[Advaita-l] Ananda Ramayana

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2021, Kaushik Chevendra wrote:

> Isn't isvara independent of karma? 
>

Yes but see Gita 3rd adhyaya:


न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२ ॥

"In the three worlds, Partha, I have nothing that ought to be done; 
neither is there anything unobtained to be obtained by me;[1] nevertheless 
I act."(21)

[1] There are two reasons to act: because one is under an obligation to 
act, or because acting would attain some desired objective.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२ ॥


"For if I were to cease to act even though unweary[2], people would 
soon imitate Me in all things."(22)

[2] Motives not to do some act is if you are too tired or if you lack the 
capacity to do so.  If these are not valid, it would be reasonable to 
assume that it is because you do not want to do it or you do not think it 
is necessary.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥ २४ ॥


"The worlds would fall into ruin[3] if I did not do karma  and I 
would be the cause of varNasankara[4] which would destroy the people."

[3] Ishvara is the cause of the physical order of the universe.

[4] The mixing of castes.  He is also the cause of the social order.


In conclusion Ishvara is not bound by karma but when He manifests in an 
earthly form, by His wish, that form appears to be affected by karma in 
accordance with the laws of the universe and dharma.

Note that this does not apply only to divinities.  You may recall that 
when Bharati the wife of Mandana Mishra stumped Shankaracharya by asking 
questions about kamashastra, he temporarily took posession of the body of 
the recently deceased King Amaruka via yogic powers.  Later when he 
attempted to ascend the sarvajna pitha, Sarasvati (Ubhaya Bharati was her 
avatara) stops him and asks if he is truly worthy to pass through, 
referring back to the earlier incident.  Shankaracharya answers that karma 
only adheres to a particular body.  It is not a characteristic of the true 
self.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>