PRARABDHA KARMA
Arrows
in Flight (Prarabdha Karma)
Arrow
already shot:
The arrows in flight are the Karmas that have already started to play
themselves out, either in our inner world or in the external world. These are
the arrows that have already been shot. The arrows and our actions still
in flight are called "Prarabhda Karma."
They
have to run their course: An arrow in flight cannot be called back. It must complete
its journey. Thoughts, speech, and actions that have been set in motion
cannot be called back. They too will run their course, bringing consequences or
fruits. (Some say that this Karma can be altered by grace.)
Experiencing
Joy/Sorrow out of White/Red arrows: The white and red arrows were explained
in sanchita karma. It is easy to understand that when the red arrows are in
flight and are discharged, those arrows, tainted in red with our past sins, are
bound to give us experience of Sorrow/ pain.
On
the other hand, the discharge of white arrows gain us experience of peace and
joy.
It
is to be noted that the discharge of both these arrows are not in our control
as we have brought them along with us and they are shot by us to fetch us
experience accordingly.
One
important thing to be understood here. Unlike the Profit and loss account of a
business where the debit figures are subtracted from the credit figures and the
net result is profit if it is positive and negative if it is minus, in life,
such a thing does not hold true.
Suppose
we brought 2000 arrows with us for shooting in this life to fetch us the result
of our past deeds and out of the 2000, 1200 were white arrows and 800 were red
ones, it is not that the 800 would be deducted from 1200 and we would enjoy
pleasure due to the discharge of net 400 arrows.
In
the theory of karma, one must suffer for 800 arrows and one must enjoy for the
1200 arrows and there is no netting off business.
This
can be validated in our own life when we look back and realize that after all
our life was neither a bed of roses nor the bed of arrows giving us blood. We
have always had good moments and bad moments in our life and most often, we
have been suffering as well as getting some good things in our life, side
by side.
There
are heaps and heaps of lofty mountain full of unripe Sanchita Karmas piled up
amounting to billions and billions of millions i.e. innumerable Sanchita Karmas
deposited in balance at the credit of each and every person, earned and
accumulated by him during his past innumerable births since time immemorial.
They do not become ripe to give fruits all at a time in one birth.
Only
a very few of them out of this whole tremendous stock become ripe and ready to
give fruits during one lifetime. They are called Prarabdha Karmas (readily
destined to give fruits commonly known as fate, luck, fortune, destiny etc.).
Strictly
according to these Prarabdha Karmas, a person gets a particular type of body,
parents, wife, children, wealth, caste, creed, race, sex, environment, etc.
just appropriate to enjoy, suffer and exhaust his Prarabdha Karmas destined
during his present lifetime.
He
cannot leave his present body till he has fully enjoyed, suffered and exhausted
all these Prarabdha Karmas during his present life even though he is totally
bed-ridden or suffering due to paralysis and other diseases and desperately
craving for freedom from his crippled body and again gets a new body to
enjoy other new Prarabdha Karmas, say about 20,000 which have become ripe by
that time to give him fruits.
Unfortunately,
while exhausting his predestined Prarabdha
Karmas during one lifetime, he
creates and accumulates much more new Karma during the same lifetimes which are
again deposited in the stock of his previous Sanchita Karmas and this situation
is repeated in every birth.
Thus
the vicious cycle goes on uninterruptedly increasing, instead of decreasing,
the total balance of Sanchita Karmas at the end of each birth. The stock of
Sanchita Karmas is increasing by leaps and bounds as the new accumulation is
much more than the expenditure during each birth and there is no end to this
process. Therefore, the cycle of birth and death goes on indefinitely and there
does not appear to be any hope of chance for liberation of emancipation.
Due
to the experience one gets when the sanchita karmas get converted to prarabdha
karmas, it is often that one feels helpless as he sees that things are not in
his control at all.
Accidents
causing death, sudden diseases, the cause for which is not explained even by
doctors, loss in career, in business due to reasons not in one’s control, not
able to get child although doctors confirm that there is no deficiency in the
couple, there is no disease which is the reason for the woman not able to
conceive..., like this there are many such things which are experienced by
human beings in the society/in their circle.
These
are not caused by one’s own Body, Mind, Intellect, not due to carelessness on
one’s part, not due to negligence, not due to deliberate measures, not even due
to changing minds.
Only
the past deeds, brought in present life, fetching experience either joyous or
painful can provide any explanation to such things which happen in our
life.
Love.
