as Lord Dattatreya (the Lord as the
Creator, Sustainer and the Destroyer of creation). He felt exceedingly happy and
said to Swami that He alone was capable of unifying the three philosophical
traditions (trimata bhashyas). The Vedas are the Hindu scriptures and the revealed
Word of God. There are three schools of interpreting the Vedas. The three schools
are called the monistic, qualified monistic and dualistic schools. Although the three
schools place final authority in the same Vedas, they have very different views on
basic philosophical concepts relating to God, the spiritual goal and the spiritual
path. Centuries have passed but no successful effort has been made to unify the
three philosophies. It seemed a task beyond the capacities of any human being.
Swami achieved this great task by writing works in Sanskrit such as Trimata
Samanvaya Bhashyam.
Swami gets a doctoral degree. At the age of 19, Swami obtained a Ph.D. in
chemistry, which is a record of sorts. He was invited for a postdoctoral position in
Ohio State University, USA, but Swami refused since He did not want to travel
abroad. He instead accepted a one-year senior research fellowship granted by the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in Allahabad. After that, Swami
took up another appointment as a postdoctoral researcher in Madras University.
Swami the professor. At the age of 30, Swami became a professor in chemistry.
Swami leads a simple life in Vijayawada, India. He is a professor in K. L. Engineering
College, Vijayawada. He has published numerous original research papers in
internationally acclaimed journals. He is a rare combination of a scientist and a
spiritual genius. He is a strong proponent of a rational approach to spirituality. In His
eyes, science and religion are not different. In fact, He says that a rationalist can
easily be a spiritualist. Swami lives with His wife, Smt. Jayalakshmi Narasakumary.
His three sons are named, Anjaneya, Veerabhadra and Vatsararushi. His youngest

child is a daughter by the name of Hanumayamma. While living in the world, Swami,
teaches Divine Knowledge to devotees and ordinary people.
Swami among ordinary people.
In the earlier part of His life, Swami used to engage in talks, discussions and
debates with scholars well versed in Sanskrit and Vedanta alone. However in the
latter part of His life, He turned His attention to the common man. He wanted to
uplift the lives of normal people living and struggling in the world. He wrote several
books such as Datta Vedam, Upanishad, Datta Guru Bhagavad Gita for the
followers of knowledge (jnana marga) and hymns and songs such as Gopi Gitalu &
Bhakti Ganga for the followers of the devotional path (Bhakti marga). Swamis
message is that one should avoid wasting time in watching television, movies,
reading novels or indulging in gossip. Instead, one should spend time usefully in the
spiritual effort (sadhana). The greatest sadhana is serving the Lord with full love and
devotion without expecting anything in return. It means loving the Lord in spite of
all the good and bad events in our life.
Practical spirituality. Swami is a practical spiritualist. He practices what He preaches.
He has committed Himself to the mission of spreading the Divine Knowledge of the
Lord, in intellect, mind, words, and deeds. He has donated His intelligence and
words in the form of Divine Knowledge. He donated His mind and words by
spontaneously composing and singing several devotional songs, which represent
devotion or love for God. He is continuously sacrificing His action (karma samyasa)
by giving divine discourses, answering the questions from devotees, singing
devotional songs and writing books on spirituality. It is surprising to note that once
He gave a divine discourse in Mumbai for 14 hours non-stop! He had written more
than a hundred books in Sanskrit on spirituality by the time He turned sixteen years
of age. Later He wrote several books on spirituality in different languages. All these
are glorious examples of His sacrifice of work (karma samnyasa).
Even after all this intense work and sacrifice, Swami says that His devotees are
greater than Him since they sacrifice the fruit of work (money) for the mission of the
Lord. But it is a great secret that Swami has sacrificed His entire lifes savings for
the sake of the mission. His family lives only on the income of their ancestral
property, not on Swamis income and savings.
Swami preaches that one should have the sole bond with the Lord and that one
should be detached from family bonds. In order to preach this by example, Swami
did not go to His home for one full year and did not allow any of His family members
to meet Him either. He did this only to prove His point that internal detachment is
essential in spirituality. Swami says that the over-attachment to these family bonds
obstructs the formation of the bond with the Lord and breeds intense selfishness.
Selfishness is the cause for all fighting and corruption in the society, which lead to
social injustice. Both justice in the world, and Brahmaloka (highest heaven) are
simultaneously achieved if one has complete internal detachment from family
bonds. The Lord is pleased by detachment from family bonds on two counts: one,
that it establishes justice in the world and secondly because it enables the
formation of an infallible bond with God. The formation of the bond with God leads
to service of the Lord, which in turn takes the devotee to Brahmaloka. Swami says

that salvation does not mean liberation from this physical world, but it means the
liberation from blind family bonds.

Self Realization: Karma Phala Tyaga Yoga and Self Realization

Karma Phala Tyaga Yoga and Self Realization. YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION
and Self Realization. Arjuna said, Renunciation of ..
YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION and Self Realization

Arjuna said, Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, you praisest, and then also Yoga.
Tell
me conclusively that which is the better of the two.

The Blessed Lord said, Renunciation and Yoga of action both lead to the highest
bliss; but out of the two, Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action.
Children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (Yoga of action) as
distinct; he who is truly established in one obtains the fruits of both. That place
which is reached by the Sankhyas (Jnanis) is reached by the Yogis (Karma Yogis). He
sees, who sees Sankhya and Yoga are one.

I do nothing at all, thus would the knower of Truth thinkseeing, hearing, touching,
smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, letting go, seizing, opening
and closing the eyes convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects.
Neither agency nor action does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the
fruits of actions. But it is Nature that acts.

Thinking of That, merged in That, established in That, solely devoted to That, they
go
whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.

Sages look with an equal eye in a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, in a
cow,

in an elephant, and even in a dog and in an outcaste. With the self unattached to
external contacts he finds bliss in the Self: with the self engaged in the meditation
of Brahman he attains endless bliss.

The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain, for they have
a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti (O Kaunteya); the wise do not rejoice in
them.

He who is able, while still in the world, to withstand before the liberation from the
body the impulse born out of desire and anger, he is a Yogi, he is a happy man.
Eternal peace lies near to those controlled ascetics who are free from desire and
anger, who
have controlled their thoughts and who have realised the Self.

Shutting out all external contacts and fixing the gaze between the eyebrows,
equalising the outgoing and incoming breaths moving within the nostrils, with
senses, mind and intellect ever controlled, having liberation as his supreme goal,
free from desire, fear and anger the sage is verily liberated for ever.

Chapter 5, Verse 7
yoga-yukto visuddhatma
vijitatma jitendriyah
sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma
kurvann api na lipyate

One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and
senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working,
such a man is never entangled.

One who is on the path of liberation by Krishna consciousness is very dear to every
living being, and every living being is dear to him. This is due to his Krishna
consciousness. Such a person cannot think of any living being as separate from
Krishna, just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree.

He knows very well that by pouring water on the root of the tree, the water will be
distributed to all the leaves and branches, or by supplying food to the stomach, the
energy is automatically distributed throughout the body. Because one who works in
Krishna consciousness is servant to all, he is very dear to everyone. And, because
everyone is satisfied by his work, he is pure in consciousness. Because he is pure in
consciousness, his mind is completely controlled.

And, because his mind is controlled, his senses are also controlled. Because his
mind is always fixed on Krishna, there is no chance of his being deviated from
Krishna. Nor is there a chance that he will engage his senses in matters other than
the service of the Lord.
He does not like to hear anything except topics relating to Krishna; he does not like
to eat anything which is not offered to Krishna; and he does not wish to go
anywhere if Krishna is not involved. Therefore, his senses are controlled. A man of
controlled senses cannot be offensive to anyone.

Chapter 5, Verse 8-9

naiva kincit karomiti
yukto manyeta tattva-vit
pasyan srnvan sprsan jighrann
asnan gacchan svapan svasan

pralapan visrjan grhnann

unmisan nimisann api
indriyanindriyarthesu
vartanta iti dharayan

A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing,

touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and breathing, always knows
within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking,

evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the
material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.

A person in God consciousness is pure in his existence, and consequently he has

nothing to do with any work which depends upon five immediate and remote
causes: the doer, the work, the situation, the endeavor and fortune. This is because
he is engaged in the loving transcendental service of Krishna. Although he appears
to be acting with his body and senses, he is always conscious of his actual position,
which is spiritual engagement.

In material consciousness, the senses are engaged in sense gratification, but in

Krishna consciousness the senses are engaged in the satisfaction of Krishna's
senses. Therefore, the Krishna conscious person is always free, even though he
appears to be engaged in things of the senses. Activities such as seeing, hearing,
speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work. A God
conscious person is never affected by the actions of the senses. He cannot perform
any act except in the service of the Lord because he knows that he is the eternal
servant of the Lord.

Chapter 5, Verse 13
sarva-karmani manasa
sannyasyaste sukham vasi
nava-dvare pure dehi
naiva kurvan na karayan

When the embodied living being controls his nature and mentally renounces all
actions, he resides happily in the city of nine gates [the material body], neither
working nor causing work to be done.

In such a controlled life, in which his deliberations are changed, he lives happily
within the city of nine gates. The nine gates are described as follows:

nava-dvare pure dehi hamso lelayate bahih

vasi sarvasya lokasya sthavarasya carasya ca

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is living within the body of a living
entity, is the controller of all living entities all over the universe. The body consists
of nine gates: two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, the anus and the genital.
The living entity in his conditioned stage identifies himself with the body, but when
he identifies himself with the Lord within himself, he becomes just as free as the
Lord, even while in the body."

Therefore, a Krishna conscious person is free from both the outer and inner
activities of the material body.

Chapter 5, Verse 17
tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah

When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then
one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus
proceeds straight on the path of liberation.

The Supreme Transcendental Truth is Lord Krishna. The whole Bhagavad-gita

centers around the declaration of Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Chapter 5, Verse 18
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah

The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and
gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

A Krishna conscious person does not make any distinction between species or
castes.

Chapter 5, Verse 21
bahya-sparsesv asaktatma
vindaty atmani yat sukham
sa brahma-yoga-yuktatma
sukham aksayam asnute

Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure or external

objects but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the selfrealized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.

Chapter 5, Verse 22
ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga
duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya
na tesu ramate budhah

An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to
contact with the material senses. Such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and
so the wise man does not delight in them.

Chapter 5, Verse 27-28

sparsan krtva bahir bahyams

caksus caivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva
nasabhyantara-carinau

yatendriya-mano-buddhir
munir moksa-parayanah
vigateccha-bhaya-krodho
yah sada mukta eva sah

Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated
between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the
nostrils--thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist
becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is
certainly liberated.

Being engaged in Krishna consciousness, one can immediately understand one's

spiritual identity, and then one can understand the Supreme Lord by means of
devotional service. When he is well situated in devotional service, one comes to the
transcendental position, qualified to feel the presence of the Lord in the sphere of
one's activity. This particular position is called liberation in the Supreme.

After explaining the above principles of liberation in the Supreme, the Lord gives
instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that position by the practice of the
mysticism or yoga, known as Kriya-yoga, which is divisible into an eightfold
procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana,
and samadhi.

1.
Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness,
non-sensuality, and non-possessiveness.
2.
Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and
surrender to god.

3.
Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to the seated
position used for meditation.
4.
Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prana, breath, "ayama", to restrain or
stop. Also interpreted as control of the life force.
5.
Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external
objects.
6.

Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.

7.
Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of
meditation.
8.
Samadhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of
meditation.

One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell
by the pratyahara (breathing) process in yoga, and then keep the vision of the eyes
between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half closed
lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is every
chance of falling asleep.

Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is the
hazard of being attracted by sense objects. The breathing movement is restrained
within the nostrils by neutralizing the up- and down-moving air within the body. By
practice of such yoga one is able to gain control over the senses, refrain from
outward sense objects, and thus prepare oneself for liberation in the Supreme.

This yoga process helps one become free from all kinds of fear and anger and thus
feel the presence of the Supersoul in the transcendental situation. In other words,
God consciousness is the easiest process of executing yoga principles. A God
conscious person, however, being always engaged in devotional service, does not
risk losing his senses to some other engagement.

Chapter 5, Verse 29
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

The sages, know Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the
Supreme Lord of all the Worlds, the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities.
They attain eternal peace from material miseries by renunciating the fruits of their
actions to the Supreme Lord.

Story about King Janasruti Pautrayana and the cart-driver

In the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-2) we find an interesting account of a king called

Janasruti Pautrayana, renowned for his generous giving and philanthropic works,
and Raikva, the cart-driver who was indifferent to wealth. The king felt restless on
overhearing a conversation between two geese who were flying over his palace.

They commented on the kings charity being motivated by his desire for name and
fame, whereas Raikva, the cart-driver, was at peace with himself as he cared not for
wealth or fame.

The king went to Raikva loaded with gifts and asked him which deity he needed to
worship in order to attain inner peace and happiness. But Raikva told the king that
the gifts were of no use to him. The king again went to Raikva with lavish gifts and
begged him to teach him the way to true happiness.

Raikva imparted the sacred teaching: that all things in the universe are supported
by the Spirit and all belong to the Spirit. The mere giving of gifts without this
spiritual wisdom can bring no true peace. A gift that is given without any
expectation of appreciation or reward is beneficial to both giver and recipient. The
true enjoyment and peace lie in detachment from wealth. We are not asked to
renounce wealth but rather our sense of possession. Whatever we give will have no
value if we part with our wealth reluctantly.
Aum Namo Narayanaya
Aum Namo Narayanaya
Aum Namo Narayanaya

Karma: God's Law of Action, Fruit and Rebirth (Reincarnation

Karma is the Sanskrit word for "action" or "deed". Any physical or mental action is
considered as Karma. The results or 'fruits' of actions are called Karma-phala ...

What is Karma?

Ways an individual performs Karma

Law of Karma - God is fair and gives you exactly what you deserve

Karma, God and Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)

Swami Sivananda Sarasvati on Law of Karma

Karma, God and Hinduism

God does not send anyone to Heaven or Hell based on their faith

Karma Works: Perfectly, Applying to everyone, All the times, Without fail, No exceptions!

Karmic Baggage and Karmic Blessings

Driver behind the Life and Karma

Rebirth (Reincarnation)

How Karmic account balance is maintained?

Types of Karma

You can lead a happy life by following 'Law of Karma'

Yogi and Karma

What is Karma?

Karma is the Sanskrit word for "action" or "deed". Any physical or mental action is considered as Karm
The results or 'fruits' of actions are called Karma-phala (fruit of Karma). According to Hinduism, life is a
infinite chain of results of actions (Karma) in the past. In simple words this works as "Law of Cause and
Effect" or "As you sow, so you reap". The way the results of Karma are delivered in the life is the Law
Karma.

Karma in Hinduism (Sanatana dharma) is considered to be a spiritually originated law that governs all
In the Law of Karma even though an individual is considered to be the sole doer and enjoyer of his Kar
and their 'fruits', according to Vedanta, the supreme being (The Divine) plays a major role as the dispe

of the 'fruits' of Karma. Many Hindus see God's direct involvement in this process; others consider the
natural laws of causation sufficient to explain the effects of Karma.

In my view, as you sow, so you reap is an incomplete definition of Karma. The definition is complete o
when the aspect of the divine role as a dispenser of the fruits of Karma is recognized and applied to t
Law of Karma.

Ways an individual performs Karma

There are mainly three ways an individual performs Karma. We perform acts or deeds every moment i
life through following ways:
Manasa - Mind
Vaachaa - Speech
Karmana Actions

Law of Karma - God is fair and gives you exactly what you deserve
Summary of Law of Karma is expressed by the following:

"God does not make one suffer for no reason nor does He make one happy for no reason. God is fair
gives you exactly what you deserve." Karma is not punishment or retribution but simply an expressio
consequence of natural acts. Although it may often appear like a punishment (or reward), the purpose
Karma is to perfectly follow the cosmic law (Gods system of Universal operation) and not to punish (or
reward). Often the way we learn the best is to endure the same type of suffering (of happiness) that we
have inflicted (or offered) on others in the past (most of the times in the past life.)

This is Gods Way and Desire to make us leave the World of Maya (Veil of Ignorance or mudhawastha
stupefied state of mind) that brings us the sufferings and embrace the Divine Awareness (or The Bliss,
Chit-Ananda, Chaitanya, Moksha, Supreme Awareness, Supreme Consciousness or Super-Soul) and
blissful eternally.

According to the Vedas, if one sows goodness, will reap goodness; if one sows evil, will reap evil, at th
same time the delivery of consequences is controlled by the Divine. Karma refers to the totality o
actions and their concomitant reactions in this and previous lives, all of which collectively determines o
future (what we call as destiny.)

Karma, God and Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)

'Karma' is a concept from Hinduism in contradiction to 'faith' promoted by Abrahamic religions (Judaism

Christianity, and Islam), which view all human life events as the Will of God as opposed to present and
life actions and consequences.

According to Abrahamic religions if every life is considered as an isolated event then there is absolutely
explanation for events that happen in life. You will be living in darkness and despair. There is no
explanation why someone is born wealthy while other spends entire life in hunger. There is no explana
why one child is born with heart defects while other one enjoys benefits of healthy body.

If life and events are Gods will then that means God is either random and he punishes people or rewa
them at his sweet will. This implies that God is NOT fair and has no idea of what is happening in this
universe because everything works as per his random will, wish and fancy. That is so NOT True. In m
view, this is absolutely baseless concept and indicates the backward (pagan) state of these religions
(Christianity and Islam) and bankruptcy of their philosophies.

The fact is: God is PERFECT and Gods system (Law of Karma) works absolutely PERFECTLY. God d
not punish or reward people based on his will and fancies. God is neither partial nor unjust. God is not
responsible for the wealth of one man or the poverty of another. You suffer on account of your own acti
(Prabdha karma). There is nothing chaotic or capricious in this world. Things do NOT happen in this
universe by accident or chance in a disorderly manner or with Gods Random Will. They happen in reg
succession and events follow each other in a regular order. They happen exactly as per the perfect sys
laid down by the God called Law of Karma.

The fact is: God loves every one equally and he is fair to everyone. It is true that the entire univers
our lives run on the Will of the God and at the same time that Gods will (cosmic system in place) is
perfect and fair (not imperfect and unfair that runs on irregular impulses of Gods desires or passions.)
Summary: God has laid down Absolutely FAIR Cosmic System that works PERFECTLY
LOGICALLY and it is NOT Willful fancy that works as per Gods wishes.

No wonder Abrahamic religions are living in darkness even after 2000 years. In my view, Abrahamic
religions are True Pagan religions needing evolutions of several thousand years more. Read this Q&A
about Shiva Lingam meaning to understand the backward state of the Pagan Abrahamic religions(prim
Christianity and Islam.)

Swami Sivananda Sarasvati on Law of Karma

If you take an individual life as an isolated event which begins with birth of the physical body and
terminates with its death you cannot find any correct explanation or solution for the affairs of life. You w
groping in darkness and despair. Your present life is nothing, when compared with the whole soul-life.
momentary - a mere fragment. If you want to find the cause or antecedent for anything, you will have to
deep into the affairs of the eternal soul-life. Then alone there will be perfect balance of cause and effec
antecedent and consequence. Life does not end with the disintegration of this physical body alone. The
is reincarnation. There had been countless previous lives also. You will have to take into consideration
widest view of the life of the soul. Then you will find a perfect, satisfactory solution for all the intricate a

complicated affairs of life.

Yogi Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Every wrong action or crime brings its own punishment in accordance with the law of retribution. The la
causation, the law of action and reaction, the law of compensation and the law of retribution - all opera
together. He who hurts another man, hurts himself first.

Remember that God is neither partial nor unjust. Remember that God is not responsible for the wealth
one man or the poverty of another. You suffer on account of your own wicked actions. There is nothing
chaotic or capricious in this world. Things do not happen in this universe by accident or chance in a
disorderly manner. They happen in regular succession and events follow each other in a regular order.
There is a kind of definite connection between what is being done now by you and what will happen in
future. Sow always the seeds which will bring pleasant fruits and which will make you happy herein and
hereafter.

Karma, God and Hinduism

According to Hinduism God is fair and humans have a free will to choose good or evil Karma an
therefore, will face the consequences (good or bad) according to their Karma in the past. Karma
initiates the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called Sansara.) Jivatma (soul) cannot attain
moksha (salvation) until the accumulated (sanchita) Karmas are completely exhausted by consuming
them.

Karma is like a seed, most of the times Karma does not fructify immediately after the seed is sown. We
produce numerous Karmic seeds by our actions (speech and thoughts) every moment - desire, aversio
love, hatred, happiness, etc. will undoubtedly produce, a positive or negative result, sooner or later,
according to the nature of the seed, if not in this life, then in some future one.

Bhagavad Gita (4-17) says: "Mysterious is the path of action (karma)" The Law of Karma is inscrutable
difficult to say what sort of karmas will cause cancer and whether the fruit that you enjoy now is the res

one karma or a combination of several karmas. It is difficult to tell whether the fruit that you enjoy now
from the karma in the current birth or is it from the karmas in previous births (Sanchita karma). Ripe ka
can produce fruits in the same birth under proper circumstances.

God does not send anyone to Heaven or Hell based on their faith

Law of Karma is like a universal law say Law of Gravity - It applies whether you accept or reject the
Law of Karma is completely unrelated to faith the person follows. God does not send anyone to Heave
Hell based on their faith.

Karma Works: Perfectly, Applying to everyone, All the times, Without fail, No exceptions

Karma is the principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, total cosmic justice and personal
responsibility. It is very logical: what you sow is what you reap in exact and precise measure (dispense
the Divine according to the Cosmic principals.) Karma is as predictable as the laws of gravity: what is d
to you is the net result of what you have done to others. He who hurts others, has already hurt himself
the future. The most important unpredictable aspect of Law of Karma is the Delivery (or consequence
that are controlled by the Divine.

Karma begins to propel you as Soul on a personal journey through the universe. Karma ends when yo
have perfected yourself in art of doing Karma without attachment. The ability to do Karma without
attachment (without expectation of Karma-phala) can be attained by perfecting oneself on the path to t
Divine by following various yogas - Karma yoga (yoga of action without attachment), Bhakti yoga (yoga
love for the Divine), Gyan yoga (yoga of knowledge and awareness), Siddha or Kundalini yoga (yoga o
divine consciousness), Hatha yoga (purification of the body and mind through Asanas and Pranayama
Laya yoga (yoga of meditating on interior energy centers), Mantra yoga (yoga of Divine or Sacred word
phrases, or syllables) or any combination of these.

Karmic Baggage and Karmic Blessings

We carry Karmic Baggage and Karmic Blessing depending on whether weve performed positive or
negative actions in the past. Vikars [Kama (Lust), Krodh (Rage or uncontrolled anger), Lobh (Greed), M
(Attachment or emotional attachment) and Ahankar (ego)] continue to rule human life until we are carry
Maya (Veil of Ignorance or mudhawastha or stupefied state of mind.)

Driver behind the Life and Karma

Depending on which one of the three subtle components (Tri-Gunas - Sattwa, Rajo, Tamo) is predomin

within us, it influences how we:

React to situations

Make decisions

Make choices

Live our lives

Tri-Gunas (Sattwa, Rajo, Tamo) are the driver behind the thought, thought is the driver behind the actio
(Karma). Karma is the driver behind the life (of cause and effect) that we live.

Tri-Gunas is the seed Karma is the tree Consequence of the Karma is the fruit that we are living tod
1) Satwik Gun = Satwik Karma = Satwik fruit = Person is more close to the God
2) Tamo Gun = Tamasik Karma = Tamasik fruit = Person is far away from the God

Rebirth (Reincarnation)

Desire produces karma. You work and exert to acquire the objects of your desire. Karma produces its f
as pain or pleasure. You will have to take birth after birth to reap the fruits of your karmas. This is the la
karma.

The wheel of life ("samsara) must continue until the soul (Jivatma) has Karma attached to it. The cycle
birth, life, and death will continue until all Karma is full consumed. When one revolution of the wheel (o
life) is completed, life begins again with a rebirth. This is how law of Karma works. Karma leads us in th
journey of life from the first manifestation as an amoeba to the last manifestation... the 8.4 millionth
manifestations. The process of rebirth continues until there is balance in Karmic account. The soul is
liberated from the karmic bondage when the Karmic balance is consumed totally.

How Karmic account balance is maintained?

The accumulated result of all actions from all our past lifetimes is called "Sanchita Karma". The interes
part is how this account of Karmic Credit/Debt is maintained. It is never maintained as a total net balan
(as done in case of a bank account) but always stored as a separate account of Credit and Debit that n
cancels each other, for each soul.

Here is a separate page with all the details: How Karmic account balance is maintained and dispensed

Types of Karma

Sanchita Karma: The accumulated result of all your actions from all your past lifetimes. This is your to
cosmic debt. Every moment of every day either you are adding to it or you are reducing this cosmic de

Prarabdha Karma: The portion of your "sanchita" Karma being worked on in the present life. That is p
ones Sanchita Karma which must be worked out in the present life (no options). Because the law of Ka
implies determinism in human activities, Prarabdha is often translated as destiny. When you work down
your agreed upon debt in this lifetime, then more past debts surface to be worked upon in the next birth

Agami Karma: Approaching or Future Karma: This is the Karma or the actions that are now going to b
done which will give their results later in the future. Some of Agami Karmas bear fruit in the current life;
others are stored for future births in the form of Sanchita Karma.

Kriyamana Karma: This is Karma that we create in our daily life because of our thoughts, will and acti
It refers to the decisions before us to act upon. These karma consequences add to our Future Sanchita
Karma as we perform the current karma. But, not all of this karma goes to the Sanchita balance and so
of them can fructify in the current life (i.e. you speed on a highway and you get a ticket. Karma is creat
and consumed immediately in this case.)

You can lead a happy life by following 'Law of Karma'

To live a good and happy life, every man should have a comprehensive understanding of Gods Cosmi
System (law of Karma), and its operations. If man acquires this karmic knowledge and puts it into prac
then he can pull on in this world smoothly and happily. He can utilize the helping forces to serve his en
the best possible manner. He can neutralize the hostile or antagonistic currents. Just as the fish swims
against the current, so also he will be able to go against the hostile currents by adjusting himself prope
and safeguarding himself through suitable precautionary methods. God helps those (to some extent) w
understand and apply the law of Karma in their life.

In absence of knowledge of functioning of Gods Cosmic System (Law of karma) man becomes a slave
his desires). He is tossed around here and there helplessly by various currents in his present life. Vario
hostile forces (generated because of his past actions) drag him in different directions. He drifts like a
wooden log in a river. He always leads a miserable and unhappy life even if he has all the wealth and
possessions in this world.

Yogi and Karma

Intense austerity brings fruits at once. That is why the delivery of karma is faster for those who do

meditation or spiritual practices.

A yogi (enlightened one) is not affected by his karmas because he has no attachment. He is absolutely
desireless. Karmas cannot bind him.

Yogi does his karmas without ego or the feeling of "I am the doer". Since he is not the "doer" karma ca
bind him. He works without expectation of any fruits for his actions. Since he is "not the doer" he does
have to enjoy the fruits of his actions. He has reached state of perfection. He works for the upliftment o
humanity. For worldly persons actions are virtuous or vicious (a mixture of good and evil actions). Yogis
not acquire impressions from their actions.

Karma in Buddhism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karma is a Sanskrit term that literally means "action" or "doing". In the Buddhist
tradition, karma refers to action driven by intention ...
Karma (Sanskrit, also karman, Pli: kamma) is a Sanskrit term that literally means
"action" or "doing". In the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to action driven by
intention (cetan) which leads to future consequences. Those intentions are
considered to be the determining factor in the kind of rebirth in samsara, the cycle
of rebirth.
Contents [hide]
1
Etymology
2
Buddhist understanding of karma
2.1
Rebirth
2.2
Karma
2.3
Karmaphala
2.4
Complex process
2.5
Liberation from samsara
3
Within the Pali suttas
4
Within Buddhist traditions
4.1
Early Indian Buddhism
4.1.1 Origins
4.1.2 Pre-sectarian Buddhism
4.1.3 Vaibhika-Sarvstivdin tradition
4.1.4 Drntika-Sautrntika
4.2
Theravdin tradition
4.2.1 Canonical texts
4.2.2 Transfer of merit
4.3
Mahayana tradition
4.3.1 Indian Yogcra tradition
4.3.2 Mdhyamaka philosophy
4.3.3 Tibetan Buddhism
4.3.3.1
Tsongkhapa (Gelugpa)
4.3.3.2
Purification of karma
4.3.3.2.1
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
4.3.3.2.2
Tibetan Book of the Dead
4.3.3.3
Nyingma
4.3.3.3.1
Jigme Lingpa
4.3.3.3.2
Patrul Rinpoche
4.3.3.3.3
Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang

4.3.3.3.4
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
4.3.3.3.5
Dzonsar Jamyag Khentse
4.3.3.3.6
Khenpo Tenzin Norgay
4.3.4 East Asian traditions
4.3.4.1
Zen
4.3.4.2
Tendai
5
Modern interpretations and controversies
5.1
Social conditioning
5.2
Karma theory & social justice
6
See also
7
Notes
8
Quotes
9
References
10
Sources
10.1 Printed sources
10.1.1Sutta Pitaka
10.1.2Buddhist teachers
10.1.3Scholarly sources
10.2 Web-sources
11
Further reading
12
External links
Etymology[edit]
Karma (Sanskrit, also karman, Pli: kamma, Tib. las[1]) is a Sanskrit term that
literally means "action" or "doing". The word karma derives from the verbal root k,
which means "do, make, perform, accomplish."[2]
Karmaphala (Tib. rgyu 'bras[3][1][note 1]) is the "fruit",[4][5][6] "effect"[7] or
"result"[8] of karma. A similar term is karmavipaka, the "maturation"[9] or
"cooking"[10] of karma:
The remote effects of karmic choices are referred to as the 'maturation' (vipka) or
'fruit' (phala) of the karmic act."[5]
The metaphor is derived from agriculture:[6][11]
One sows a seed, there is a time lag during which some mysterious invisible process
takes place, and then the plant pops up and can be harvested.[6]
Buddhist understanding of karma[edit]
Tibetan Bhavacakra or "Wheel of Life" in Sera, Lhasa.
Karma and karmaphala are fundamental concepts in Buddhism.[12][13] The
concepts of karma and karmaphala explain how our intentional actions keep us tied
to rebirth in samsara, whereas the Buddhist path, as exemplified in the Noble
Eightfold Path, shows us the way out of samsara.[14]
Rebirth[edit]
Rebirth,[note 2] also called transmigration and reincarnation, is a common belief in
all Buddhist traditions. It says that birth and death in the six realms occur in
successive cycles driven by ignorance (avidy), desire (trsn), and hatred (dvesa).

The cycle of rebirth is called samsar. It is a beginningless and ever-ongoing

process.[15] Liberation from samsar can be attained by following the Buddhist
Path. This path leads to vidy, and the stilling of trsn and dvesa. Hereby the
ongoing process of rebirth is stopped.
Karma[edit]
The cycle of rebirth is determined by karma,[15] literally "action".[note 3] In the
Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven by intention (cetan),[21][22][6]
[quote 1] a deed done deliberately through body, speech or mind, which leads to
future consequences.[25] The Nibbedhika Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 6.63:
Intention (cetana) I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body,
speech, & intellect.[web 1][note 4]
According to Peter Harvey,
It is the psychological impulse behind an action that is 'karma', that which sets
going a chain of causes culminating in karmic fruit. Actions, then, must be
intentional if they are to generate karmic fruits.[26]
And according to Gombrich,
The Buddha defined karma as intention; whether the intention manifested itself in
physical, vocal or mental form, it was the intention alone which had a moral
character: good, bad or neutral [...] The focus of interest shifted from physical
action, involving people and objects in the real world, to psychological process.[27]
According to Gombrich, this was a great innovation, which overturns brahmanical,
caste-bound ethics. It's a rejection of caste-bound differences, giving the same
possibility to reach liberation to all people, not just Brahmanins:[28]
Not by birth is one a brahmin or an outcaste, but by deeds (kamma).[29][note 5]
How this emphasis on intention was to be interpreted became a matter of debate in
and between the various Buddhist schools.[30][note 6]
Karmaphala[edit]
Karma leads to future consequences, karma-phala, "fruit of action".[33] Any given
action may cause all sorts of results, but the karmic results are only those results
which are a consequence of both the moral quality of the action, and of the
intention behind the action.[34][note 7] According to Reichenbach,
[T]he consequences envisioned by the law of karma encompass more (as well as
less) than the observed natural or physical results which follow upon the
performance of an action.[36]
The "law of karma" applies
...specifically to the moral sphere [It is] not concerned with the general relation
between actions and their consequences, but rather with the moral quality of

actions and their consequences, such as the pain and pleasure and good or bad
experiences for the doer of the act.[36]
Good moral actions lead to wholesome rebirths, and bad moral actions lead to
unwholesome rebirths.[15][quote 3][quote 4] The main factor is how they contribute
to the well-being of others in a positive or negative sense.[41] Especially dna,
giving to the buddhist order, became an increasingly important source of positive
karma.[42]
How these intentional actions lead to rebirth, and how the idea of rebirth is to be
reconciled with the doctrines of impermanence and no-self,[43][quote 5] is a matter
of philosophical inquiry in the Buddhist traditions, for which several solutions have
been proposed.[15] In early Buddhism no explicit theory of rebirth and karma is
worked out,[18] and "the karma doctrine may have been incidental to early
Buddhist soteriology."[19][20] In early Buddhism, rebirth is ascribed to craving or
ignorance.[16][17]
In later Buddhism, the basic ideas is that intentional actions,[44] driven by kleshas
("disturbing emotions"),[web 3] cetan ("volition"),[21] or tah ("thirst", "craving")
[45] create impressions,[web 4][note 8] tendencies[web 4] or "seeds" in the mind.
These impressions, or "seeds", will ripen into a future result or fruition.[46][quote 6]
[note 9] If we can overcome our kleshas, then we break the chain of causal effects
that leads to rebirth in the six realms.[web 3] The twelve links of dependent
origination provides a theoretical framework, explaining how the disturbing
emotions lead to rebirth in samsara.[47][note 10]
Complex process[edit]
The Buddha's teaching of karma is not strictly deterministic, but incorporated
circumstantial factors, unlike that of the Jains.[48][49][50][quote 7] It is not a rigid
and mechanical process, but a flexible, fluid and dynamic process,[51] and not all
present conditions can be ascribed to karma.[49][note 11][quote 8] There is no set
linear relationship between a particular action and its results.[50] The karmic effect
of a deed is not determined solely by the deed itself, but also by the nature of the
person who commits the deed, and by the circumstances in which it is committed.
[52][50]
Karma is also not the same as "fate" or "predestination".[web 6] Karmic results are
not a "judgement" imposed by a God or other all-powerful being, but rather the
results of a natural process.[53][26][6][quote 9] Certain experiences in life are the
results of previous actions, but our responses to those experiences are not
predetermined, although they bear their own fruit in the future.[58][quote 10]
Unjust behaviour may lead to unfavorable circumstances which make it easier to
commit more unjust behavior, but nevertheless the freedom not to commit unjust
behavior remains.[59]
Liberation from samsara[edit]
See also: Right view and Parable of the Poisoned Arrow
The real importance of the doctrine of karma and its fruits lies in the recognition of
the urgency to put a stop to the whole process.[60][61] The Acintita Sutta warns
that "the results of kamma" is one of the four incomprehensible subjects,[62][web

7] subjects that are beyond all conceptualization[62] and cannot be understood with
logical thought or reason.[note 12]
According to Gombrich, this sutra may have been a warning against the tendency,
"probably from the Buddha's day until now", to understand the doctrine of karma
"backwards", to explain unfavorable conditions in this life when no other
explanations are available.[66] Gaining a better rebirth may have been,[67][68] and
still is, the central goal for many people.[69][70] The adoption, by laity, of Buddhist
beliefs and practices is seen as a good thing, which brings merit and good rebirth,
[71] but does not result in Nirvana,[71] and liberation from samsara, the ultimate
goal of the Buddha.[72][66]
Within the Pali suttas[edit]
See also: Anatta and moral responsibility
According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha gained full and complete insight
into the workings of karma at the time of his enlightenment.[73][note 13] According
to Bronkhorst, these knowledges are later additions to the story,[74] just like the
notion of "liberating insight" itself.[74][note 14]
In AN 5.292, the Buddha asserted that it is not possible to avoid experiencing the
result of a karmic deed once it's been committed.[78]
In the Anguttara Nikaya, it is stated that karmic results are experienced either in
this life (P. diadhammika) or in a future lives (P. samparyika).[79] The former may
involve a readily observable connection between action and karmic consequence,
such as when a thief is captured and tortured by the authorities,[79] but the
connection need not necessarily be that obvious and in fact usually is not
observable.
The Sammyutta Nikaya makes a basic distinction between past karma (P.
purnakamma) which has already been incurred, and karma being created in the
present (P. navakamma).[80] Therefore, in the present one both creates new karma
(P. navakamma) and encounters the result of past karma (P. kammavipka). Karma
in the early canon is also threefold: Mental action (S. manakarman), bodily action
(S. kyakarman) and vocal action (S. vkkarman).[81]
Within Buddhist traditions[edit]
See also: Development of Karma in Buddhism
Various Buddhist philosophical schools developed within Buddhism, giving various
interpretations regarding more refined points of karma. A major problem is the
relation between the doctrine of no-self, and the "storage" of the traces of one's
deeds,[43] for which various solutions have been offered.
Early Indian Buddhism[edit]
Origins[edit]
The concept of karma originated in the Vedic religion, where it was related to the
performance of rituals[82] or the investment in good deeds[83] to ensure the
entrance to heaven after death,[82][83] while other persons go to the underworld.
[83]

Pre-sectarian Buddhism[edit]
Main article: Pre-sectarian Buddhism
The concept of karma may have been of minor importance in early Buddhism.[18]
[84] Schmithausen has questioned whether karma already played a role in the
theory of rebirth of earliest Buddhism,[84][20] noting that "the karma doctrine may
have been incidental to early Buddhist soteriology."[19] Langer notes that originally
karma may have been only one of several concepts connected with rebirth.[85]
[note 15] Tillman Vetter notes that in early Buddhism rebirth is ascribed to craving
or ignorance.[16] Buswell too notes that "Early Buddhism does not identify bodily
and mental motion, but desire (or thirst, trsna), as the cause of karmic
consequences."[17] Matthews notes that "there is no single major systematic
exposition" on the subject of karma and "an account has to be put together from
the dozens of places where karma is mentioned in the texts,"[18] which may mean
that the doctrine was incidental to the main perspective of early Buddhist
soteriology.[18]
According to Vetter, "the Buddha at first sought, and realized, "the deathless"
(amata/amrta[note 16]), which is concerned with the here and now.[note 17] Only
after this realization did he become acquainted with the doctrine of rebirth."[96]
Bronkhorst disagrees, and concludes that the Buddha "introduced a concept of
karma that differed considerably from the commonly held views of his time."[97]
According to Bronkhorst, not physical and mental activities as such were seen as
responsible for rebirth, but intentions and desire.[98]
The doctrine of karma may have been especially important for common people, for
whom it was more important to cope with life's immediate demands, such as the
problems of pain, injustice, and death. The doctrine of karma met these exigencies,
and in time it became an important soteriological aim in its own right.[70]
Vaibhika-Sarvstivdin tradition[edit]
See also: Vaibhika and Sarvastivada
The Vaibhika-Sarvstivda was widely influential in India and beyond. Their
understanding of karma in the Sarvstivda became normative for Buddhism in
India and other countries.[99] According to Dennis Hirota,
Sarvastivadins argued that there exists a dharma of "possession" (prapti), which
functions with all karmic acts, so that each act or thought, though immediately
passing away, creates the "possession" of that act in the continuum of instants we
experience as a person. This possession itself is momentary, but continually
reproduces a similar possession in the succeeding instant, even though the original
act lies in the past. Through such continual regeneration, the act is "possessed"
until the actualization of the result.[100]
The Abhidharmahdaya by Dharmar was the first systematic exposition of
Vaibhika-Sarvstivda doctrine, and the third chapter, the Karma-varga, deals
with the concept of karma systematically.[101]
Another important exposition, the Mahvibha, gives three definitions of karma:

action; karma is here supplanted in the text by the synonyms kriya or karitra, both
of which mean "activity";
formal vinaya conduct;
human action as the agent of various effects; karma as that which links certain
actions with certain effects, is the primary concern of the exposition.[102]
The 4th century philosopher Vasubandhu compiled the Abhidharma-koa, an
extensive compendium which elaborated the positions of the VaibhikaSarvstivdin school on a wide range of issues raised by the early sutras. Chapter
four the Koa is devoted to a study of karma, and chapters two and five contain
formulation as to the mechanism of fruition and retribution.[81] This became the
main source of understanding of the perspective of early Buddhism for later
Mahyna philosophers.[103]
Drntika-Sautrntika[edit]
The Drntika-Sautrntika school pioneered the idea of karmic seeds (S. bija) and
"the special modification of the psycho-physical series" (S. satatipamaviea) to
explain the workings of karma.[104] According to Dennis Hirota,
[T]he Sautrantikas [...] insisted that each act exists only in the present instant and
perishes immediately. To explain causation, they taught that with each karmic act a
"perfuming" occurs which, though not a dharma or existent factor itself, leaves a
residual impression in the succeeding series of mental instants, causing it to
undergo a process of subtle evolution eventually leading to the acts result. Good
and bad deeds performed are thus said to leave "seeds" or traces of disposition that
will come to fruition.[100]
Theravdin tradition[edit]
Canonical texts[edit]
In the Theravda Abhidhamma and commentarial traditions, karma is taken up at
length. The Abhidhamma Sangaha of Anuruddhcariya offers a treatment of the
topic, with an exhaustive treatment in book five (5.3.7).[105]
The Kathvatthu, which discusses a number of controverted points related either
directly or indirectly to the notion of kamma."[106] This involved debate with the
Pudgalavdin school, which postulated the provisional existence of the person (S.
pudgala, P. puggala) to account for the ripening of karmic effects over time.[106]
The Kathvatthu also records debate by the Theravdins with the Andhakas (who
may have been Mahsghikas) regarding whether or not old age and death are
the result (vipka) of karma.[107] The Theravda maintained that they are notnot,
apparently because there is no causal relation between the two, but because they
wished to reserve the term vipka strictly for mental results--"subjective
phenomena arising through the effects of kamma."[107]
In the canonical Theravda view of kamma, "the belief that deeds done or ideas
seized at the moment of death are particularly significant."[108]
Transfer of merit[edit]
The Milindapaha, a paracanonical Theravda text, offers some interpretations of
karma theory at variance with the orthodox position.[109] In particular, Ngasena
allows for the possibility of the transfer of merit to humans and one of the four

classes of petas, perhaps in deference to folk belief (see below, The transfer or
dedication of merit).[110] Ngasena makes it clear that demerit cannot be
transferred.[111] One scholar asserts that the sharing of merit "can be linked to the
Vedic rddha, for it was Buddhist practice not to upset existing traditions when
well-established custom was not antithetic to Buddhist teaching."[112]
The Petavatthu, which is fully canonical, endorses the transfer of merit even more
widely, including the possibility of sharing merit with all petas.[110]
Mahayana tradition[edit]
Indian Yogcra tradition[edit]
In the Yogcra philosophical tradition, one of the two principal Mahyna schools,
the principle of karma was extended considerably. In the Yogcra formulation, all
experience without exception is said to result from the ripening of karma.[113][web
9] Karmic seeds (S. bija) are said to be stored in the "storehouse consciousness" (S.
layavijna) until such time as they ripen into experience. The term vsna
("perfuming") is also used, and Yogcrins debated whether vsna and bija were
essentially the same, the seeds were the effect of the perfuming, or whether the
perfuming simply affected the seeds.[114] The seemingly external world is merely a
"by-product" (adhipati-phala) of karma. The conditioning of the mind resulting from
karma is called saskra.[115][web 10]
The Treatise on Action (Karmasiddhiprakaraa), also by Vasubandhu, treats the
subject of karma in detail from the Yogcra perspective.[116] According to scholar
Dan Lusthaus,
Vasubandhu's Viatik (Twenty Verses) repeatedly emphasizes in a variety of ways
that karma is intersubjective and that the course of each and every stream of
consciousness (vijna-santna, i.e., the changing individual) is profoundly
influenced by its relations with other consciousness streams.[115]
According to Bronkhorst, whereas in earlier systems it "was not clear how a series of
completely mental events (the deed and its traces) could give rise to non-mental,
material effects," with the (purported) idealism of the Yogcra system this is not an
issue.[117]
In Mahyna traditions, karma is not the sole basis of rebirth. The rebirths of
bodhisattvas after the seventh stage (S. bhmi) are said to be consciously directed
for the benefit of others still trapped in sasra.[118] Thus, theirs are not
uncontrolled rebirths.[118]
Mdhyamaka philosophy[edit]
Ngrjuna articulated the difficulty in forming a karma theory in his most prominent
work, the Mlamadhyamakakrik (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way):
If (the act) lasted till the time of ripening, (the act) would be eternal. If (the act)
were terminated, how could the terminated produce a fruit?[subnote 3]

The Mlamadhyamakavtty-Akutobhay, also generally attributed to Ngrjuna,

[119] concludes that it is impossible both for the act to persist somehow and also
for it to perish immediately and still have efficacy at a later time.[note 18]
Tibetan Buddhism[edit]
Tsongkhapa (Gelugpa)[edit]
Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, argued that the
Prsagika position allowed for the postulation of something called an "act's
cessation" (las zhig pal) which persists and is in fact a substance (rdzas or dngos po,
S. vastu), and which explains the connection between cause and result.[120]
Gorampa, an important philosopher of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism,
accused Tsongkhapa of a doctrinal innovation not legitimately grounded in
Candrakrti's work, and one which amounted to little more than a (non-Buddhist)
Vaieika concept.[121] Gelugpa scholars offered defenses of the idea.[121]
Purification of karma[edit]
In the Vajrayana tradition, negative past karma may be "purified" through such
practices as meditation on Vajrasattva because they both are the mind's
psychological phenomenon.[122][123] The performer of the action, after having
purified the karma, does not experience the negative results he or she otherwise
would have.[124] Engaging in the ten negative actions out of selfishness and
delusions hurts all involved. Otherwise, loving others, receives love; whereas;
people with closed hearts may be prevented from happiness.[123] One good thing
about karma is that it can be purified through confession, if the thoughts become
positive.[125] Within Guru Yoga seven branch offerings practice, confession is the
antidote to aversion.
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche[edit]
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche explains that purification entails applying the four powers,
where each action has four aspects that determine if the action is complete or
incomplete. These aspects are: motivation, object, performance and completion. If
an action is complete in all four aspects, this is throwing karma and can determine
throwing rebirth into the six realms; or, if beneficial with good karma to better
rebirth. A missing aspect becomes completed karma, thus determining future life
quality and a completed negative action keeps suffering ongoing. The first of the
four purification powers is taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, the second is
release to counteract the results similar to the cause, the third is remedy with
applying antidotes to throwing karma and the fourth is indestructible determination
by overcoming tendency to habitually create negativities over and over again.[note
19] This logic is common to all Vajrayana practices. Realizing emptiness is the
ultimate purification. The four powers are confessional and are different than
Christian confessionals; however parallels exist. Each action leaves an imprint to
ripen as positive for happiness or negative for suffering. [127] Proper application
requires a qualified lama to guide the process with view, reading the method alone
may be insufficient. [128]
Tibetan Book of the Dead[edit]
The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains elaborate karma purification practices to
naturally liberate cyclic rebirth action. This includes natural liberation practice with
the mind; with the spiritual teacher; with naked perception; with homage to sacred

enlighten families for habitual tendencies; with confessional acts, with death signs
visual recognition; with death ritual deception for fear; with recollection for
consciousness transference; fundamentally with hearing great liberation; and with
wearing through the psycho-physical aggregates.[129] Confessional acts in this
context is important for purification (without renunciation) where the four powers
are 1)reliance with one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities visualization, 2)actual
antidote with elaborate confessional acts natural liberation practice and Vajrasattva
mantra, 3)remorse, negative acts genuine recollection, and 4) resolving to never
commit such negative actions again. [130]
Nyingma[edit]
In the Nyingma school, the teaching of karma is the third of four thoughts that turn
the mind to dharma in the outer preliminaries.[131] It is taught within the preliminary practices of the Longchen Nyingthig, "The Heart-essence of the Vast
Expanse". This is a terma or "spiritual discovery", a hidden teaching from
Padmasambhava which was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1729-1798).[132] It is one of
the most widely practiced teachings in the Nyingmapa school.[133] The Heartessence of the Vast Expanse teaching cycle has the following structure:[134]
Pre-liminary practices (sngon 'gro):
Outer or external pre-liminaries: i)the freedoms and advantages of precious human
rebirth; ii) the truth of impermanence and change; iii) the workings of karma;[note
20] iv) the suffering of living beings within samsara
Inner pre-liminaries: taking refuge, arousing bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, mandala
offering, and Guru Yoga[note 21]
Main practice (dngos gzhi): generation phase, perfection phase, and the Great
Perfection[note 22]
Jigme Lingpa[edit]
In Jigme Lingpa's Mindfulness Application: Unique Great Perfection Preliminary
Instructions, karma arises to produce samsara, which should be abandoned. All the
ten virtues and non-virtues will give results similar to the cause and can proliferate.
With this understand, cultivating a stable mind can avoid non-virtuous acts and
appreciation for virtuous acts.[141]
Patrul Rinpoche[edit]
Patrul Rinpoche wrote down Jigme Lingpa's pre-liminary practices from his teacher
Jikm Gyalw Nyugu. These were translated into a book called The Words of My
Perfect Teacher. [note 23] [133] It describes ten negative actions which are to be
avoided,[144][145][note 24] and positive actions to be adopted.[146] According to
Patrul Rinpoche, each negative act produces four kinds of karmic effects:[147]
The fully ripened effect: rebirth in one of the lower realms of samsara;[148]
The effect similar to the cause: rebirth in a human form, in which we have a
predisposition for the same negative actions, or undergo the same negative actions
being afflicted on us;[149]
The conditioning effect: the negative act shapes our environment;[150]
The proliferating effect: a continuous repetition of former negative actions, which
keeps us wandering endlessly in samsara.[146] Positive actions comprise the vow
never to commit any of the negative actions.[146] According to Patrul Rinpoche, the

quality of our actions determine all the pleasures and miseries that an individual
experiences.[151]
Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang[edit]
Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, a qualified Longchen Nyingthig commentator, explained
harmful karmas remedy is to first meet the spiritual friend, then listen to teachings
and reflect on them. When karmic obstacles arise, the student may generate
confidence in karmic laws; regret past actions and the student may apply other
appropriate remedies. [152] Continuing harmful karma may lead to lower rebirth.
Lessening past results with meritorious activity results in higher rebirths. [153]
Students achieving pure karma will be welcomed to go directly to liberation in any
instant. [154] Since harmful actions are rooted in negative emotions and these are
rooted in the self belief, some realize no-self to believe and then end both karma
and the emotions. Students may then attain the Arhats nirvana result, with and
without residue, similar to the no more learning path. [155] Bodhisattvas may pray
for all karma to ripen upon them to purify its effect most beneficially for the student.
[156]
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche[edit]
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoches student Jane Tromge complied his Dudjom Tersar
Ngondro teachings from Dudjom Lingpas terma revelation. Karma weaves
experienced patterns as the inevitable results from out flowing causes.
Understanding karma and purifications can establish a spiritual compass to direct
conduct in positive accord until enlightenments threshold. An enlightened Buddha
has passed beyond karmic dualism to an infinite reflecting radiance awakening.
Karma is created in the mind source, with speech and body following the minds
lead. Buddhist ten non-virtues and ten virtues delineate what to abandon and
accept. Proliferating virtuous actions carries repetitions forward into future lifetimes.
[157]
Dzonsar Jamyag Khentse[edit]
Dzonsar Jamyag Khentses Longchen Nyingthig commentary explains that forgetting
about death and karma is shown when we complain about everyone else. [158] The
sutras say Mara's third arrow is directed to those with wrong views, such as not
believing in cause condition and effect (karma).[note 25] Protection may be
achieved with discipline, meditation and wisdom. [159] Exhausting karma leads to
enlightenment and it's impossible to be independent and in control of anything
having so many causes.[160] Scientific people may believe in karma and not in
reincarnation as its effects from virtute and non-virtue.[161] This may corrode the
ultimate truth beliefs in an interdependent reality, shunyata, and the triple gem,
which request Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to not pass into Parinirvana. [160] Karma
is synonymous with reincarnation.[162] Karmic debts pass from each lifetime.[163]
Merit produces good karma. [164]
Khenpo Tenzin Norgay[edit]
Khenpo Tenzin Norgay's Nam Cho Ngndro (preliminary practice) teachings
emphasise karma purification importance in relation to proceeding to Dzogchen
practices. There are 10 Steps in Ngndro to quick enlightenment and karma is at
Step 3. Karma follows the minds wandering in samsara and may propel to the six
realms. Only the student can purge and manage conduct and outcomes.[165]
Advancing to Dzogchen and skipping Ngndro practices could lead to wrong karma

views, where avoiding karma causes dangerous nihilistic (bodhicitta voided) views,
the antidotes may become poisons. For example, the Heart Sutra, which explains no
suffering, no cause of suffering, no path and no fruition could lead to a paradox
asking why even practice. Understanding karma in the Ngndro context helps
answer the paradox. Karma is in the foundation for all buddhist practices and
requires both logic and faith for acceptance. Karma necessitates accepting beyond
what the senses can materially perceive. [166] Karmic law is not legislated, it is
buddha nature and unavoidable. It is a way of expressing how the mind functions
and can be trained. The Abhidharma explains karma in detail as karma is seen in
the four noble truths. Dharma works out in nondiscrimination for everyone when
there are shared karmic beliefs. [167]
East Asian traditions[edit]
Zen[edit]
Dgen Kigen argued in his Shobogenzo that karmic latencies are emphatically not
empty, going so far as to claim that belief in the emptiness of karma should be
characterized as "non-Buddhist," although he also states that the "law of karman
has no concrete existence."[168]
Zen's most famous koan about karma is called Baizhang's Wild Fox (). The
story of the koan is about an ancient Zen teacher whose answer to a question
presents a wrong view about karma by saying that the person who has a foundation
in cultivating the great practice "does not fall into cause and effect." Because of his
unskillful answer the teacher reaps the result of living 500 lives as a wild fox. He is
then able to appear as a human and ask the same question to Zen teacher
Baizhang, who answers, "He is not in the dark about cause and effect." Hearing this
answer the old teacher is freed from the life of a wild fox. The Zen perspective
avoids the duality of asserting that an enlightened person is either subject to or free
from the law of karma and that the key is not being ignorant about karma.
Tendai[edit]
The Japanese Tendai/Pure Land teacher Genshin taught a series of ten reflections for
a dying person that emphasized reflecting on the Amida Buddha as a means to
purify vast amounts of karma.[169]
Modern interpretations and controversies[edit]
Social conditioning[edit]
Buddhist modernists often prefer to equate karma with social conditioning, in
contradistinction with, as one scholar puts it, "early texts [which] give us little
reason to interpret 'conditioning' as the infusion into the psyche of external social
norms, or of awakening as simply transcending all psychological conditioning and
social roles. Karmic conditioning drifts semantically toward 'cultural conditioning'
under the influence of western discourses that elevate the individual over the social,
cultural, and institutional. The traditional import of the karmic conditioning process,
however, is primarily ethical and soteriologicalactions condition circumstances in
this and future lives."[170]
Essentially, this understanding limits the scope of the traditional understanding of
karmic effects so that it encompasses only saskrashabits, dispositions and
tendenciesand not external effects, while at the same time expanding the scope

to include social conditioning that does not particularly involve volitional action.
[170]
Karma theory & social justice[edit]
Some western commentators and Buddhists have taken exception to aspects of
karma theory, and have proposed revisions of various kinds. These proposals fall
under the rubric of Buddhist modernism.[171]
The "primary critique" of the Buddhist doctrine of karma is that some feel "karma
may be socially and politically disempowering in its cultural effect, that without
intending to do this, karma may in fact support social passivity or acquiescence in
the face of oppression of various kinds."[172] Dale S. Wright, a scholar specializing
in Zen Buddhism, has proposed that the doctrine be reformulated for modern
people, "separated from elements of supernatural thinking," so that karma is
asserted to condition only personal qualities and dispositions rather than rebirth and
external occurrences.[173]
Loy argues that the idea of accumulating merit too easily becomes "spirtitual
materialism," a view echoed by other Buddhist modernists,[note 26] and further
that karma has been used to rationalize racism, caste, economic oppression, birth
handicaps and everything else.[174]
Loy goes on to argue that the view that suffering such as that undergone by
Holocaust victims could be attributed in part to the karmic ripenings of those
victims is "fundamentalism, which blames the victims and rationalizes their horrific
fate," and that this is "something no longer to be tolerated quietly. It is time for
modern Buddhists and modern Buddhism to outgrow it" by revising or discarding
the teachings on karma.[175]
Other scholars have argued, however, that the teachings on karma do not
encourage judgment and blame, given that the victims were not the same people
who committed the acts, but rather were just part of the same mindstreamcontinuum with the past actors,[176] and that the teachings on karma instead
provide "a thoroughly satisfying explanation for suffering and loss" in which
believers take comfort.[176]

Karma phala
Karma phala loosely translates into "fruits of actions". There are 3 types of karma
phalas - Prarabda, Sancita and Agami. They are accumulated, present life and .

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).

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, and

righteousness of action (Dharma).

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

1.

Don't hurt anyone

2.

Do unto others only what you want to be done unto yourself

3.

Do those actions that bring happiness to oneself and does good to others

4.

Do not speak harshly

5.

Wish only good for others

6.

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.

Contents
[hide]

1 Rebirth

2 Individual Karma

3 Freewill

4 Group Karma

5 Textual References

Rebirth
There is rebirth (punarjanma) according to Sanatana dharma. The being or atman,
assumes three bodies - gross (sthula), subtle (sukshma) and causal (karana). With these
three one experiences gross, subtle and causal objects as explained in the
Mandukya Upanishad. Only the gross body is left during death and subtle body is with
atman throughout and assumes new gross body in the next life. The sukshma sareera
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
prarabdha.

Individual Karma
In the cycle of its evolution, the jiva has two movements - pravritti and nivritti. During
pravritti impressions/samskaras are accumulated. One is recommended to do noble
actions so as to reap their sweet fruits. During nivritti, one tries to get rid of prarabdha
and exhaust karma by experiencing its fruits (karma phala) 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 (loka kalyana).
Moksha is through total karma nivritti and transcending the action-fruit cycle. This is
possible if one realizes and discriminates between atman and non-atman (body, mind
etc). One can get beyond the ambit of karma by experiencing the One beyond qualities
(beyond trigunas - satwa, rajas, tamas).
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
Fate and freewill both are significant in one's actions. While many factors like daivabala
(destiny or God-will), prarabdha (one's own previous actions) affect the fruit of action, it
is human effort (purushakara) that predominates action. Man is said to be the master of
his actions (destiny), though not wholly the owner of the fruits of the actions.
God is said to be the witness of all action (karma sakshi). 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 (godly reward) is said to

follow purusha prayatna (conscious effort), and in the macrocosm it is the other way
round.

Group Karma
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 (yaksha). 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 lifecycle of a society.

Textual References
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 = yajna. The Veda refers to karma in this sense,
throughout.
Example: The Mother Godess Durga is praised as the controller and giver of the fruits of
action, "karmaphaleshu justam" (Durga Suktam, Taittiriya Aranyak

Bhutarutajna
Bhutarutajna literally means knowledge of the sounds of animals.
Sometimes transliterated as: Bhutarutajnana, BhutarutajJAna, Bhutarutajyaana

Man alone is endowed with the power of speech, with which he can convey his thoughts
and feelings to others. However he has curious to know whether animals, birds and/or
worms have their own means of communication. Patajali asserts in the Yogasutras,
[1]
that a yogi can acquire that extraordinary power by practicing saiyama[2].
This can be illustrated with an example. When a person utters the word cow we get the
knowledge of a cow. However, on analysis, we find three things:
1.

The word itself is a sound produced by uttering the three letters c, o and w, in
succession by the vocal organs.

2.

The animal cow is a solid external object perceptible to the eyes and the hands.

3.

The knowledge of it produced in the mind is in the form of mental waves.

Ordinarily, these three are mixed up and yet give us an experience.

If the yogi can manage to separate these three in his mind and practice saiyama on
each of them separately, then, he realizes the basic truths underlying each of them:
1.

abda - Sound

2.

Artha - Object signified

3.

Pratyaya - Knowledge in the form of mental waves

This will now empower him to know the meaning of all the sounds uttered by all the
living beings including those of the animal kingdom. The Puras refer to the yogis who
had acquired this pow

Artha
By Swami Harshananda

Artha literally means that which is desired.

The is (sages of yore) had recognized the innate human desire for enjoying the
pleasures of life and had provided for it in the scheme of pururthas prescribed for
human beings. The four pururthas for them are mentioned below :

Dharma

Artha

Kma

Moka
These are the ends to be striven for in human life. People have given artha, acquisition of wealth and other objects of enjoyment, a very important place. However,
this artha should be within the perimeters permitted by dharma or righteousness as
defined by the holy scriptures and practiced by sages.
The word artha is commonly interpreted as meaning, meaning of words, phrases and
sentences. According to the rhetoric works, the artha of a word can be of three types :

Vcyrtha - Direct meaning. It can be illustrated by the sentence gm naya, Bring the cow.

Lakyrtha - Implied meaning. It can be illustrated by kaligah shasikah, the Kaliga is adventurous where, though the word Kaliga literally stands for the
country, is interpreted by implication, to mean citizens of that country.

Vyagyrtha - Alluded meaning. It can be illustrated by the sentence saakhacakro harih, - Hari is with akha and cakra though the word harih has several
meanings like Viu, Yama, Vyu, lion and monkey, it is confined to Viu only, due to
the allusion to akha (conch) and cakra (discus), which he alone holds.
In epistemology, artha stands for the objects apprehended by the sense-organs.

Advaita vednta darana

(Redirected from Advaita vedanta darsana)
By Swami Harshananda
Sometimes transliterated as: Advaita vedanta darsana, Advaita vedAnta darZana, Advaita vedaanta
darshana

Advaita Vednta Darana literally means Non-dual Vednta System.

Man is often described as a rational animal. Once the animal in him is reasonably
satisfied by the provision of basic biological and some psychological needs, the rational
part gets an opportunity to evolve to higher levels. Philosophy including the
metaphysics is one of the highest aspects of this evolution.

Darana
Philosophical systems have developed not only as a result of intellectual speculation but
also as a result of the mystical intuition--hence they are named as darana[1]. Four
topics are commonly discussed bydaranas:
1.

Nature of the physical world, its origin and evolution

2.

Nature of man and other living beings

3.

Existence of God, his nature and attributes

4.

The goal of human life and the way of attaining it

Different standpoints and differing views of these topics of discussion have naturally led
to a variety of schools. These schools are broadly divided into two classes:

stika

Nstika
The former accept the authority of the Vedas whereas the latter do not.

Vednta Darana
The Vednta Darana is the last of the former schools but has gained the most
important place among them.
A judicious combination of reasoning and acceptance of the authority of the Vedas as
also a long unbroken tradition are responsible for its gaining the pre-eminent place. The
basis of the Vednta Darana, are the prasthnatraya (the three great paths) viz.,
1.

Upaniads

2.

Brahmasutras

3.

Bhagavadgit
It is the Brahmasutras (also called Vednta-sutras and rrakasutras) of BdaryaaVysa that occupies the key position in all. The stras (aphorisms) being quite terse and
often ambiguous have naturally led to widely differing interpretations, resulting in the
three well-known systems of Vednta viz.,

1.

Advaita

2.

Viidvaita

3.

Dvaita
The word Vednta itself means the end or the essence of the Vedas. It is the
Upaniads that mainly comprise the Vednta since they normally form the last part of
the Vedic literature and contain the quintessence of their teachings.

stika
By Swami Harshananda
Sometimes transliterated as: Astika, Astika, AAstika

stika literally means one who believes that God exists.

The word stika, is derived from the verb asti (exists) generally denotes anyone who
believes in the existence of God and higher worlds like heaven, immortality of the soul,
theory of karma and reincarnation and so on. Sometimes the word is used in the more
restricted sense of one who believes in the authority of the Vedas.
When the king Parksit, the grandson of the Pava prince Arjuna, died of a snakebite,
his son Janamejaya performed a sarpayga or snake sacrifice in which hundreds of
innocent snakes were being immolated. The final offering was to be Takaka, the king of
snakes of the nether world, the chief culprit who had bitten and killed Parksit. Just
then there appeared on the scene a young sage, stika by name, the son of the
Jaratkru couple, and stopped the atrocious sacrifice. His mother was the sister of
Vsuki. He had been specially deputed to save the life of Vsuki and all his subjects and
his followers, with his sweet speech and convincing logic. stika was able to win over
the king Janamejaya and extract the boon he wanted. Vsuki and the snake species
were thus saved from total annihilation.

Nstika
By Swami Harshananda
Sometimes transliterated as: Nastika, NAstika, Naastika

Nstika literally means an atheist.

A nstika is the one who says It does not exist! It can be split as "na" which means not
and "asti" which means exist. He does not believe in the existence of God, the soul,
after-life, heaven and hell. In fact he does not believe in all that which cannot be
experienced by the five sense-organs.

crya
By Swami Harshananda
Sometimes transliterated as: Acarya, AcArya, AAcaarya

crya literally means 'preceptor or 'teacher'.

Education was imparted in ancient times more by personal contact than by lectures and
discourses. The student learned as much by observing their teachers life as by hearing
his teachings. Hence the teacher had to be that, which he wanted to make of his
student. It is this philosophy of education that is reflected in this word crya.

Only a teacher that successfully gathers (cinoti) the essentials of dharma and wisdom
from all sources and practices them (carati) in his own life receives the appellation
crya. In a more technical sense, the crya is one who performs the upanayana
ceremony and imparts the Vedas and Vedgas to a aspirant.
Great stress was laid on the qualifications of the crya. These included:

Deep erudition in the branch of the Veda that he was required to teach

A pure and sinless life

Serenity and composure

Active interest in imparting knowledge and

Birth in a family known for its erudition and piety was a plus
The word is also frequently used as an honor to men of great erudition and learning,
especially if they are the initiators of new schools of thought or the revivers of old ones,
like akara, Rmnuja, Madhva and others.
The term is also applied to an adviser or preceptor guiding sacrificial rites.
The wife of an crya is called as an cry whereas a woman preceptor is
designated cry. From this we can infer the existence of women preceptors also.

Shanmatas
By Shankara Bharadwaj Khandavalli

Broadly, the religious practices in Sanatana Dharma could be classified into two
Smarta and Tantric. They are not mutually exclusive, and are closely related. Literally
smarta means following smritis. This means the smritis associated with the Veda, such
as the Vedangas and Dharmasastras. Specifically by smarta one means
following dharma sastras. Smarta is a frame of practices, and not a religion. Tantra is
part of the Agamic literature, that developed parallel to the Smarta literature.
There are six major religions or theistic schools, called Shanmatas. They
are Saiva, Vaishnava, Sakta,Saura, Ganapatya and Kaumara. They regard Siva, Vishnu,
Sakti, Surya, Ganapati and Kumaraswamy as the supreme-godhead respectively. These
are not purely theological, and include many other things along with theology, such as
spiritual philosophy and methods of sadhana. Statistically, Saiva, Sakta and Vaishnava
are the major religions and followed all over the country. The other three are practiced
more in specific regions. It also depends on the region which religion is followed more,
because of many factors like the branch of Veda popular in the region. For instance the

followers of Krishna Yajurveda are usually Siva worshippers, since Sri Rudram is in the
middle of Taittiriya Samhita. And the region whereKrishna Yajurveda followers are more,
have more smarta-Saivas. While there are many religions or worshipers of many
different devatas, Adi Sankara classified these into six major schools.
Each of these religions takes elements from theology, spiritual
philosophy, smriti, Tantra. Besides, there are schools in the worship of
each devata/religion that take elements from different Tantras, different spiritual
philosophies and different smritis. For instance Vaishnava itself has different codes, like
Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra. Some flavors of these religions are tightly bound with some
spiritual philosophies and some with methods of sadhana. Thus each religion in fact
has a wide range and different levels of practices. Besides, some flavors of these
religions attach more importance with some of the paths, like bhakti, jnana and karma.
A flavor of religion that attaches more importance to jnana is more bound with a
spiritual philosophy. A flavor of religion that attaches more importance to bhakti is more
bound to the methods of sadhana and so on.
There were brief conflicts between the followers of these religions; mostly they were
debates. Each religion/school made commendable contributions to Hinduism, and even
their debates against each other were enriching to the traditions. They were very rarely
destructive and hate-driven. Most of them are at the philosophical level, and all the
schools have commonly agreed bases such as the authority of Veda, prasthana trayi
(the threefold foundation of Brahman/Atman belief in the Vedanta :
Upanishads,Bhagavad Gita and Brahmasutra), whose interpretations were diverse.
Even worship in the schools has many common aspects.

Devotional Sect

Pradhana Devata

Spiritual Philosophies

Agamas

Vaishnava

Vishnu

Dwaita, Visistadwaita

Vaikhanasa, Pancaratra

Saiva

Siva

Advaita, Dvaita

Kashmira, Siddhanata Saiva

Sakta

Sakti

Advaita

Sakta Tantras

Saura

Surya

Ganapatya

Ganapathi

Ganapatya Tantras

Kaumara

Kumaraswamy

Contents
[hide]

1 Smarta

2 Vaishnava

3 Saiva

4 Sakta

5 Saura

6 Ganapatya

7 Kaumara

Smarta
Usually a smriti following person that does not practice any of the specific religions is
called a smarta. This is a broad fold under which any of the religion naturally falls
(though with some exceptions as can be seen). Smartas take elements mostly from
srauta, and practices from Agamas that are in accordance with smritis. The shanmatas
take from Agamas in varying degrees. For instance flavors of sakta take even those
elements that are in contradiction to smriti, such as the vamacara Tantra. Though
different spiritual philosophies are followed, smartas mostly are advaitins. The worship
of smartas usually consists of five devatas (pancayatana) Siva, Vishnu, Ganapati,
Surya and Sakti. This is popularized by Adi Sankara.

Vaishnava
Main article: Vaishnava
Vishnu is treated as the Supreme Godhead. He is said to be the sthiti-karaka, the eternal
and the cause of all states of existence and the pervader. Vishnu is a Vedic deity.
Vaishnavas are almost purely smartas, and the agamas they regard are Vaikhanasa and
Pancaratras. The Vaishnava concept of bhakti is most famous. They describe five kinds
of devotee-God relations, or five forms of devotion to God. They are santa, dasya,
sakhya, vatsalya and madhura. In order, they are calm devotion, being a servant to
God, being a friend of God, treating God as a child and treating God as husband. Though

these in varying degrees are practiced by all religions they are explicitly categorized by
the Vaishnavas. There are also five different forms in which the Godhead manifests
according to Vaishnavas - Para, Arca, Vibhava, Vyuha and Antaryami.
The two famous Vedantic philosophies Visistadwaita and Dwaita, propounded by
Ramanujacarya and Madhvacarya, are followed by the Vaishnavas. The followers of
Ramanujacarya are Sri Vaishnavas and the followers of Madhvacarya are Madhvas.
There are many different schools in Vishnu-worship or Vaishnava: Smarta (Bhagavata
mata) Sri Vaishnava (followers of Ramanujacarya - Visistadvaitins) Sad-Vaishnava
(followers of Madhvacarya - Dvaita) Gaudiya Vaishnava (Bhedabheda) Vallabha
Sampradaya (Shuddhadvaita) Nimbarka Sampradaya (Dvaitadvaita)

Saiva
Main article: Saiva
Siva is treated as the Supreme Godhead. He is said to be the eternal, and the first cause
of existence. Siva is a Vedic deity. There are many forms of Siva-worship, in smarta as
well as Tantra. The smartas who are worshippers of Siva are usually advaitins. There are
dvaita versions of Saiva too. There are many sects in Saiva, such as Bhairavas,
Kapalikas, Veera Saivas. These are worship modes and worships of different forms of
Siva and not different spiritual philosophies. The Saiva Agamas are twenty eight in
number. There are two kinds of Saiva Agamas, Kashmira and Siddhanta. The former are
followed in north and latter in south India.

Sakta
Sakti, the Mother-Godess is treated as the Supreme Godhead. She is said to be the
primal rhythmic energy, and the cause of all manifestation and action. Sakti could be
found in multiple forms in the Veda, like Durga, Gauri, Saraswati, Dakshina, Bharati and
Sri. There are both smarta and Tantric forms of Sakti-worship. The Sakti worshippers are
usually advaitins.
There are ten forms in which Sakti is worshipped, Ganga, Bhavani, Gayatri Kali, Laksmi,
Sarasvati, Rajarajesvari, Bala, Syamala and Lalita.
There are ten forms knowledge of Sakti or Mahavidyas, namely Kali, Tara, Chinnamasta,
Bhuvaneshwari, Bagala, Dhumavati, Kamala, Matangi, Sodasi and Bhairavi. They include
the philosophy, methods of worship with mantra, Yantra and Tantra.
The worship and knowledge of Sakti, is called Sri Vidya. There are schools like Pancadasi
and Sodasi, which expound the philosophy of Sri Vidya. While Pancadasi is purely
smarta, sodasi being a Mahavidya includes Tantric part too. The Sri Chakra or Sri Yantra
is the one used in Sri Vidya. The devata is called Tripurasundari again called with names
like Lalita and Bala.

Sakti is worshipped in three major forms, as a child or maiden (Bala), as the consort of
Siva (Parvati/Uma) and as Kali. Because of this, many schools worship Siva and Sakti
together.

Saura
Surya is treated as the Supreme Godhead. He is said to be the giver of life, and the soul
of all beings. Surya/Aditya/Savitr is a Vedic deity. Saura is a comparatively less practiced
religion, but was more in practice a few centuries ago. There are few famous temples of
Surya, like the ones in Konark (Orissa) and Arasavalli (Andhra Pradesh).
Though Saura as an exclusive religion is not very famous, worship of Surya (as Savitr
devata) is done by every practicing Brahmin in his Sandhya vandana thrice a day.
Savitri is the sakti associated. She is said to be in three forms, Gayatri, Savitri and
Saraswati (in the three parts of the day).

Ganapatya
Ganapathi is treated as the Supreme Godhead. He is the leader of all the forces or the
pramadha ganas. In addition, Ganapati is the deity of obstacles and is to be worshipped
before beginning any major work. He is said to reside and rule the muladhara or the
base of energy centers. This is in fact the reason why He should be worshipped first,
before any other deity. Thus, Ganapati is also said to be all the four forms of vak or word
(para-pasyanti-madhyama-vaikhari). Ganapati is found as Brahmanaspati in the Veda.
Though worshiped all over, exclusive Ganapati worship is found more in Maharasthra
and Karnataka. There are variedly eight, sixteen and thirty two forms in which Ganapati
is worshipped.
Besides, there are many Tantric forms of worship of Ganapati, like Lakshmiganapati,
Pingalaganapati, Uchchishtaganapati and Urdhvaganapati.

Kaumara
Kaumara is the school that worships Kumaraswamy. The Vedic form Agni, is the
precursor of Kumaraswamy/Subrahmanya. He is worshipped more in south India esp.
Tamilnadu.

Dvaita
By Swami Harshananda

Dvaita literally means dualism.

Any school of philosophy which believes that the ultimate Reality is not one but many
can be called as dvaita. The chief system of dvaita was propagated by Madhvcrya in
A. D. 1238-1317. It was known as the Dvaita Vednta Darana . The other schools are:
1.

Viidvaita of Rmnuja (A.D. 1017-1137)

2.

Dvaitdvaita of Nimbrka (13th century A.D.)

3.

aiva-viidvaita of rkaha (A.D. 1270)

4.

Acintya bhedbheda of Baladeva (A.D. 1725)