04 Jan 2014
Shri Anil: Please explain the Sanchita, Praarabdha and Aagaami in the case of an example so that these can be clearly understood.
Shri Swami: The Samskaras are the qualities only and are responsible for all the activities. Fruit is always associated with the action that is represented by the quality. The fruit may be awarded for certain actions like burning the finger introduced into the fire with or without the intention or quality. But, such fruits do not come under the divine cycle of deeds, which runs with the intention based actions. If an action is done without intention, the fruit is not awarded as in the case of killing an ant without intention while walking. Sometimes, intention may be there and action may not take place due to lack of opportunity. There also the intention is punished. The punishment is always aimed at total destruction of the qualities in absence of which the actions do not take place. But, the punishment can never eliminate the quality except decreasing its intensity. The decreased intensity may not be effective in generating the action due to which the external world is not disturbed.
Let us take a specific soul going to the upper worlds along with the lump of Samskaras or qualities or attitudes. Let us express the power of intensity of this lump as two hundred volts. Samskara or quality is made of mind and since mind is neuron-energy such units are justified. The composition of the qualities in this lump represents the number of qualities (which is a qualitative expression) and the intensities of the qualities (which is a quantitative expression). The soul goes to the upper worlds and receives rewards in the heaven and punishments in the hell. The soul going to upper worlds is only mind or a bundle of qualities called as individual soul or Jeeva, surrounded by the subtle body made of energy in plasma state as said in the Veda (Manomayah Praanashareeranetaa). After this enjoyment of the fruits in the upper worlds, the lump is reduced to the micro level. This micro lump has the same number of qualities and thus, there is no qualitative change. But, after the enjoyment, the intensities are reduced and now the total intensity of the lump is only ten volts. This means all the efforts in the upper worlds can only reduce the intensity of a quality, but can never eliminate the quality. The only way to eliminate the quality is hearing the true knowledge from Satguru as said in the Gita (Jnanaagnih Sarvakarmaani…, Yasya sarve samaarambhah…). ‘The knowledge burns the deeds’ means that the knowledge burns the qualities, which are the generators and promoters of the deeds. Now, the soul coming from the upper world has the lump of Samskaras with intensity of ten volts. These ten volts are called as Sanchita associated with the soul just before re-birth.
When the soul comes to the earth, the above said Sanchita is awarded with a fruit in the form of the re-birth and its atmosphere. The composition of Sanchita varies from one soul to the other. Therefore, the conditions of the re-birth and the states of atmosphere also differ from one soul to the other. Some souls are born blind, some are born as dumb and some are perfect. Some are born in rich families, some are born in poor families and some are born in middle class families. We have already seen the policy in the upper world that the enjoyment of fruits can only reduce the intensity of the lump and the qualities are never eliminated. Therefore, the ten volt lump is again reduced in its intensity to one volt after receiving the re-birth as fruit. The nine volts are spent for the re-birth on this earth. These nine volts are called as Praarabdha. Now, the soul is left over with a lump of one volt, which is the balance of Sanchita after enjoying the Praarabdha. Thus, Praarabdha is confined to the formation of a new body in this world and its conditions in and around. Praarabdha is the spent intensity and hence, cannot be revoked as told by Shankara in the commentary of the verse ‘Jnanaagnih Sarva Karmaani…’. The reason is that Praarabdha is not in the form of quality that can be destroyed by the knowledge, but, it is in the form of already converted fruit. The version here that the knowledge burns all the deeds is also correct in the sense that the remaining balance in the form of qualities (lump of one volt) is totally burnt since all the deeds represented as qualities are eliminated by the Knowledge. The child with the lump having least voltage (one volt) looks very beautiful and sometimes is compared to pure and pious God. But, in course of time, the intensity of this lump increases with the external atmosphere of the world and the same beautiful child becomes young demon! The increase in the voltage differs from one soul to the other depending on the various possibilities of different environments. This world gives full freedom to the soul in choosing the environment. Such freedom is the characteristic of this world (Karma Loka), which is absent in the upper world (Bhoga Loka). The chosen environment decides the extent of increase of voltage of the lump. Let us take the same specific soul already selected by us as above. Let us say, the increase of the lump is ninety nine volts and the total voltage of the lump is hundred volts after addition to one volt. These ninety nine volts will be associated with the soul in future while going to the upper world and are called as Aagaami. The same cycle repeats again and again. The soul can come out of this cycle of deeds (Karma Chakra) with the help of the true knowledge of Satguru. The quality is a thought, which can be erased by another powerful convincing thought. The knowledge is lump of powerful thoughts, which can alone cut the existing thoughts or qualities. Diamond cannot be cut by any instrument except diamond. Therefore, the qualities can be changed only by knowledge and not by other methods like meditation, penance, worship, fasting, etc.
Dr. Nikhil: The intensity of a quality can be increased by the subsequent activity in the presence of proper opportunity. In absence of such opportunity, it may not increase. Hence, the activity and opportunity also affect the quality even without the context of knowledge.
Shri Swami: We never said that other factors cannot change the intensity of the quality. The efforts like rewards and punishments, which are other than knowledge, have changed the intensity of quality. We have mentioned the knowledge only in the context of elimination of quality. Apart from elimination, knowledge also changes the intensity of the quality like other factors. It depends on the nature of the soul in choosing the factor i.e., knowledge or hell. But, no factor except knowledge can eliminate the quality. The example you have mentioned may work in reverse direction also. The subsequent activity helping the earning may increase the desire for earning or sometimes may also decrease the desire for earning. Again, this depends on the nature of the soul. Satguru Dattatreya uses this reverse method in some souls. He grants excess of worldly pleasures (Bhoga) by which the soul gets detached by developing allergy to Bhoga. Hence, the Lord is called as ‘Bhoga Moksha Prada’, which means that the Lord sometimes gives salvation by granting excessive enjoyment of luxuries. The final action depends only on the chart of qualities and their intensities irrespective of the factors. The possessor of the quality not doing the action due to lack of opportunity is called as ‘Mithyaachaara’ in the Gita, who is also punishable. Therefore, the ultimate aim of the reward or punishment is only aimed at the reduction of the intensity of the quality and not at the subsequent inert deed as revenge.
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