Planets, Signs and Houses: Vedic Astrology Myths and Facts, Chapter I, Part - 3

Continuation…

Dr. Shanker Adawal

Karma yoga according to the Bhagavad Gita

A few selected verses from the Bhagavad Gita. It will help you to grasp the essence of karma yoga practice.

Attachment to the fruits of actions: “Your right is to work only, never to its fruits. Do not be motivated by the fruits of actions and do not be attached “to doing nothing.” (2:47)

Equanmity: “Do your action, oh Arjuna, with the feeling and attitude of yoga. Abandon attachment and be balanced in success and failure. Equanimity of mind is yoga.” (2:48)

Necessity of action: “Surely, it is not possible for an embodied being to entirely abandon actions; but he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is a man of renunciation.” (18:11)

Egolessness: “He who is free of the feeling of the ego, who is not swayed by the feelings of good and bad – though he slays these people, he does not really kill and he is not bound by the actions.” (18:17)

Renunciation and enlightenment: “He who is totally unattached to anything, who is in control of his individual self, who is devoid of desire he by renunciation (mentally) attains the supreme state of freedom from action (enlightenment).” (18:19)

“Therefore, without attachment, always perform the actions that need to be done; it is by working without attachment that one can know higher awareness.” (3:19)

Duty: “Do your duty, for action is far superior to inaction and even the mere maintenance of the physical body would be impossible without some form of action.” (3:8)

There are seven hundred verses in the Bhagavad Gita, each of which is pregnant with meaning. We strongly urge the reader to obtain a translation of this scripture, explore the mine of knowledge for himself and take out the gold of wisdom.,

Karka is of Three Kinds

Sanchita: all the accumulated karma of the past. All actions completed are history-past karma. Part of it is seen in the character of the person, in his tendencies and aptitudes, capacities, inclinations and desires.

Prarabdha: fructifying works – that portion of the past karma which is responsible for the present mental & physical attributes, environment, and conditions of living. It is ripe for reaping. It cannot be avoided or changed. It is only exhausted by being experienced. You pay your past debts.

Agami: current works – that karma which is now being done at present- for the future. It is also called Kriyamana or Vartamana.

Simple way to understand karma is to use the analogy of food stocks and grain:

Sanchita is the stores of accumulated grains. Prarabdha is the grain that is presently cooking in the pot.

Agami is the grains that are being cultivated as crops for the future.

A person may have perfect control over the sanchita and agami, but he must work out his prarabdha. Prarabdha cannot be prevented – even by Ishwara or the God.

Destiny and Self-Effort

The Law of Karma is inexorable, yet there is score for divine grace. Grace comes through penitence, austerity, and devotion. Penitence does not alter the Law of Karma. It is an act that has its fruit like any other act.

What one has to reap cannot be altered by the individual; but its recurrence can certainly be checked by self-effort.

Continue…

Shanker Adawal

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