Sharing Sanjivani (Sanjivani - Life Saving Herb)

Chapter (132) What is the real Substance of Akarma and Vikarma?

(132) What is the real Substance of Akarma and Vikarma? Why should we know them?

Lord Krishna explains Arjun that you should know the real substance of Akarma and Vikarma too. Aadi Shankaracharyaji in Vivekchudamani says that until a scholar could not abandon pride that emerged from the illusion of untruthful perishable human body and senses, he could not think about his Salvation even if he had studied all vedas and Vedant thoroughly because an idiot thinks his human body as 'I' and the scholar who knows only words of Shastras but does not know or comprehend the real substance thinks his body a JIV as 'I' but the real awakened and scholar knowledgeable Mahatma only knows that his soul is 'AHAM BRAHMASMI" I am the Brahma and I am the part of eternity. Hence Lord Krishna advises Arjun to abandon his thoughts and attachment to his body and senses, fake relatives and relations of Sansar and be steady in eternal Brahma to have real peace of mind. Just as an image in the mirror or shadow in the day light is not our real body, the human body made by skin, flash, fat, bones and dirt is not our own self.

KIESHA: SYUVASINA AAEV JANTORJANMAVIKARANAN I

GYAN NISHTHAGNINA DAHE TASAM NO JANMAHETUTA II

( Sarvavedant Siddhant Sarsangrah /849)

Aadi Shankaracharyaji says that all our human desires are the cause of rebirth but when a desire and passion would burn away by the fire of knowledge there would be no rebirth for a person. Just as a burnt seed cannot grow as a plant or emerged as a tree, the desires, lust and passions destroyed by the fire of knowledge would never fascinates a Sadhak in the Sansar full of clashes. But the knowledge only could not help a person to cross over the river of life and death. He has given human birth to fulfill his duty and utilize all the sources given to him to serve the mankind. Hence he has to do his destined karma.

In CHHANDOGYA UPANISHAD father Uddalak told his son Shwetketu ' you are Jivatma and you are only Paramatma Param Brahma (CHHA.6/8) TATVAMASI as it is said in SAMVEDA you are the soul and you are the Brahma . In Rigveda it is said as PRAGNANAM BRAHMA in AAITARIYOPANISHAD. In YAJURVEDA it is said as AHAM BRAHMASMI in BRAHADARANYAKOPANISHAD and in ATHARVA VEDA too it is said as AYAM AATMA BRAHMA in MUNDAKOPANISHAD. All our four Vedas repeatedly say that we are JIVATMA and we are PARAMATMA (a part of eternal BRAHMA) .

JIVEDETEN RAJANYA: SARVENAPYANAYAM GATA: I

NA TVEN JYASI VRUTIMBHIMANYAT KARHICHIT II

(Manu Smruti 10/95)

Lord Manu says in Manusmruti that even though a Kshyatriya facing problems and find himself in the tight corners should survive on doing business like Vaishya but he should never try to live as Brahmin. Hence when Arjun told Lord Krishna that he thinks that it would be better to live by asking for Madukari Bhiksha from the people than to kill his own relatives in the war. Lord Krishna explains Arjun that you are a kshatriya and you have to protect your subjects from the unjust rule of Duryodhan and do your destined karma. I am explaining you the real substance and difference among karma, Akarma and Vikarma. You have to know about it because the theory of karma is difficult to understand even for the great Scholars.

KARMANOHYAPI BODDHAVYAM

The real substance of karma is to do karma and remain detached from the fruit of karma is the only way to know the real substance of karma. The real form of karma can be understood in three forms. Karma, Akarma and Vikarma. If you do your karma with the desire of getting fruits according to Shastra , it is KARMA . If you do Karma without any desire for fruits and if you are detached to that karma and if you have no attachment to that karma and your Karma is for the welfare of others, it would be AKARMA. If you do your VIHIT Karma but that karma if done with the intention of hurting anybody's feelings or harming anybody physically, financially , mentally or any other ways it becomes VIKARMA .All the forbidden Karma according to Shastras are Vikarma. We do our Karma inspired by desires but when desires go far beyond the limitations it becomes VIKARMA or a Karma full of sin . Just as Rawan acquired all the riches of DEVA and fought for the whole life to snatch away everything that he desired on the earth for his personal entertainment. All the forbidden karma is done because of a greed and human lust to satisfy his desires. Hence a Sadhak has to abandon desires as a root cause of VIKARMA.

Lord Krishna explains Arjun that if you do your karma like war as instructed by Shastra to fulfill your role as a Kshyatriya and if you are detached to victory or defeat, profit or loss and if you could be steady in happiness and sadness, you will not be considered as a sinful person because you do Karma that outwardly seems as a Vikarma but because it is done without the expectation of anything as reward and for the welfare of mankind , it would be AKARMA.

Every Karma is inspired by desires and it is performed by us to entertain our body and senses, to fulfill our lust and greed. Desire is the root cause of every kind of Karma. Hence Lord Krishna insists Arjun to abandon desiring anything from the VIKARMA of war. When we do any Karma, if we desire too much as a result or reward our Karma becomes Vikarma. Hence we should learn to do Akarma. Moreover all the forbidden Karma; Vikarma would surely drag us in to the hell of sin. Hence we have to abandon 'Desires'. We never know what would be the result of our Karma. Sometimes we think that whatever we do or we are doing is for the welfare and wellbeing of self and others but the result would be faced adversely. We do karma for profit but we lose even whatever we have, We do Karma for happiness but we find our self into the bog of unhappiness because we cannot understand the consequences of karma as we are bound to the desire of happiness and the ego of being doer.

Then how could we learn to do AKARMA?

Let's understand from our great God and Guru Lord Shri Krishna...