In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of the conversation between Sage Ashtaka and King Yayaati. As King Yayaati was falling down from the Svarga Lokha, Sage Ashtaka was asking a series of questions to understand as to why he was falling down like this. Various doubts plagued Sage Ashtaka’s mind. There were many myths running through, and Sage Ashtaka sought to find out answers for all of them from King Yayaati, as he can give some “experiential answers”. Since King Yayaati has first-hand experience of visiting the “Svarga Lokha” and coming back, Sage Ashtaka was very keen to understand how was life at “Svarga Lokha”. King Yayaati slowly starts replying to Sage Ashtaka as he was falling down. It should be remembered here by readers that this entire conversation did not happen on ground between the two of them. This happens as King Yayaati was in the air itself! Sage Ashtaka was so eager to understand things from King Yayaati that he did not want to even waste that time till King Yayaati steps on the ground again. The entire conversation happened when King Yayaati was mid-air!
King Yayaati replies thus, “Oh Sage Ashtaka! I’m falling down on the “Bhouma-Naraka Lokha”, wherein I refer to this earth itself as the “Naraka Lokha”. I say this because this “Manushya Lokha” is full of worldly pleasures and distractions that would deter us away from the path of “Dharma”. It is very easy for one to get carried away by the “Maya” (Illusion) that is there in the world! If we’re frustrated with this “Manushya Lokha”, we would immediately think that the “Svarga Lokha” is much better and we would enjoy permanent luxuries there. However, please understand that there is a small clause here – Of course, the luxuries of the “Svarga Lokha” are incomparable to what we have in the “Manushya Lokha”. But, our tenure at the “Svarga Lokha” will come to an end when our “Punya Karma” comes to an end! This is exactly what happened to me! Initially I was under the impression that the “Svarga Lokha” was permanent and I shall enjoy even more luxuries and pleasures there. However, when Indra pushed me upside down, I realized how fickle the “Svarga Lokha” is! Hence, Sage Ashtaka! Please understand that the “Svarga Lokha” is temporary and you would never know when you would be pushed down! You would be living there with that constant fear of being pushed and this is even more terrible than the “Manushya Lokha”!
Upon saying thus, King Yayaati continues further. Now he’s going to answer Sage Ashtaka’s questions on the “Karma Theory” and how it works. King Yayaati replies thus, “Oh Sage Ashtaka! Yet another reason for which I’m falling down to the “Manushya Lokha” is my “Karma”! My “Sanchita Karma” sacks are pending to be burnt! There are many sacks of my “Sanchita Karma” pending still. It is only one small part of my “Praarabdha-Karma’s ” “Phala” (Resultant) that I had experienced in the Svarga Lokha”, and once that was over, I was pushed out! Now when I set foot on the “Manushya Lokha”, I would start experiencing the results of one of the huge sacks of my “Sanchita Karma”!”
As King Yayaati explains thus, Sage Ashtaka quips him with another question – “Oh King Yayaati! Now that you’re falling down to the “Manushya Lokha”, are you really coming here to experience the results of your “Sanchita Karma” or are you coming here to earn more “Karma” that would eventually go into the “Sanchita Karma” again? Please clarify!” This is where we need to understand the nuances of the “Karma Theory”. This is very similar to how we perform our banking operations. For instance, if we take a loan of some amount to build a house, and when the time comes to repay that loan back to the bank in terms of fixed installments – The bank would charge some interest on the principal amount isn’t it? However, for some reason, we’re unable to repay the loan amount along with the stipulated interest amount, what will the bank do? The bank wouldn’t erase out the money just like that! It would accumulate more and more with more interest, isn’t it? Similarly here also, Bhagawan is sending us back to the “Manushya Lokha” ideally to wash away all our previous “Sanchita Karma”. If we stick to this agenda only and finish it off, there wouldn’t be any problem! This is like repaying the loan amount with interest regularly month on month! However, if we’re going to earn more “Karma” while taking this birth, it is like taking more and more loan from the bank, or failing to pay the existing loan! Now what would happen? The bank would charge us more interest, isn’t it? Similarly, Bhagawan also charges us interest in the form of more and more “Sanchita Karma” getting deposited into our account, basis which, we would take yet another birth in this world to finish that off!
Thus, the point here is that, we keep accumulating our “Sanchita Karma” as we progress through every birth, knowingly or unknowingly. This is where we get into more and more trouble! If we obtain that realization that we’ve to finish off our “Karma” here itself without accumulating more of it, we would be able to cross over this “Karma Cycle”. Else, we would only keep revolving inside this vicious cycle and we would keep experiencing birth and death again and again in this world. So for today, let us understand this point very clearly from King Yayaati and we shall wait till the next episode to discuss the next interesting question that Sage Ashtaka is going to ask! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 