The word “karma” literally means behaviour or action. This word is both a verb and a philosophy in Hinduism. The West has interpreted karma as “What goes around, comes around.” While this can be quite on the brink of how we see it, yet the word Karma holds much more depth in Hinduism.
In Hinduism, it’s a widely held belief that everything is connected with everything else within the Universe. People believe that there is a universal consciousness that binds us all. Therefore, what we do (or don’t do) has consequences not only for us but also for the world around us. Therefore, another way to understand this is to consider it a consequence or a cycle of cause and effect.
Although the earliest text in Hinduism concentrates only on Karma and its effects within the manifested world, the later text seems to possess incorporated the idea of re-incarnation within the theory of Karma. Essentially it meant that if one has done bad deeds in one lifetime, he/she may have to pay for it in the next lifetime. That their Karma or their deeds will eventually catch up with them. In the Mahabharata, this karmic debt manifests itself in the form of boons and curses. This explains why some people have to pass through pain and suffering or why fate is not kind to them. The most prominent example that comes to mind is Bhishma. When Duryodhana tried to kill all the Pandavas by burning them alive in Laksha Graha (House of Wax), assuming that Pandavas were dead, Dhritrashtra made his eldest son Crown Prince. But to his surprise, Pandavas came back alive; that was an ugly turn in history. Duryodhana refused to resign as the crown prince. Dhritrashtra provides active and passive support to his son. Bhishma was bound by his vow to protect the king and eventually became a silent bystander of all evil that happened.
According to the Mahabharata, the human condition is the result of one’s actions and also Fate. Destiny can be something beyond our control, or it can be the karma/behaviour of others. For example, any crop is the result of farmers’ efforts (karma) and the possibility of rain (destiny). Karna best exemplifies this situation. His lifelong struggle to be recognized is because of the actions of his mother Kunti, who abandoned him at birth. Later he befriended Duryodhana and continued to follow and protect him, even if he was wrong and did “adharma”. He lied to Parashurama about being a brahmana in the greed for weapons. This made Parashurama very angry and he cursed Karna, saying that in desperate need of an Astra, your memory will fail you.
As a man himself sows, so he himself reaps; no man inherits the good or evil act of another man. The fruit is of the same quality as the action. — Mahabharata.
Then there are the plain cases of “You reap what you sow” which means you get what you deserve, whatever you put your time, talent and energy into is what you get back. Duryodhana and Dhritrashtra best exemplify this kind of Karma. We know that they are doomed to fail from the beginning because they cannot control their own ambitions and no low is just too low for them to stoop to as long as it serves their purpose. With flashes of guilt notwithstanding, Dhritrashtra sowed the seeds of ambition that ended up in Duryodhana.
The need to be mindful of one’s actions is a recurrent theme in Mahabharata. Krishna often asks the question “What did you do?” to the characters to let them face their own actions and inactions and the impact of their deeds. I remember Burke’s words: “All evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing” which is obvious from the events of Mahabharata. This is the strongest argument used by Krishna when Arjun refuses to fight against his loved ones.
The 6th chapter of the Anushasana Parva (the Teaching Book), the 13th book of the Mahabharata, begins with Yudhishthira asking Bhishma: “Is the course of a person’s life already destined, or can human effort shape one’s life?” Bhishma responded that the future is not only a function of current human effort derived from a free will but also a function of past human behaviour that sets the environment. The Mahabharata chapter recites the key assumptions of karma theory over and over again. That is: intent and action (Karma) have consequences; Karma lingers and doesn’t disappear; and, all positive or negative experiences in life require effort and intent. For example:
Happiness comes due to good actions, suffering results from evil actions,
by actions, all things are obtained, by inaction, nothing whatsoever is enjoyed.
If one’s action bore no fruit, then everything would be of no avail,
if the world worked from fate alone, it would be neutralized.— Mahabharata, xiii.6.10 & 19
The epic also explores the nature of our own understanding of our actions. Can we ever be sure of the results of what we are doing? Whatever we think is good today, will it be in the future? Is it good for everyone?
Karma is basically energy. A person releases energy through thoughts, words, and actions, and over time, it will return through other people. Karma is the best teacher, forcing people to face the consequences of their actions, to improve and perfect their actions, otherwise, they will suffer. Even serious karma, when faced wisely, can be the greatest spark of spiritual growth. The conquest of karma lies in wise action and ruthless response.
