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Free-will vs Pre-determination (clarification on Karma)

From the Bhakti List Archives

jasn sn • August 26, 2002 


SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>From the reader response, it is understood, that some
more clarification is needed on ‘karma’. Some readers
seem to be apprehensive that if karma is assigned such
a greater role in our life, thereby making our
‘freewill’ a hostage to karma, it makes life
disgusting.

Yes, but that is the reality!
That is why we say we are in bondage – bound in the
cycle of birth and death by karma.
We must become aware of this bondage, and know how to
come out of it.
Coming to our discussion on freewill vs
pre-determination, we have been trying to ascertain in
the mails sent earlier, how karma is binding us making
our conception of freewill a part of pre-determined
destiny.

Hindu shastras have given  little scope for freewill.
I wonder whether they ever mention this word in the
meaning we understand. But in so many ways they
discount the possibility of freewill.

For example,
In Mahabharatha (Shanti Parvam) when Yidhishtra, after
the war, wanted to relinquish the kingdom he got,
Sahadeva advised him of the need to act (do karma) and
how to do karma.
He says that the 2 letters lead one to the mruthyu way
while the 3 letters will take one to Brahman. The
2-letter word is ‘mama’ and the 3-letter word is ‘na
mamaÂ’
How do these help in overcoming bondage?
When you do karma, think that you are not the doer and
the results are not going to be yours. (na mama)
Why?
Because (1) they are the result of ‘prakruthirjair
gunai:Â’ Prakruthi is the kartha. 
(2) They are all there to facilitate the occurrence of
the results of the action done (which were done  by
themselves)and you are here in the sankalpa of the
Lord. So whatever happens by your thought, word and
action are all His – flowing from Him.
The entire teaching of the Gita, the Upanishads, the
Vedas and the way to moksha are all anchored on these
two points!!

To those who want more clarification, I suggest a
thorough reading of chapter 14 (Gunathraya vibhaaga
yogam) and 15 (Purushothama yogam) of the  BG.

Particularly the verse 16-14, 
‘asou mayA hatha: shatrur-hanishye chAparAnapi/
Ishwara:aham aham bhOgi sidha: aham balawan sukhI//
(a rough translation only)
The Lord says that the one enveloped in a-gyaanam
(‘a-gyaana vimohitha) thinks like this:-
“The enemies have been killed by me. I will kill
others too
(The next part is most important to our discussion).
I am the one who rules (rules what? your will?)
I am the one who enjoys.
I can get things done.
I am the balawan and I am the sukheeÂ’
A person gloating over aham –like this is an a-gyaani,
according to the Lord.
Yet, we feel (due to our limitations) that to deny us
the freedom to think or act  is gross injustice. (In
fact we must deny this to  our-self, in our own (?)
volition)
If we look into the possible words in sanskrit
describing free-will, we get  at ‘swaathanthiryam’ –
meaning ‘control by oneself.’ (Are there other words?
Readers, kindly enlighten us)
This is described as a ‘vandheriya ondru’ (SVB) as it
arises from ignorance of the jiva of its  status vis-a
vis the Brahman. (this ignorance is once  again the
result of past karma has been ascertained many a time
in the previous posts)
Therefore swaathanthiryam is considered as ‘sEshathva
virodhiÂ’. When swaathanthiryam is shed, the jiva
attains the status as ‘adiyAn’ (ThirumAlE nAnum unakku
pazhavadiyEn –NDP)

We find a discussion on  ‘swathanthram’ of the jiva in
Mahabharatha, between sage  Vyasa and Yidhishtra.
Yidhishtra was not prepared to accept ‘rAjya bhAram’ 
as he was brooding over the killing of so many people,
even those who were dear to him.
Vysa was beside him giving him tattwArtha advice.
(Mahabharatha, Shanthi Parvam –chapter 37)
He asks, “ Hey, Bharatha, does God make man do good or
bad? Or does man  do good or bad in his own capacity
as a ‘swathanthran’?” (the exact word  used here)

He continues to reason  that if it is God on whose
volition man is doing good or bad, the results must go
to God only. So he (Yudhishtra) need not despair.
 Like a wood-cutter who, using his axe cuts the tree,
God uses man as the axe. The results of cutting
(paapam) must then go to the wood-cutter and not the
axe. So the results of good or bad actions must go God
only and not to him (Yidhishtra here). 
If you say that you are not like an axe – because you
have the budhdhi to know what will happen if you are
used (like an axe) for cutting, shall we then say that
the man who made this axe also must be punished with
paapam?  Because he also has the budhdhi to know
(while he made the axe)  what for  this axe is going
to be used. But is it right to attribute the paapam
(from an action) of the one, to another? (paapam of
the wood-cutter to the axe, assuming that is  a
thinking one and/or to the one who has made the axe?) 
How is it possible for one to get the paapam of an
action done by someone else?
Here the Lord had done the action. So He must bear the
results.

If it be said that it is not God but man who as a
‘swathanthran’ does things in his own volition, even
then, hey Yudhishtra, what you have done is not wrong.
Because man can not act against the dictates of his
past karma. If you say  the cause of the karma (of the
present action) has after all been done by yourself,
even then you donÂ’t incur any paapam. Because you had
done the karma (action) as an axe, while the maker of
the action is actually the axe-maker (prakruthi here).
Like an axe you are doing your duty as a kshatriya and
karma which is anAdhi is giving its fruits.

VyasaÂ’s advice may be related to the verse 4-18 of the
BG 

“karmaNi a-karma ya: pashyEth a-karmaNi cha karma ya;
sa budhdi-mAn maNushyEshu…” 
the interpretations for ‘seeing karma in a-karma and
a-karma in karmaÂ’  as given by Ramanuja, Shankara,
Madhvaacharya and Sridhara – though may look different
superficially – are basically harping on the need to
develop the gyaana about the nature of karma
(Note :- Sri SMS CharyÂ’s interpretation for this verse
is requested)

>From the above, it is once again made clear, that  in
the event of the jiva thinking that it has the
volition, anything and everything connected with
voilition and action are the results of past karma.
That is why we say we are ‘bound’. To come out it, the
LordÂ’s prescription is to assume the status of
a-kartha (non-doer). The state of non-doership is  not
possible without a ‘no-freewill’-notion!

Many quotes alluding this notion has been given in the
mail ‘freewill vs pre-determination (Gita)’. Some
crucial ones from BG to be given in poser –5. But let
me restrict the scope of this present mail to the
effectiveness of karma as narrated in texts.
The terms destiny, vidhi, fate or pre-determined fate
have  all been described by Hindu shastras as
‘prArabhdA’, ‘daiva’, ‘kAla’, ‘bhAgya’, ‘karma-bhOga’
‘adhrishta’ etc. 

Lord krishna says (srimad bhagavatahm, 10th skandha,
chap.24-13) “karmanA jayathE janthu:…”
“ Living beings are born or they die only as per their
deeds (past). They get pleasurse and pain,  fear and
welfare only according to their deeds.”

He also says in sloka 17 of the same chapter, 
‘karmaiva gurur Ishwara:’
“living beings get superior or inferior forms of body,
that is Uttama or Adhama yoni only as per their past
deeds. They make others friends, foes or neutrals also
according to their past deeds. Karma is our Guru.
Karma is our God.Â’

The  aforesaid views on the in- escapabilty of karmic
results are also reiterated by Vishnu Purana. The
texts also show the way to conquer this law of karma.
Vishnu purana, 1st part, chap 19, sl. 46 speaks about
the need to develop equanimity of mind towards
(fruits) of all karmas. 
This is upheld by Srimad bhagavatham ( sidhdha-sidhyO:
samam-kuryAthÂ’) and the Gita (karmaNi Eva adhikarasthE
–because fruits depend not only on what we do now but
also on the deeds of our previous births)
In Srimad bhagavatahm, Akrura says to kamsa (10th
skandha, chap. 36, sl.38 & 39)
‘we build castles in the air unaware of the fact that
our prArabhdha has already marred  and dampened all
such hopes. When our prArabhdha is favourable, we
succeed even with little effort. On the other hand,
when prArabhdha is unfavourable, we have to encounter
failures inspite of our best efforts.Â’

The break-away from this comes when  the Lord bestows
grace on us. It is not right to think that God will
protect us / grace us at every step. 
The cow-herd of our system is not similar to the
‘shepherd’ of the alien philosophy.
There they say, ‘The lord is my shepherd, I shall  not
wantÂ’
But we have the cow-herd of Gokulam ‘who is not
behaving like a typical cow-herd going after the herd
and directing each and every one in the herd. He gives
budhdhi to those whom He thinks must be givenÂ’
(Mahabharath, UdhyOga parvam) 
Like how He blessed Muchukunda with freedom and
knowledge by His mere touch. (srimad Bhagavatham).
Like how He assures that He will give budhdhi yOgam to
those who excel in daivee sampad (BG). The eligibility
criteria to gain His grace is to grow in Sattwic
qualities which is once again controlled by prakruthi.
 
The reasons for this are
# If He is going to monitor each and every one, that
assigns activity /active role to the Lord, which is
against the true nature of Brahman
#  He doesnÂ’t interfere with the working of the
prakruthi unless required. (Na karthuthvam, na
karmaani.. 14-14, BG). That is until  he finds time
ripe enough  to lift up the jiva by His grace. This
kind of interference He made in the beginning of
Creation, when creation did not make a headway and
Chathurmukha Brahma went back to mediation being
satisfied with whatever of creation that had taken
place. 

Jayasree sarnathan.

Quote of the mail:-
“asambhavam hEma mrugasya janma
thathApi  rA mO lulubhE mrughAya/
viparItha kAlE na shObhathE
budhdhir srEshta thamAm api//”

(Rama knew very well that the existence of a golden
deer is impossible. Yet he went after the deer. (This
shows that) Even for great  people, their budhdhi does
not come to their help when the Time is bad)
–Parkinson’s Law?

PS:- If anyone knows the author of the above verse,
please let us know.


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