Friday, July 28, 2017

KARMA PHALA AND THE ROLE OF GOD

In the scheme of nature, there is a free will for an individual to do something or not to do something or do differently. This is the free space available to us.
Destiny, on the other hand, plays its trick starting with the birth of a child. Why one is born poor and another rich ? Why one is healthy and another has serious birth defects? One loses the mother the moment it is born? One is born dead? The questions are too many.
But what is the force which causes such disparities ? Whether God is to be blamed for this partiality?
The only logical answer could be the Karma Theory which explains that the human being takes birth to exhaust his PrArabdha Karma. This gets extinguished only by experiencing in the world, going through the vicious cycles of pleasures and pains. In the process there is always a little scope to do some action within a limited domain. Just like a Cow which is tied by a long rope has the freedom to move within the space determined based on the length of the rope, human beings have some free will to exercise. Beyond that limited area the tied cow cannot roam about. This represents the force of destiny. The reason why some selected people lose their precious life suddenly due to accidents, diseases, natural calamities like Tsunami , earthquake, floods,  fire and so on cannot be otherwise explained.
Self- effort is absolutely essential for any one without taking shelter under the guise of destiny. Therefore one has to do his Svadharma in a given environment without any attachment to the fruits of action. If destiny decides otherwise, one should have the will power to take it in his stride in a positive manner without losing heart. For this meditation techniques help a lot to make one develop equanimity towards the dualities. 
One should take caution not to abuse the little free will that is available to him.
Despite one's best intentions and efforts, the effect of PrArabdha Karma embedded as VAsanAs may suddenly manifest and impact one any time. But that is the embedded secret of life .
The role of God in the scheme of Karma is that he has created the process of cause and effect and ensures that it works out without any flaw whether it is an ordinary person or a mighty man. God’s worship mitigates the impact of  the numerous problems of life  caused by one’s bad karmas and gives him the moral  strength to bear them and come out of them.
In order to get released from  the vicious circle of birth and death  caused by one’s accumulated Karmas over many births, BhagavAn offers a secret and secure route of grace which is available for one whose mind is focused on the Supreme and who has unconditionally surrendered unto him. For those great souls, BhagavAn neurtralises all their  bad deeds and grants them his divine association for ever.
It is very difficult to  understand properly the concept of Karma and Karma phala. 
KarmaNohyapi boddhavyam boddhavyam ca vikarmaNah 
akarmaNasca boddhavyam gahaNa karmaNo gatih 
--- Bhagavad GItA
As per Dharma SAstras, there are different types of Sins classified as mahApApa, PAtaka, anupAtaka, upapApa, atipAtaka, mahApAtaka, upapAtaka, jAtibhramsakara, SankarIkaraNa, apAtrIkaraNa, malAvaha, PrakIrNaka and so on.
Just like a drop of oil  spreading over water, the sin gets transmitted from one person to another by association with a sinner.
sankrAmanti hi papAni taila bindurivAmbhasi 
cAndrAyaNam Yavakam tulA purushairiva ca 
One who blesses the sinner gets infected by the sins of the latter.
Kurvantyanugraham ye tu tat pApam teshu Gacchati 
SarIrasyAtyaye prApte vadanti niyamam tu ye 
--- ParASara smrti
Through DakshiNa the sins get transferred to the BrAhmaNa and through the recitation of the Vedas, the pApas of the BrAhmaNa get nullified.
DakshiNAnAm BrAhmaNena BrAhmaNasya chandobhi:chandaSam svAdhyAyenapahata pApmA......
---- TaittirIya AraNyaka
Karma Marga
By doing prAyascitta as per dharma SAstras, one’s sins get destroyed.
prAyascitta Sabdah pApakshayArthe naimittike karma viSesha rUdah 
--- vijnAneSvarah
JnAna Yoga
Regarding distribution of Karma of a Self-realized person, Atma bodha explains that the critics share his sins and the followers share his puNyas.
Ye jnAninam nindanti, dvishanti, du:kha pradAnam kurvanti tAnprati jnAnikrtam sarvamAgAmi kriyamANam yadavAcyam karma tatpApAtmakam gacchati 
---Tatva Bodha
Bhakti yoga
BhagavAn KrshNa assures that He would deliver one from all sins if one unconditionally surrenders to Him. Hence there is no sin which the Supreme cannot nullify.
Sarva dharmAn parityajya mAmekam SaraNam vraja 
Aham tvA sarva pApebhyo mokshayishyAmi Ma Sucah 
--- Bhagavad GIta
kalau kalmasha chittAnAm pApadravyopa jIvinAm 
vidhikriyA vihInAnAm gatir govinda kIrtanam 
natAvat pApamedheta yannAmnA na hatam hare:
atireka bhayAdahu: prAyascittAntaram vrthA 
--- Yoga YAjnavalkya:
sakṛdeva prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcate 
abhayaṃ sarva bhUtebhyo dadAmi Etat vratam mama 
--- VAlmIkI RAmAyaNam
Impact of Bad deeds on the Doer and his Family
(1) Depending on the gravity and intensity of the sins, it can affect only the doer or along with him his wife or son or daughter or any one associated with him or  some or all of them together at any point of time.
(2) The Sins can be destroyed by following Karma yoga, jnAna yoga or Bhakti yoga as aforesaid. Else it may affect the person and his family depending on the severity of the Sins committed.
(3) Unconditional surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme by following Bhakti Yoga will definitely nullify all sins and one will get released. This is applicable to all. 
(4) All the lineal descendants including sons , daughters, grand sons and grand daughters may get impacted depending upon the severity of the Sin. 
It will be very difficult to draw a matrix of all the sins in the world and then say who are all will be affected, to what extent, when (whether in this birth or later), in what sequence, to what extent, why and how. The Prarabdha Karma has to be experienced by all.
Karma Phala (Fruit of Action)
(1) Like a young calf which recognizes the mother cow amidst thousand other cows, the karma done by a person follows him meticulously.
(2) Like the tree which yields flowers and fruits at the appointed seasons, the fruit of action also manifests at the proper time.
(3) If a person cuts trees with an axe, then the person who cuts incurs the sin and not the Axe nor the maker of the Axe.
(4) For one's action Supreme is not responsible.
(5) There is the Supreme who by his Laws dispenses the Karma Phalam.
(6) Good and bad deeds rotate like a wheel.
(7) When there is great natural calamity like famine etc, all the people including great Rishis by-pass the dharma and adopt what is known as the Apad dharma
(8)In the case of a realized person, whatever karma he does after realization gets distributed to those who praise and follow him and also to those who find fault with him. The former gets his puNya phala and the latter the PApa, if any. He experiences the prArabdha karma while his Sancita karma gets neutralized.
(9) Karma done without the sense of doership and offered at the feet of the Supreme does not bind one.
(10) The Supreme intervenes in the case of a very select few (who truly deserve) and neutralises their karma due to his divine grace.
prAyascittAnyaSeshANi tapah karmAtmakAni vai  
yAni teshamaSeshANAm KrishNAnussmaraNam param 
जय जय श्रीराधे 

Thursday, July 27, 2017

KALKI VANDANAM

कल्कि वन्दनम्
KALKI VANDANAM
जगन्नाथाय देवाय विश्वेश्वराय विष्णवे 
महाकालाग्निरुपाय कल्किस्वरूपिणे नमः 
जय जय श्रीराधे 

Thursday, July 13, 2017

VEDANARAYANASHTAKAM

श्री:
वेदनारायणाष्टकम्
Vedanārāyaṇāṣṭakam
आदिनाथाय देवाय  सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणे 
आदिमूलाय वन्द्याय  परमानन्ददायिने ॥   ()
ādināthāya devāya saccidānandarŪpie
ādimŪlāya vandyāya paramānanda dāyine (1)  

To the primordial God of the form of existence, consciousness and bliss

To the worshipful root cause of all who bestows supreme bliss. 

अमृतामृतरूपाय कल्याणगुणशालिने ।
अखिलजनपालाय     चतुर्वेदस्वरूपिणे ()
amtāmtarŪpāya kalyāṇaguaŚāline
akhilajanapālāya caturvedasvarŪpie (2)

To the nectar of nectar and the abode of auspicious qualities
To the protector of all and of the form of the four Vedas.

मूलप्रकृतिरूपाय  मूलकारणकारिणे ।
मुदामोदप्रमोदाय    मुकुन्दायमुरद्विषे ॥ ()
mŪlapraktirŪpāya mŪlakāraakārie
mudāmodapramodāya mukundāya muradviṣe (3)

To the primeval material form and the source cause of the root cause
To the various manifestations of happiness who is Mukunda and the foe of the demon Mura.

धनधान्यप्रदात्रे च धैर्यैश्वर्यप्रदायिने ।
धर्मचिन्ताप्रदात्रे च धर्मार्थकामदायिने ॥ ()
dhanadhānyapradātre ca dhairyaiŚvaryapradāyine
dharmacintāpradātre ca dharmārthakāmadāyine (4)

To the bestower of wealth and grains who grants courage and all affluence.
To the bestower of righteous thoughts  who grants righteousness, wealth and fulfilment of one’s desires.

जगत् रक्षणधुर्याय जगन्नाथस्वरूपिणे ।
जलाग्निवायुरूपाय  जलजाप्रियकामिने ॥  ()
jagat rakaadhuryāya jagannāthasvarŪpie
jalāgnivāyurŪpāya jalajāpriyakāmine (5)

To the protector of the Universe and the Supreme Lord of the Universe
To one who is of the form of water, fire and air and the beloved Lord of MahalakmĪ.

श्रीधराय सुरेशाय श्रुतिस्मृतिस्वरूपिणे ।
श्रीभूदेवीसमेताय  श्रीलक्ष्मीस्थिरवासिने ॥  ()
ŚĪdharāya sureŚāya ŚṛtismṛtisvarŪpie
ŚĪ bhŪdevĪsametāya ŚĪlakṣmĪsthiravāsine   (6)

To the Supreme who carries ŚṛĪdevĪ in his bosom and  the Lord of celestials who is of the form of Vedas and Smtis.
To  the  Supreme in unison with ŚṛĪ and  BhŪdevĪ   and in whom  MahalakmĪ  eternally resides.

नमस्तुभ्यं हरेराम वेदनारायणाय ते ।
नमस्तुभ्यं हरेकृष्ण हरे हरे नमो नमः ॥ ()
namastubhyam harerāma vedanārāyaṇāya te
namastubhyam harekṣṇa hare hare namo namaḥ (7)

Salutations to thee Vedanārāyaṇa in the form of Rāma
Salutations to thee in the form of Kṛṣṇa who is the manifestation of  Rādhā as well as  Hari and to thee my repeated salutations.

नमः पङ्कजनाभाय गोविन्दपरमात्मने ।
नमः पङ्कजनेत्राय    पवित्रपरमेष्ठिने   ॥ ()
namaḥ paṅkajanābhāya govindaparamātmane
namaḥ paṅkajanetrāya pavitraparameṣṭhine ॥ (8)

Salutations to the lotus-navel Supreme descended as Govinda
Salutations to the lotus-eyed Lord who is the personification of purity and glory.

इहचामुत्रलाभं  आधिव्याधिनिवारणम् ।
यः पठेत् लभते नित्यं वेदनारायणाष्टकम् ॥ ()
ihacāmutralābham ca ādhivyādhinivāraam
yaḥ pahet labhate nityam vedanārāyaṇāṭakam (9)

One who recites this Vedanārāyaṇāṣṭakam gets cured of all his mental agonies as well as  physical ailments and attains all auspiciousness in this world and thereafter in the Supreme Paramapadam.
जय जय श्रीराधे

वेदनारायण मङ्गलम्

श्रियासहप्रमोदाय वेदनारायणाय ते ।
सियाट्टिल् वासिने भूयात् नित्यश्रीर्नित्य मङ्गलम् ॥ (१)
Śiyāsahapramodāya vedanārāyaṇāya te
siyāṭṭil vāsine bhUyāt nityaŚĪr nitya maṅgalam ॥ (1) `
 
To the Supreme who delights devotees in the loving company of MahalakmĪ  who has manifested  in the form of  Vedanārāyaṇa
To the Lord residing in sacred Seattle, to thee all auspiciousness forever.

जय जय श्रीराधे

Sunday, July 9, 2017

श्रीव्यास वन्दनम्

चतुर्वेदस्वरूपाय   श्रीमतेधर्ममूर्तये ।
ज्ञानभक्त्यवताराय व्यासाचार्याय वन्दनम् ॥
जय जय श्रीराधे