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| By Google Gemini |
The concept of karma plays a vital role in the
Ramayana. You will get the consequences of your actions – that’s what karma
means in short. Dasharatha, a king who followed dharma quite meticulously,
committed a mistake in his youth. While hunting, he killed a young boy
mistaking him for a deer because of a sound. Dasharatha was genuinely repentant
of what happened and he went to the blind parents of the boy to atone for his
karma. But the understandably grief-stricken blind father of the boy cursed
Dasharatha: “Just as we are dying in sorrow caused by the loss of our son, you
too shall die grieving the separation from your son.”
So, Dasharatha’s death during Rama’s
exile was a consequence of his karma. It was predestined, in other words. Immutable
fate.
Ravana’s karma brings upon him the
disastrous end he has. He has lived a life of adharma altogether.
Interestingly, it was his fate too following him from another existence
altogether. He was destined to live the life he did, according to certain
versions of the Ramayana (not Valmiki’s). According to Vaishnava traditions,
Ravana is a reincarnation of Jaya, the gatekeeper of Vishnu’s abode Vaikunta. Because
of an act of Jaya, which was performed in all good intention and perceived by
him as his dharma, he was cursed to be born as a rakshasa. Immutable fate.
The concept of karma and dharma
are very complex and complicated in Hindu philosophy. You can do something that
you think is the right thing, your dharma, but it may turn out to be against
the cosmic harmony and you will be cursed. I’m not quite convinced about ‘cosmic
harmony’. In my personal experience, there is more chaos than harmony in the
cosmos. And when I look at what really happened to Jaya – the former form of Ravana
– I’m inclined to look at the curse as a manifestation of the egoism of the
four sages who uttered the curse. They wanted Jaya to open the gate, Jaya
wouldn’t open it because his master Vishnu had ordered him not to, the sages
are indignant, and instead of understanding the situation they utter a terrible
curse which was ameliorated by Vishnu.
Karma works in diverse ways in the
epic. First of all, there is a cause-effect karma. Every action has
consequences – immediate or later. Interestingly, even gods are not free from
the consequences of their deeds. And humans (sages) can punish the gods. [Frankly,
I like this part.]
There is a close association between karma
and dharma too. When actions align with dharma, the resulting karma is
positive; when they violate dharma, they bring suffering. Rama follows his
dharma even at a great personal cost. He obeys his father’s wish, goes into
exile, treats the sages and animals in the forest with respect, and upholds
truth and justice as best as possible. His good karma supports his divine
mission as an avatar of Vishnu. Kaikeyi’s egoism, on the other hand, brings her
isolation and regret. Now, was Rama really happy at any time of his life?
That’s something to think about. What does his fealty to dharma come to in the
end?
The epic also implies that karma
can stretch across multiple lifetimes. Ravana’s birth as a rakshasa itself
is due to a bad karma of his previous existence as God Vishnu’s gatekeeper, as
mentioned above. Ahalya has passed a long time, perhaps a yuga, as a stone,
when Rama liberates her from her bad karma.
Karma is a moral compass. The
Ramayana uses karma to teach ethical living. Characters are rewarded or
punished based on their actions. But a question that can rise all too
frequently is whether this actually happens in our world. Is goodness rewarded
and evil punished? Did that rewarding happen even to Rama?
Another question that has often
puzzled me is whether the concept of karma is fatalistic. For instance, Jaya
commits an error and is punished with the existence of a demon, Ravana. And
Ravana is destined to be killed by Rama. Destined. A lot of things are destined
in the epic this way. Isn’t that fatalism?
The most sensible answer I arrived at is: Your present is shaped by your past actions, and your future will be shaped by your present choices. You are free to alter your present to some extent. At least, you are not a puppet of fate; you’re a participant in your own unfolding destiny. There are some aspects of your life that are beyond your control; your destiny, your prarabdha. But your response to events are your choices. Maybe, we can compare karma with a game of cards. You are dealt a hand (prarabdha), but how you play it is up to you (your freedom).
PS. I’m
participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This
series looks at the Ramayana from various angles.
Tomorrow: Loyalty: The Silent Strength of the Ramayana
Previous Posts in this series:
Chitrakoot: The Antithesis of Ayodhya
PPS. As I have said
repeatedly, I’m a learner of the Ramayana as well as the Indian philosophy in
general. So I keep raising questions as I do in this post too. Please don’t
take offence at them. Instead, if you know the answers, post them in the space
provided in the comments section.
Your exploration of how karma operates in the Ramayana, especially through characters like Dasharatha and Ravana, highlights the complexity of actions and their consequences. The idea that even well-intentioned deeds can lead to unforeseen outcomes, as in the case of Jaya's transformation into Ravana, challenges the simplistic notion of karma as a straightforward cause-and-effect mechanism. I appreciate your analogy of karma to a card game—being dealt a hand (prarabdha) and choosing how to play it—emphasizing personal agency within predetermined circumstances. Your questioning of whether goodness is always rewarded, even in Rama's life, adds depth to the discussion and reflects real-world ambiguities. The interplay between dharma and karma, and how adherence to one's duty doesn't always guarantee happiness, is a profound insight. Your writing encourages readers to reflect on their own beliefs about destiny and free will.
ReplyDeleteI'm still a learner when it comes to destiny and free will. It's a theme that I have explored in some detail for quite a while. Thank you for your appreciation.
DeleteI am so glad you wrote about this. It is a very powerful thought explained so well. I don't believe in Karma nor do i believe in cosmic harmony. I live my life in accordance of the powerful quote you shared - Your present is shaped by your past actions, and your future will be shaped by your present choices.
ReplyDeleteI too don't believe in karma and cosmic harmony. They sound good in religion, but practical life disproves them again and again.
Delete"you are not a puppet of fate" Love may be the answer! See theory of quantum microtubules in the brain being responsible for consciousness (Roger Penrose)
ReplyDeleteLove is an answer for many a question, but a very demanding answer.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteTo encapsulate the concept of karma in a single post is a steep remit, but you have certainly caught the essence with that final sentence! YAM xx
PS (As you're aware, I have written several posts over the years, so perhaps on this occasion I might step in... Blogger doesn't keep them in correct order, but if any are curious enough to explore a little deeper, I offer this link. I provide this by virtue of being qualified as Vedaantaachaarya.)
You're an asset for me here. Thank you for adding so much value here.
DeleteMy view is that Karma is a placebo to cope with your circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI won't disagree with you. In fact, for me, most religious notions are similar psychological comforts.
DeleteI totally agree with your post, karma though sometimes feels like injustice but then we are told it must be because of actions in the past life, or bad dharma. Well , even so, these principles sometimes calm one down when everything seems to lose it's meaning
ReplyDeleteThat psychological effect of calmness is probably the reason why such concepts survive.
DeleteWhen I was younger, I used to believe that everything is based on Karma and the one who does bad will be punished, but I do not think I do that anymore! It is because I have been seeing people live a happier life even if their actions are not moral in nature and vice versa. So yes, I agree that Karma & Dharma theories are indeed complicated. Loved reading this analytical post.
ReplyDeleteAs we grow in wisdom, we realise the impracticality of certain codes and creeds.
DeleteWhat is fated and what is choice? Are we limited by karma? I think we must find our balance. It's neither one nor the other. It's somewhere between the two.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with you.
DeleteI loved the quote that our present is shaped by our past and it shapes our future.
ReplyDelete