HARMONY BY ACTION - SWAMI TATWANANDA

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Karma - Action and it's Nuances - 3 (contd.)

 

4 Yagnas. They are unusual and uncommon means adopted to achieve the desired

ends. This type of Vedic karma promise results that are not gained by worldly

means. In such ritualistic actions, one depends upon Vedic injunctions for

the performance of them. One needs to have faith in the "unseen operative

forces," which are thought to have governing influences over the

adhiboudhikam and adhidaivikam forces. These forces, which are known as the

"inaccessible inadequacies," can be overcome by the performance of a ritual

called "yagna."

 

In the universe, there are various realms of specified laws. These "laws"

stand for the uniform manner in which things happen in this world - like the

way the sun shines, the fire burns, the wind blows, etc. These laws are not

conscious of their own existence. The Vedas, however, declare that these

unconscious laws are governed by conscious operative forces called the

"devas." When such supra normal entities (devas) are invoked by ritualistic

worship, they prove helpful to the supplicant. It has to be done as enjoined

in the Vedic rites. When the mantras are chanted and the rituals are

performed in that given specified manner, it sets an "energy level in

motion," which invokes the devatas to make the yagna efficacious. This is the

faith with which one is expected to perform the rituals. Since it is a matter

of faith, there is no mandate as "Nitya karma."

 

If the performed Vedic ritual fails to offer the expected result, the answer

given by the Vedas (here we are dealing with the karma-kanda of the Vedas) is

that the fault lies with the doer (karta) and not with the Vedic karma. Thus,

we find, even though our desire prompted worldly and Vedic karma do bring us

results, yet there is a doubtful factor about those results fulfilling our

expectations in the time bound world (contd).

 

(Excerpted from Swamiji's talks on Karma Yoga-published as Harmony by Action

1989).