KARMA IN VÃLLABHA VEDÃNTA 1 KARMA IN VÃLLABHA VEDÃNTA n Dr. Mrs. Sunanda Y. Shastri Dept. of Sanskrit, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad. heory of Karma is very important concept in all Indian schools of thought, except that of TC~rv~ka i.e. Materialism (Foundations of Hinduism, p. 140). It is law of merits and demerits of actions. It states that every individual soul must reap the fruits of his own actions, good or bad, right or wrong. It follows logically from the law of universal causation, which means that every cause must produce its effect and every effect must be produced by its cause. `Karma' word denotes actions and its fruit us well. It also denotes performance of rituals. It is voluntary or willed action. According to fruit yielding stage, the Karma can be said of three kinds, viz., Pr~rabdha (past Karma which has started yielding fruit), sañdrcita (accumulated) and Sañciyam~ba (Karma being accumulated presently). Karma is performed in three modes, i.e. K~yika (physical), V~cika (Verbal) and M~nasika (Mental). With this general idea about K~rma, it would be interesting to see the source of Karma. V~llabha system believes that `God is everything' and God becomes everything ({… Æ˙h…®…i…‰ EÚ…™……«EڅƉ˙h… * + ¥…EfiÚi…®…‰¥… {… Æ˙h…®…i…‰, ∫…÷¥…h…» ∫…¥……« h… + {… i…ËV…∫…… x… * Anu. 1.4.26). The question therefore arises, that if God is everything, God is (™…l……I…“Æ∆˙ EÚi……«Æ˙®…x…{…‰I™… n˘ v…¶…¥…x…∫…®…™…‰ n˘ v…¶…¥… i… B¥…®…‰¥… •…¿… n˘ EÚ…™…«∫…®…™…‰ ∫¥…™…®…‰¥… ∫…¥…» ¶…¥… i… * Anu 2-1-24) God is individual Souls (J§va) and God is the world, then, who is there to commit the deeds and where is the question of committing good and bad deeds producing fruits accordingly. Anubh~sya has described the source of Karma. Jiva basically is the part (AmÑa) of the God, and still j§va does not have all the qualities of God, like omnipotence, omnipresence etc. Why so ? It is 1 because, j§va's six lordly qualities are concealed, when j§va separates from the God. (+∆∂…∂S……™…®… * EÚl…®…∫™… n÷˘& J…i¥…®…¬ * +∫™… V…“¥…∫™… B‰∑…™……« n˘ i…Æ˙…‰ Ω˛i…®…¬ * i…j… Ω‰˛i…÷& {…Æ˙… ¶…v™……x……i…¬ * {…Æ˙∫™… 2 Vidya Vol. I, No. 1, March 2006 ¶…M…¥…i……‰% ¶…i……‰ v™……x…∆ ∫¥…∫™… Bi…∫™… S… ∫…¥…«i……‰ ¶……‰M…‰SUÙ… * i…∫®……n˘“∑…Ɖ˙SUÙ™…… V…“¥…∫™… ¶…M…¥…r˘®…« i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥…& * Anu. 3.2.5) It is God's and J§va's will to enjoy the sense objects. This enjoyment is not possible if the J§va is in its pure form of Bliss. Therefore, six lordly qualities of j§va are concealed by the will of God. J§va in relation to world is `enjoyer' (¶……‰Ci……), and relation to the God, J§va is `enjoyed' (¶……‰M™…), and God is enjoyer. It is like mother-child relation. When mother feeds child, the child is enjoyer in the first place. Seeing the child contented, mother becomes happy, though she has not eaten anything herself. Here, in relation to food, child is enjoyer and in relation to child, mother is `enjoyer' and child is `enjoyed' (¶……‰M™…). Mother is the enjoyer (¶……‰Ci……) of happiness through child. Similarly, j§va enjoys in the world and is enjoyer (¶……‰Ci……) and in turn J§va is `enjoyed' (¶……‰M™…) also, because the God enjoys the j§va through j§va's enjoyment. These six ordly qualities are - B‰∑…™…« (Lordlyiness); ¥…“™…« (power), ™…∂… (fame), ∏…“ (grace), Y……x… (knowledge) and ¥…ËÆ˙…M™… (detachment). Concealment of each of these qualities degrades j§va more to the Worldly level. concealment Of B‰∑…™…« (lordliness) leads J§va to helplessness and dependence. Concealment of ¥…“™…« (Power/ Vigour) makes J§va to endure all kinds of Sorrows. Concealment of ™…∂… (Fame) makes J§va inferior or illfamed. Concealment of ∏…“ (grace) invites the calamities like birth and death. Concealment of Knowledge creates notion "I" regarding the body and j§va starts thinking otherwise, that world is real and there is not such thing as Brahman. Concealment of ¥…ËÆ˙…M™… (detachment) Makes j§va attached to the Sense objects. (B‰∑…™……«i…‰Æ˙…‰¶……¥…… q˘ x…i¥…®…¬ * ¥…“™…« i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥……i…¬ ∫…¥…«n÷˘&J…∫…Ω˛x…®…¬ * ™…∂……Œ∫i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥……i…¬ ∫…¥…«Ω˛“x…i¥…®…¬ * ∏…“ i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥……i…¬ V…x®…… n˘ ∫…¥……«{…n¬˘ ¥…π…™…i¥…®…¬ * Y……x… i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥……n¬˘ n‰˘Ω˛… n˘π…÷ +Ω˛®§…÷ r˘&, ∫…¥…« ¥…{… Æ˙i…Y……x…\S… +{…∫®……Æ˙∫… Ω˛i…∫™…‰¥… * ¥…ËÆ˙…M™…… i…Æ˙…‰¶……¥……n¬ ˘ ¥…π…™……∫… Ci…& * Anu. 3.2.5.) When this concealment of divine qualities cease and they become revealed, then j§va attains it's true nature of pure Bliss. J§va becomes J§va in the first place, because 'Biliss ' aspect is concealed (+…x…n˘…∆∂…∫i…÷ {…⁄¥…«®…‰¥… i…Æ˙…‰ Ω˛i……‰ ™…‰x… V…“¥…¶……¥…& * Anu. 3.2.5) and that is why j§va has desires (+i… B¥… EÚ…®…®…™…& * (Anu. 3.2.5.). Bliss does not have any desires (+EÚ…®…∞¸{…i¥……n˘…x…xn˘∫™… Anu 3.2.5.). The original and innermost hidden nature of j§va, i.e. `Bliss' cannot be revealed due to the concealment of six lordly qualities. J§va's activities - Karma - cannot be - called totally - independent or `Leela' (exalted sport). J§va becomes dependent of causes of sorrow, like fear, actions, ego and mineness. Thereby, j§va becomes helpess and strives to be tree from fear like those who are afraid, strives to fulfil the desires and becomes proud due to ego. Thus, j§va becomes dependent and that is why scriptures instruct the means of liberation (Patr~valambana. P.259). Scriptures can only speak about ¥… v…- x…π…‰v… (dos and don'ts), but c~nnot make j§va to follow it. Only the God who is present within as `Antary~m§ (inner soul) can do it. Until the individual soul cannot become one with the God, j§va cannot experience the Bliss, and until the Bliss is experienced, the six lordly qualities also are not revealed. Thus, the bondage of good and bad Karma becomes unbreakable ({…j……¥…±…∆§…x…, P 261). J§va has no hope of liberation, if the bondage of Karma becomes unbreakable. There has to be some solution to this problem, The solution is, apart from, j§va being part of the God and all the diving qualities having concealed, j§va is not totally dependent or bonded. J§va is partially independent. J§va is doer of all the actions he KARMA IN VÃLLABHA VEDÃNTA 3 performs as an agent. Scriptures declare j§va so. (EÚi……« ∂……∫j……l…«¥…k¥……i…¬ and EÚi……« V…“¥… B¥… * (Anu. 2-3-33). J§va is not puppet in destiny's hands. All the 'dos-and-don'ts' ( ¥… v… x…π…‰v…) prescribed in the scriptures are for j§va, since, j§va has to attain its lost state of pure Bliss. Scriptures show him right way to help j§va in his endeavor. These rules are clearly not for Brahman, which is beyond every blemish and they cannot also be for the unconscious "V…b˜' world, since it cannot follow or Understand them. ( V…“¥…®…‰¥…… v…EfiÚi™… ¥…‰n‰˘ +¶™…÷n˘™… x…&∏…‰™…∫…°Ú±……l…» ∫…¥……« h… EÚ®……« h… ¥… Ω˛i…… x… * •…¿…‰x…÷{…™……‰M……i…¬ * V…b˜∫™……∂…C™…i¥……i…¬ * Anu 2-3-33). V~llabhas believe that, Karma, JZ~na (Knowledge) and Bhakti (devotion), these three are the means to achieve four Purus~rthas, Viz., v…®…«, +l…« and ®……‰I…. These means are to be followed by the three kinds of eligible (+… v…EÚ… Æ˙) persons, Viz., lowest, middle and the best. The lowest usually follow Karmam~rga. The middle ones follow & Y……x…®……M…«- path of knowledge and the best ones follow Bhaktim~rga - path of devotion. (∏…÷ i…ÃΩ˛ EÚ®…«Y……x…¶… Ci…& ∫……I……i{…Æ˙®{…Æ˙…¶…‰n‰˘x… {…÷Ø˚π……l…«∫……v…x…i¥…‰x… Ω˛“x…®…v™…®……‰k…®… + v…EÚ… Æ˙h…& |… i… EÚi…«¥™…i¥…‰x… |… i…{……n˘™… i… * Anu 4-1-1). The best fruit of liberation can be attained only through the path of Knowledge and path of Bhakti, therefore, whatever is to be performed, should be in that direction only. Karma and its fruit can be carried forward from one birth to another, if the rebirth is there. In the third chapter of Anubh~sya, five divine oblations are discussed. When a person dies, his soul goes through five stages before he attains the next body useful for his further spiritual progress. leading to liberation. (i…j… |…l…®…‰ {……n‰˘ V…“¥…∫™… •…¿Y……x……Ë{… ™…EÚ V…x®… ¥…S……™…«i…‰ * i…j… {…⁄¥…«V…x®… x… x…&EÚ…®…™…Y…EÚi…÷«& Y……x…Æ˙ Ω˛i…∫™… ®…h…‰ Y……x……¶……¥…‰x… ™…Y…… n˘¥™…Ci™…¶……¥……n¬˘ ¶…⁄i…∫…∆∫EÚ…Æ˙EÚ B¥… ™…Y……‰ V……i… < i… x…&EÚ…®…i¥……SS… i…n˘… v…EÚ… Æ˙n‰˘¥…… v…x……x™…‰¥… ¶…⁄i……x…“ i… i…‰ n‰˘¥……∫i…j… i…j… Ω÷˛i¥…… i…∫™… ∂…Æ˙“Æ∆˙ ∫…®{……n˘™…xi…“ i…, "{…\S…®™……Ω÷˛i……¥……{…& {…÷Ø˚π…¥…S…∫……‰ ¶…¥…Œxi…' < i… ∏…÷ i…& (UÙ…-5-3-3) Anu 3-1-1). The one, who has performed good Karma like Sacrifices desirelessly, but not obtained the Supreme Knowledge before death - his sacrifices do not bear the fruit of liberation immediately after death. But, notetheless, the j§va is eligible (+ v…EÚ… Æ˙) to obtain proper body in order to attain Supreme Knowledge. The Soul being desireless, i.e., soul doesn't even have the desire for liberation, the gods help him to obtain the proper body. In this process, soul has to travel by v…⁄®…®……M…« - path of smoke. He attains Candraloka. After the fruit of good Karma remains a little, gods put his oblation in the fire called rain. J§va returns in form of rain, eventually transforms into food, etc. and finally is born again with proper body useful in attaining the Knowledge.