Karma in Sanskrit means the works. It has other meanings such as duty or actions also. Siddhanta in Sanskrit means finally proved principle in the end. It has other meaning such as proof or theorem. Hence this subject is the principle of work and its results up on its doer, considering all living creatures on earth including the human species. The complementary idea of this truth is Punarjanma, means rebirth. In the previous article on this website ‘Karma: How it affects future’, it is described.
How Punarjanma Siddhanta is complementary with Karma Siddhanta?
Punarjanma Siddhanta means the ‘Principle of Rebirth’ and is the complementary principle to the Karma Siddhanta. Moreover, these two principles are also linked to the Mimamsa Science as already told in this website. These are the subjects of Sanatana Dharma.
According to Indian Karma Siddhanta, there are certain terms or words to be understood initially to think before the Karma Siddhanta. Punya means virtues gained. Papa means sins accumulated to one’s life account. Rebirth means, after death, the living soul energy will be born again according to the credits of virtues and sins taken together in another young child body. The universal soul generally referred as God can create his soul as its own tiny part life beings having own mechanism capable, as discussed in the chapter of Madhvacharya of this website, under the Dvaita and Advaita Siddhantas.
The unicellular organ bacteria are the smallest life species as detailed in Garuda Purana. Elephants, rhinos or human beings are the bigger in body-size life as detailed in Garuda Purana. But the life soul active energy of bacteria, cows, elephants or rhinos are equal in mass and weight. Shankaracharya proved in his life the portability of this soul energy from his body into the recently dead body of another man is possible, the technique with name as Para Kaya Pravesh. But the transplanting of soul energy from human to another human only was shown as possible.
Hence after several times of birth and death, one slowly starts gaining more and more virtues and finally gets into the human body. When the virtues are very high and sins are meagre, one gets birth as a child to live later as a pure vegetarian. In India, then that human being gets the horoscope. This is a typical life under Sanatana Dharma who could be born anywhere now.
जननी जन्म सौख्यानां वर्धनीकुल संपदां ।
पदवी पूर्व पुण्यानां लिख्यते जन्म पत्रिका ॥
Meaning: Mother being the reasonable cause of birth and pleasures, later developments of the child, the family growth with wealth, according to the previous virtues, the status in the society it gets, for considering all these facts the horoscope is written.
The positions of planets at the time of birth are recorded in the Indian system of horoscopes. There are mainly two system of writing horoscope, namely, as North Indian and South Indian.
The life of human beings in India has its own patterns, described in Sanatana Dharma. Immediately after the birth, the child gets into the network of works.
कर्मानुबंधीनि मनुष्य लोके
Meaning: The life, soul energy is tied up with different organs, like ears, eyes, skin, tongue, nose, heart and experiences nature after working with mouth, hands, etc.
Knowledge is holiest for human beings and hence parents are giving education. Character plays a vital role in the human life and meritocracy is always successful. Hence children are lucky to get good training, best practices of Sanatana Dharma. After six months, solid food is allowed for a child. This ceremony is called as Annaprashana . After three years, a child should be administered the letter writing and it is called Vidyarambha karma. After education and starting a job, a person may be eligible for married life or to be a free yogi by following its own principles and these are called Vivaha karma or Naishtika Bhrahmacharya (lifelong bachelor). These are a few examples and in total named as Dharma Karmas. These are also detailed in this website under Mimamsa Science. Thus the life has full freedom for human beings in India.
Why ‘Karna’ had suffered in his life as in Mahabharata?
The life of Karna of Mahabharata is the best example to all these three kind of principles. Karna was a demon in his previous birth with a name Dambhodbhava or Sahasrakavacha and he had disturbed two persons doing penance near the Himalaya mountains. They had the names as Nara and Narayana. The two persons were not at all relevant to Dambhodbhava. More details are available in Padma Purana as Upakhyana.
Parashurama being a person of ever living or Chiranjeevi, had elaborated the story of Karna as Dambhodbhava when Krishna had witnessed it in the court of Duryodhana attended to manage a peace treaty. Next, as Karna, he had suffered from birth till death but tried to lead a pious life, so ultimately got Moksha in presence of Krishna.
What are the various freedoms under Sanatana Dharma in India?
The Karma Siddhanta provides maximum freedom for human beings under Sanatana Dharma in India. Belief on God is totally optional. One can live in India without believing any God under Sanatana Dharma and get more virtues by working for the welfare of all. Later, marriage, job, building of house, choosing of location, using of vehicle and many other items of life like food systems and dress codes are very liberal under Sanatana Dharma.
However, there are some simple guidelines in this system. These guidelines are also optional. The father works for agriculture and develops paddy fields but his son is free to work as a pharmacist. The son can decide to live as a yogi serving people. But both can live as sincere devotees of God Vishnu. Twice in a month on the days of Ekadashi, both son and father can observe fast. Thus, they enjoy life as they desire.
यज्नार्थात् कर्मणोन्यत्र लोको ऽयं कर्म बंधनः।
Meaning: Yajna is an optional work. All other duty related woks are compulsory works. Therefore such works are binding on soul or a living person.
Yajna means ritual related works. Dana means donations. Tapas means doing penance. Japa also belongs to the same fashion of work but more powerful and easy. Beads (54 or 108) of garland are a tool only, and without a Japasara or Japamala also, doing Japa successfully is possible.
What are the three types of Karmas for the human beings?
Nitya, Naimitthika and Kamya are the three types of Karmas for the human beings. Nitya karma means daily rituals. Kamya karma means works or devotional services to get the desired results. Naimittika means reasonable or casual works. These classifications are depending upon various factors. Some works are mixed type and difficult to classify. For example, the house warming ceremony can be considered in all these three categories. For the priest doing Gana Homa ritual, consider it as Nitya karma since he does it daily. The volunteers of the function will consider it as casual works, or Naimittika karma. For the new house owner, the function is a Kamya karma.
How Japa, Karma Siddhanta or Punarjanma are linked in Sanatana Dharma?
The Mimamsa Science and Japayajna are already discussed in separate articles of this website. Karma Siddhanta is also related to them and all these are having automatic links according to the Sanatana Dharma Principles. Madhvacharya had already composed a book on these items with the name ‘Karma Vipaka’. By doing Japa daily, it is possible to approach a higher stage of life as an upgradation. In this life, it is possible to visualise God and it is the main truth of Sanatana Dharma.
According to the Advaita principle of Shri Shankaracharya, after visualizing God, that person shall become the best of person (पुरुषोत्तम ). Later he is also a living God moving on this earth. That divine stage is shown by Rama and Krishna. Both Rama and Krishna were doing Japa daily in the evening. Both of them had repeated birth various times, Rama first and then the same soul had become Krishna. Ramayana and Mahabharata are the proven books for Karma Siddhanta. Srimadbhagavatha Mahapurana is also a scientific proof.
Why reading of Ramayana is considered as a virtuous work?
Maharshi Valmiki in his Ramayana recommends reading or hearing the story of Ramayana is always an action of virtuous works. This helps to eradicate the old sins and get a happy, virtuous future life. Satkarma means good works. The reading or hearing of Ramayana histories forces the brain to undergo many sympathetic situations of Rama, Sita or heroic actions of Hanuman, during spending of time for it and some unpredicted virtuous credited with the life. This is not a guess work but real experience of many people for the last many centuries. These items were carved inside the cave temples of Ajantha and Ellora for the benefits of the human races of time immemorial as strong evidences of proof.
Why reading of Mahabharata is considered as a virtuous work?
Maharshi Veda Vyasa in his Mahabharata recommends reading or hearing the story of Mahabharata is always an action of virtuous works. This helps to eradicate the old sins and get the credits for a happy, virtuous future life. It is also a Satkarma. The Mahabharata contains several volumes and it was possible only to preserve such volumes in the libraries of palaces of kings. In the residences of a common man, it was impossible to preserve such volumes safely, hence in olden times, the visitors from foreign countries wrote in their diaries mentioning the daily reading habits of some chapters of Mahabharata by the olden University students of Gurukul system or by the reader priest of the kings, the phenomena being referred as routine ‘Parayana’ and ‘Pravachana’. These mean reading the verses and explaining the book contents, tuning with melody called Shruthi. The Shruthi box is a windblown musical instrument manufactured by carpenters.
Why reading of Shrimad Bhagavat Purana is considered as a virtuous work?
Maharshi Veda Vyasa in his Shrimad Bhagavat Purana recommends reading or hearing this Purana is always an action of virtuous work. This helps to eradicate the old sins and get a happy, virtuous future life. Shruthi means melodiously tuned sound. Chandas is an integral part of Sanskrit poetry system. All Purana poetries are composed using the least words to convey the largest incidences. Peace in the society is the basic need of all times in addition to law and orders. A Sanskrit pedagogical expert may be financially poor but he may be living with some parts of sets of Srimad Bhagavata Purana volumes obtained either from palaces or from the Gurukula libraries. ‘Parayana’ and ‘Pravachana’ were done and the reader used to carry a Shruthi box of his own with him always.
Why Sudhama visited Krishna and what was the result?
According to Karma Siddhanta, Sudhama had not respected Krishna previously even though Krishna was his former teenage friend. Sudhama had offered some bowls of beaten rice on visiting his palace at Dwaraka, Krishna had blessed him with huge wealth. Later Sudhama always worshipped him and lived happily. Hence he proved the devotion to God is also a reason to be a rich man in this world. This gives a strong message, ‘worship first and the person becomes rich next’.
Is there any other good book to read and follow for a happy life?
Yes. Bhagavad Geetha with commentaries is a good book to read and follow. It is a part of Mahabharata. It is in Sanskrit, detailed in the form of discussions between Arjuna and Krishna, in the battlefield. The contents are in Sanskrit verses. It is recommended to keep a printed copy of the book with commentaries of any other known language. The verses have some messages of Sanatana Dharma.
Why a small foldable wooden stand called Vyasa Peetha is used?
Vyasa Peetha is a wooden stand used for keeping the books while reading. Smriti, Puranas and other holy books are kept on Vyasa Peetha for the convenience of reading. But it is not required for Vedas, but it is not wrong to use it during the reading of Vedas. Veda is sung without any tools. Anybody trained can recite any Vedic verses. ‘Shruthi’ means Veda orally recited by scholars, while observing the melodious tone of the natural air vibrations. A teacher is mandatory for training.
Whether Sanatana Dharma is scientifically proven?
Yes. Sanatana Dharma is scientifically proven in this world. There is no item in Sanatana Dharma compelling its followers and provides full freedom in life.
Whether any Sanatana Dharma follower had known his own death time?
Yes. His Holiness Vadiraja Swamiji of Sode Matha, Karnataka, India had known his death time and lived for one hundred and twenty years. Hence he arranged his own funeral, the same holy monument being a permanent proof available forever. In this website, please browse ‘Hayagriva’, an article.
Another proof is His Holiness Sri Raghavendra Swamiji of Mantralaya Matha. He had known his death time and lived for one hundred and twenty years. Hence he arranged his own funeral, the same holy monument being a permanent proof available forever. Swami Vivekananda is third such recent Sanatana follower.
In this website, some side stories of Shreemad Bhagavatha Purana, some stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana are available for the esteem readers. Vyasa Maharshi had already assured the readers of these stories in getting the virtuous benefits, the sins being washed away and that the sorrows in life would be eliminated.
On reading this story, children would gain more memory power, great moral strength in their future life; create a sense of self-reliance leading to peace and progress in the future.
It is humbly prayed for the blessings of God Krishna upon us.
Readers may share this story with children, friends and family.
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