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Chapter 10: Guru's Explanation about the Soul being Kartä (Third Fundamental)
The Guru sees that the pupil is led by the considerations of Sänkhya and other beliefs and has not correctly grasped the theory of Karma. As such, he harbors doubt about the soul being Kartä of Karma. He has presented the following four alternatives for occurrence of Karma: (1) Karma itself may be actuating new Karma, (2) It may be the nature of soul to acquire Karma, (3) Every thing might be occurring according to Nature (Prakruti) and (4) Karma might be acquired under the inspiration of God. He has, however, failed to consider the case of soul inducing the activities of body, speech, and mind. If such activities occur under the inspiration of soul, it becomes responsible for that
In this connection, it is worth considering what Shrimad has stated in the Letter of Six Fundamentals (Appendix-II). "All objects are associated with purposeful activity. All of them are seen with some or other activity that causes change or alteration. The soul is also imbibed with activity. Being active, it is Kartä. The omniscient Lords have described three types of its activities. In absolute state when the soul stays tuned to its pure nature, it is Kartä of that nature, in terms of worldly activities it is Kartä of the material Karma; and nominally it is Karta of the physical objects like buildings, towns, etc."
Of these three types, the first type does not result in bondage of Karma, because the soul stays within its true nature. The second one does account for bondage. The third one is nominal and would result in Karma, if soul resorts to the sense of attachment or resentment regarding any of the activities. In the following five stanzas the Guru explains how soul happens to react to the worldly aspects and incurs the bondage.
Hoy Na Chetan Preranä, Kon Grahe To Karma? Jad Swabhäv Nahi Preranä, Juo Vichari Dharma.
If there is no inspiration from consciousness, how and who would acquire Karma? Examine the natural property; the lifeless matter has no capability to inspire. (74)
Explanation & Discussion:
Since the pupil had suggested that soul cannot be Kartä of Karma, the Guru asks him to figure out what induces Karma particles to be attached to a soul. Like other Pudgal particles, Karma particles also prevail everywhere in the universe and make movements on their own accord. Left to themselves, they would simply pass by without creating any impact on soul. When, however, they pass by, the worldly soul happens to react to the same with the sens of craving or aversion by virtue of his likes or dislikes.
Such craving or aversion is not the inherent part of soul's property, but it has the capability to indulge that way. While indulging as such, it happens to react to the Karma particles, which come within its proximity. That motivates those particles to infiltrate the provinces of soul. This is similar to a person smeared with oil remaining prone to attract the dirt. As the dirt stays on the body until he cleans it, so do karma particles stay with the soul until maturity. That is called the bondage which extends the appropriate consequences at the time of maturity. At that time if the soul neither resents nor gets attached to any situation and bears the consequences with equanimity, it would not acquire new Karma and the existing bondage would be stripped off in due course.
