Free-will vs Pre-determination (clarification on Karma)

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>From the reader response, it is understood, that some

more clarification is needed on ‘karma’. Some readers

seem to be apprehensive that if karma is assigned such

a greater role in our life, thereby making our

‘freewill’ a hostage to karma, it makes life

disgusting.

 

Yes, but that is the reality!

That is why we say we are in bondage – bound in the

cycle of birth and death by karma.

We must become aware of this bondage, and know how to

come out of it.

Coming to our discussion on freewill vs

pre-determination, we have been trying to ascertain in

the mails sent earlier, how karma is binding us making

our conception of freewill a part of pre-determined

destiny.

 

Hindu shastras have given little scope for freewill.

I wonder whether they ever mention this word in the

meaning we understand. But in so many ways they

discount the possibility of freewill.

 

For example,

In Mahabharatha (Shanti Parvam) when Yidhishtra, after

the war, wanted to relinquish the kingdom he got,

Sahadeva advised him of the need to act (do karma) and

how to do karma.

He says that the 2 letters lead one to the mruthyu way

while the 3 letters will take one to Brahman. The

2-letter word is ‘mama’ and the 3-letter word is ‘na

mama’

How do these help in overcoming bondage?

When you do karma, think that you are not the doer and

the results are not going to be yours. (na mama)

Why?

Because (1) they are the result of ‘prakruthirjair

gunai:’ Prakruthi is the kartha.

(2) They are all there to facilitate the occurrence of

the results of the action done (which were done by

themselves)and you are here in the sankalpa of the

Lord. So whatever happens by your thought, word and

action are all His – flowing from Him.

The entire teaching of the Gita, the Upanishads, the

Vedas and the way to moksha are all anchored on these

two points!!

 

To those who want more clarification, I suggest a

thorough reading of chapter 14 (Gunathraya vibhaaga

yogam) and 15 (Purushothama yogam) of the BG.

 

Particularly the verse 16-14,

‘asou mayA hatha: shatrur-hanishye chAparAnapi/

Ishwara:aham aham bhOgi sidha: aham balawan sukhI//

(a rough translation only)

The Lord says that the one enveloped in a-gyaanam

(‘a-gyaana vimohitha) thinks like this:-

“The enemies have been killed by me. I will kill

others too

(The next part is most important to our discussion).

I am the one who rules (rules what? your will?)

I am the one who enjoys.

I can get things done.

I am the balawan and I am the sukhee’

A person gloating over aham –like this is an a-gyaani,

according to the Lord.

Yet, we feel (due to our limitations) that to deny us

the freedom to think or act is gross injustice. (In

fact we must deny this to our-self, in our own (?)

volition)

If we look into the possible words in sanskrit

describing free-will, we get at ‘swaathanthiryam’ –

meaning ‘control by oneself.’ (Are there other words?

Readers, kindly enlighten us)

This is described as a ‘vandheriya ondru’ (SVB) as it

arises from ignorance of the jiva of its status vis-a

vis the Brahman. (this ignorance is once again the

result of past karma has been ascertained many a time

in the previous posts)

Therefore swaathanthiryam is considered as ‘sEshathva

virodhi’. When swaathanthiryam is shed, the jiva

attains the status as ‘adiyAn’ (ThirumAlE nAnum unakku

pazhavadiyEn –NDP)

 

We find a discussion on ‘swathanthram’ of the jiva in

Mahabharatha, between sage Vyasa and Yidhishtra.

Yidhishtra was not prepared to accept ‘rAjya bhAram’

as he was brooding over the killing of so many people,

even those who were dear to him.

Vysa was beside him giving him tattwArtha advice.

(Mahabharatha, Shanthi Parvam –chapter 37)

He asks, “ Hey, Bharatha, does God make man do good or

bad? Or does man do good or bad in his own capacity

as a ‘swathanthran’?” (the exact word used here)

 

He continues to reason that if it is God on whose

volition man is doing good or bad, the results must go

to God only. So he (Yudhishtra) need not despair.

Like a wood-cutter who, using his axe cuts the tree,

God uses man as the axe. The results of cutting

(paapam) must then go to the wood-cutter and not the

axe. So the results of good or bad actions must go God

only and not to him (Yidhishtra here).

If you say that you are not like an axe – because you

have the budhdhi to know what will happen if you are

used (like an axe) for cutting, shall we then say that

the man who made this axe also must be punished with

paapam? Because he also has the budhdhi to know

(while he made the axe) what for this axe is going

to be used. But is it right to attribute the paapam

(from an action) of the one, to another? (paapam of

the wood-cutter to the axe, assuming that is a

thinking one and/or to the one who has made the axe?)

How is it possible for one to get the paapam of an

action done by someone else?

Here the Lord had done the action. So He must bear the

results.

 

If it be said that it is not God but man who as a

‘swathanthran’ does things in his own volition, even

then, hey Yudhishtra, what you have done is not wrong.

Because man can not act against the dictates of his

past karma. If you say the cause of the karma (of the

present action) has after all been done by yourself,

even then you don’t incur any paapam. Because you had

done the karma (action) as an axe, while the maker of

the action is actually the axe-maker (prakruthi here).

Like an axe you are doing your duty as a kshatriya and

karma which is anAdhi is giving its fruits.

 

Vyasa’s advice may be related to the verse 4-18 of the

BG

 

“karmaNi a-karma ya: pashyEth a-karmaNi cha karma ya;

sa budhdi-mAn maNushyEshu…”

the interpretations for ‘seeing karma in a-karma and

a-karma in karma’ as given by Ramanuja, Shankara,

Madhvaacharya and Sridhara – though may look different

superficially – are basically harping on the need to

develop the gyaana about the nature of karma

(Note :- Sri SMS Chary’s interpretation for this verse

is requested)

>From the above, it is once again made clear, that in

the event of the jiva thinking that it has the

volition, anything and everything connected with

voilition and action are the results of past karma.

That is why we say we are ‘bound’. To come out it, the

Lord’s prescription is to assume the status of

a-kartha (non-doer). The state of non-doership is not

possible without a ‘no-freewill’-notion!

 

Many quotes alluding this notion has been given in the

mail ‘freewill vs pre-determination (Gita)’. Some

crucial ones from BG to be given in poser –5. But let

me restrict the scope of this present mail to the

effectiveness of karma as narrated in texts.

The terms destiny, vidhi, fate or pre-determined fate

have all been described by Hindu shastras as

‘prArabhdA’, ‘daiva’, ‘kAla’, ‘bhAgya’, ‘karma-bhOga’

‘adhrishta’ etc.

 

Lord krishna says (srimad bhagavatahm, 10th skandha,

chap.24-13) “karmanA jayathE janthu:…”

“ Living beings are born or they die only as per their

deeds (past). They get pleasurse and pain, fear and

welfare only according to their deeds.”

 

He also says in sloka 17 of the same chapter,

‘karmaiva gurur Ishwara:’

“living beings get superior or inferior forms of body,

that is Uttama or Adhama yoni only as per their past

deeds. They make others friends, foes or neutrals also

according to their past deeds. Karma is our Guru.

Karma is our God.’

 

The aforesaid views on the in- escapabilty of karmic

results are also reiterated by Vishnu Purana. The

texts also show the way to conquer this law of karma.

Vishnu purana, 1st part, chap 19, sl. 46 speaks about

the need to develop equanimity of mind towards

(fruits) of all karmas.

This is upheld by Srimad bhagavatham ( sidhdha-sidhyO:

samam-kuryAth’) and the Gita (karmaNi Eva adhikarasthE

–because fruits depend not only on what we do now but

also on the deeds of our previous births)

In Srimad bhagavatahm, Akrura says to kamsa (10th

skandha, chap. 36, sl.38 & 39)

‘we build castles in the air unaware of the fact that

our prArabhdha has already marred and dampened all

such hopes. When our prArabhdha is favourable, we

succeed even with little effort. On the other hand,

when prArabhdha is unfavourable, we have to encounter

failures inspite of our best efforts.’

 

The break-away from this comes when the Lord bestows

grace on us. It is not right to think that God will

protect us / grace us at every step.

The cow-herd of our system is not similar to the

‘shepherd’ of the alien philosophy.

There they say, ‘The lord is my shepherd, I shall not

want’

But we have the cow-herd of Gokulam ‘who is not

behaving like a typical cow-herd going after the herd

and directing each and every one in the herd. He gives

budhdhi to those whom He thinks must be given’

(Mahabharath, UdhyOga parvam)

Like how He blessed Muchukunda with freedom and

knowledge by His mere touch. (srimad Bhagavatham).

Like how He assures that He will give budhdhi yOgam to

those who excel in daivee sampad (BG). The eligibility

criteria to gain His grace is to grow in Sattwic

qualities which is once again controlled by prakruthi.

 

The reasons for this are

# If He is going to monitor each and every one, that

assigns activity /active role to the Lord, which is

against the true nature of Brahman

# He doesn’t interfere with the working of the

prakruthi unless required. (Na karthuthvam, na

karmaani.. 14-14, BG). That is until he finds time

ripe enough to lift up the jiva by His grace. This

kind of interference He made in the beginning of

Creation, when creation did not make a headway and

Chathurmukha Brahma went back to mediation being

satisfied with whatever of creation that had taken

place.

 

Jayasree sarnathan.

 

Quote of the mail:-

“asambhavam hEma mrugasya janma

thathApi rA mO lulubhE mrughAya/

viparItha kAlE na shObhathE

budhdhir srEshta thamAm api//”

 

(Rama knew very well that the existence of a golden

deer is impossible. Yet he went after the deer. (This

shows that) Even for great people, their budhdhi does

not come to their help when the Time is bad)

–Parkinson’s Law?

 

PS:- If anyone knows the author of the above verse,

please let us know.

 

 

 

 

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