WHAT IS KARMA?

 

In Sanskrit language, Karma means deeds. It is pronounced as Kamma in Pali language. It represents intentional action directed towards the fulfillment of a particular motive or result, which is known as Karmaphal. The intention of doing any Karma springs from desire. Inspired by that desire, a man performs his karma. But, every man is entitled to the result of their karma, whether good or bad. So, basically a person’s karma determines his fate.

 According to Oliver Leaman, in both Buddhism and Hinduism, one can diminish the effects of evil karma by performing good karma. Jain philosophy detours from this line of thought propounding that karma is similar to a material essence, that is a part of each soul. A person’s karma attaches with his soul clouding the aura of a soul that differentiates it from other souls. Non violence and non harmful karma preserves the integrity of the soul, provides opportunity for spiritual growth to its full potential.

In the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna proposes Nishkam karma yoga as a way to break free all the bondage generated out of karma. If one performs an action without any attachment to the result and sacrifice the karma phal to Lord Krishna, the action brings forth no karmaphal. Thus, by practicing Nishkam karma yaoga, a person can be easily liberated from the circle of Karma and Samsara.

J.A.B. Van Buitenen is of the opinion that, as it has been described in Karmayoga and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita,  ‘it is particularly  those ritual acts which presuppose in the performer a desire for a certain fruit that binds the performer to the enjoyment of the automatically forthcoming fruit.’. The doctrine of karman and Phala (the act and Fruit) is merely the product of a necessary consequence of the doctrine of the inherent efficacy of the action performed by a man rather than a simple law of causality that presumes if one performs good deed is rewarded and if performs a bad deed is punished.

 

 

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