KARMA (2) from Mahabharata

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KARMA (2)

 

>From The Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva

Part 1, section I

 

Kala (Time) said: Neither Mrityu (Death), nor this serpent, nor I, O

fowler, am guilty of the death of any creature. We are merely the

immediate exciting causes of the event. O Arjunaka, the Karma of this

child formed the exciting cause of our action in this matter. There

was no other cause by which this child came by its death. It was

killed as a result of its own Karma. It has met with death as the

result of its Karma in the past. Its Karma has been the cause of its

destruction. We all are subject to the influence of our respective

Karma. Karma is an aid to salvation even as sons are, and Karma also

is an indicator of virtue and vice in man. We urge one another even

as acts urge one another. As men make from a lump of clay whatever

they wish to make, even so do men attain to various results

determined by Karma. As light and shadow are related to each other,

so are men related to Karma through their own actions. Therefore,

neither art thou, nor am I, nor Mrityu (Death), nor the serpent, nor

this old Brahmana lady, is the cause of this child's death. He

himself is the cause here.

 

Upon Kala (Time), O king, expounding the matter in this way, Gautami,

convinced in her mind that men suffer according to their actions,

spoke thus to Arjunaka.

 

Gautami said: Neither Kala, nor Mrityu, nor the serpent, is the cause

in this matter. This child has met with death as the result of its

own Karma. I too so acted (in the past) that my son has died (as its

consequence).

 

Bhishma said: Then Kala and Mrityu and the serpent went back to their

respective destinations, and Gautami became consoled in mind as also

the fowler. Men attain to heaven or hell as the result of their own

Karma.

 

 

 

>From The Bhagavad Gita

Translations by Swami Shivananda

The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

 

The Lord takes neither the demerit nor even the merit of any;

knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, thereby beings are deluded.

-Gita, Ch.5, Verse 15.

 

But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by the knowledge of the

Self, like the sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme (Brahman).

-Gita, Ch.5, Verse 16.

 

Neither agency nor actions does the Lord create for the world, nor

union with the fruits of actions. But it is Nature that acts.

-Gita, Ch.5, Verse 14.

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