Prarabdh

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Prarabdh

 

Prarabdh or destiny is the result of the karma (done by oneself in

the past) that one is destined to reap in the present life. It

includes both the sukarma (good) and dushkarma (bad). But usually

only when unwanted things happen, we use the word prarabdh.

 

We can understand this through use of a simple example. Suppose I

want a mango plant and for this I sow the seeds in the soil. After

due care, to my surprise a neem plant grows from the seeds I planted

(instead of mango plant). This creates confusion and dissatisfaction

in my mind. When I ponder over the cause of this, I realized that my

lack of knowledge about the seeds made me plant neem seeds instead of

mango seeds. In this example, planting the seeds is the sanchita

karma (action done in the past), Reaping a neem tree is Prarabhda

(result of action in the present).

 

In the same way, even though all of us want to enjoy happiness, our

own selfish and ignorant actions in the past create a dissatisfactory

present. From this it must be clear that there is no one to blame for

our present situation. This is what prarabdha karma means. We are

responsible for our own Prarabhda. Sri Sai explains this to us on

several occasions.

 

So, what to do next? This becomes the future karma (Agami). Let us

again take the above example. Now, I have to go to a person or Guru

who has knowledge about seeds and who can advise me properly. With

the help of the Guru, if I can plant a mango seed this time in the

appropriate way, I will get a mango tree as desired.

 

The prerequisite is to have Sraddha or Faith with the understanding

that whatever my Guru advises is for my own best. The second one is

Saburi. It means to have the courage and patience to trust in the

words of the teacher, even though things are not falling in place in

the time frame that I have set.

 

As stated earlier, Prarabdha also means results of Sukarma (good

actions). The very thought of seeking the advice of a Guru is the

result of Good Prarabhda. If one continues to follow the teachings of

the Guru in daily living, this will surely turn things around in due

course of time. (Even if one falls repeatedly, one should be able to

muster the courage and try to get up. This is the Purushartha or Free

will.) So, in the Prarabdha, if one is due for an injury from a

knife, a pin will prick in its place if we properly follow the

Dharmic way of life.

 

Jai Sai Ram Sai