Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak
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CHAPTER X
THE EFFECT OF KARMA AND FREEDOM OF WILL
Yet, even taking, it for granted that such a thing is possible, the statement of the Mimamsa school that by suffering for the 'prarabdha' Karma, and 1 performing the various performable Actions in the manner men- tioned above in this life, or by not performing them, one exhausts accumulation of samcita Karma, is itself not correct ; because, if the results of two accumulated Actions are contrary to- each other, e. g., if the effect of one is heavenly happiness, and that of the other, the tortures of hell, then, as it is not possible to suffer both at the same time and at the same place, it is- impossible to exhaust the suffering for the effects of the entire 'samcita' Karma by the 'prarbdha' which has been started in this life, and by the Actions which have to be performed in this life. It is stated in the Parasaragita in the Bharata that., kadacit sukrtam tata kutaslham iva tisthati I majjamanasya samsare yuvad duhkhad vimucyate II [1] that is, "sometimes, the meritorious Actions previously performed by a man wait (to give him Their beneficial effects ) until he has escaped from the pain of this worldly life” ;and the same argument applies to the Accumulated sins. Thus,., suffering the effects of Accumulated Karma is not exhausted in one life, and some portion of the Accumulated Karma, always remains over as anarabdha-karya ( Uncommenced Karma ); and, even if all Actions in this life are performed in the manner - mentioned above, one still does not escape having to take another birth for suffering the Uncommenced Karma which is part of the Accumulated Karma. Therefore, Vedanta philo- sophy has come to the conclusion, that this seemingly easy _ device of the Mimamsa school for obtaining Release, is false and misleading. No Upanisad has mentioned this way of escaping the bondage of Karma. This device has been erected merely on the foundation of inference, and this inference does not stand the test till the end. In short, expecting to escape the bondage of Karma merely by performing Karma, is as foolish as expecting a blind man to save another blind man by showing him the right way. Well ; if one does not accept this device of the Mimamsa school, and sits idle without performing any Action, expecting thereby to escape the bondage of Karma, that too is not possible ; because, not only does the suffering for the Uncommenced Karma remain in balance, but the idea of giving up Karma, as also the act of sitting idle are both (tamasa Actions in themselves, and one cannot escape having to take another birth in order to suffer the effects of these tamasa Actions, simultaneously with suffering for those of the Uncommenced portion of one's Accumulated Karma [2] Besides, so long as this body is alive, breathing, sleeping, sitting and such other Actions continue; and, therefore, the position of giving up all Actions also becomes untenable; and it has been stated in various places in the Gita, that no one can even for a single moment escape Karma in this world[3] |
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