(Dr PVB subrahmanyam) As expressed earlier a different aspect is presented in this chapter. It’s an endeavor to make a platform which may enable the thought process to get an idea in this regard.
According to Bhagavata Mahapurna –
कर्मणा जायते जन्तुः कर्मणैव विलीयते।
सुखं दुःखं भयं क्षेमं कर्मणैवाभिपद्यते।।
अस्ति चेदीश्वरः कश्चित् फलरूप्यन्यकर्मणाम्।
कर्तारं भजते सोपि न ह्यकर्तुः प्रभुर्हि सः।।
भागवत महापुराण, स्क.10, अध्याय. 24, श्लो. 13-14
Karmana jayate jantuh
karmanaiva praleeyate.
Sukham duhkham bhayam kshemam
Karmanaivabhipadyate.
Asti ched eeswarah kaschid
Phalaroopyanyakarmanam
Kartaram bhajate sopi
Nahyakartuh prabhurhi sah.
Bhagavata mahapurana, cant.10, cha.24, Stan. 13-14
Creatures take birth from the deed. Creatures vanishe due to deed. Happiness, sorrow, fear, well being all is the outcome of deed only.
If there is the Lord he is in the form of result of the deed only. He blesses the person with deeds and he is not the lord of any other who do not perform the deeds.
The first stanza declares the cause of the birth and death. It also describes the causes of happiness etc. Though a different meaning of the stanza can be done, it cannot be a valid one. There is a small chance to utter that the BHAGAVATA clears the stand. It clearly states that everything is the outcome of one’s deeds. So it is inferred that deed in the same birth gives ultimate results and there is no chance of rebirth.
But it is not so. The starting of the stanza itself stresses the rebirth formula. Afterwards, each and every word has a link to the rebirth. For example, happiness is linked to the deed. A person with some life spent can think that the happiness he receives is the result of the deeds in the present birth. But a child who receives happiness and sorrow etc. cannot declare the same.
Still there is a chance to go contradictory to the above meaning. A child who receives the happiness is the result of the deed of his parents. But happiness as a property can be experienced by the individual only. It is a matter to think that that particular individual, by his deed, is expected to receive the happiness due to another person. Whether the person is his father or care taker or whatever else he may be. That means the tool by which the child expected to receive the happiness is itself defined by his previous deed.
The second stanza clears the stand of the Lord. Lord or ISHWARA was clearly defined here. There is no lord outside or there is no form of Lord. Then who is the lord. Lord is the result of your deed. Lord blesses him only who deeds. This definition takes to the lessons of Lord himself.
Iswarah sarva bhootanam hriddesherjuna tishthati
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेर्जुन तिष्ठति।
How deeds are controlled and take birth?
मन एव मनुष्यस्य पूर्वरूपाणि शंसति।
भागवत महापुराण, स्क.04, अध्या 29, श्लो 66
Mana Eva manushyasya poorvaroopani shamshati
Bhagavata mahapurana, cant 04, chapter 29, stan.66
Simply to say the mind controls the deeds. Mind is the genesis of all deeds. Mind is the ruler of the body. Mind dictates the body to make a deed. That means mind is the storage of the deeds one perform at any stage, at any birth.
But clarity in this issue can come up with the following stanzas of Bhagavata Mahapurana.
येनैवारभते कर्म तेनैवात्र तत्पुमान्।
भुङ्क्ते ह्यव्यवधानेन लिङ्गेन मनसा स्वयम्।।
शयानमिममुत्सृज्य श्वसन्तं पुरुषो यथा।
कर्मात्मन्याहितं भुङ्क्ते तादृशेनेतरेण वा।।
ममैते मनसा यद्यदसावहमिति ब्रुवन्।
गृह्नीयात्तत्पुमान् राद्धं कर्म येन पुनर्भवः।।
यथानुमीयते चित्तमुभयैरिन्द्रियेहितैः।
एवं प्राग्देहजं कर्म लक्ष्यते चित्तवृत्तिभिः।।
नानुभूतं क्वचानेन देहेनादृष्टमश्रुतम्।
कदाचिदुपलभ्येत यद्रूपं यादृगात्मनि।।
These stanzas provide wonderful insight to the subject. The deeds of the past lives are reflected by the acts of the mind. Mind, known as chitta in vedic literature controls everything. It knows everything. It reminds everything. It dictates the living being what to do and what not to do. There is no significance of the personality. The mind holds everything.
For example –
जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्तिः
जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवृत्तिः
केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन
यथा नियुक्तोस्मि तथा करोमि।
These are the words uttered by the son of Dhritarastra. Duryoadhana is the elder brother of kurus and throws out the pandus from the kingdom. The story of Kurukshetra war is well known to all. The genesis of the war is the misdeed of Duryoadhana. But the words uttered by Duryoadhana have great significance. At least they provide an outlook in the present endeavor.
I know what is right and what is wrong (the DHARMA) but I fail to indulge in it. I have no tilt towards right and resistance towards wrong. I am forced by unknown lord who rests in my mind.
Here, these words of Duryoadhana clearly state that the posture or personality of a living being cannot control its deed. It is the all-rounder mind, which knows everything, encourages doing anything. It decides the right and wrong depending on the stored seeds of the deed. It has the complete details or the data of the past deeds.
Accepted by all
Mind plays the key role in anyone’s life. This fact is accepted by all. The same is the story of psychiatry where experts try to heal the patients by regression. They let the patient take a tour of past deeds and once the tour is over the patient realize what has happened with him and what is happing and what to happen. The undertone of the concept is already expressed in the verses of Mahabharata.