Book Title: Practice of Karma Yoga
Author(s): Swami Sivananda
Publisher: Divine Life Society

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Page 178
________________ PRACTICE OF KARMA YOGA intelligence is God. He who sows paddy reaps paddy. He who sows green gram reaps green gram. He who sows oranges reaps oranges. Man sows the seed to attain what he desires to reap. Even so, man does evil deeds and reaps the fruits of pain. He who does virtuous actions reaps good fruits. One reaps the fruits according to his Karmas or actions. How is it that one man is a king, another is a beggar, one is a genius while another is a fool, one man is very wealthy while another is in want, one is always in good health while another is constantly ailing, one is handsome while another is ugly, one man is wicked while another is a saint, one dies at the age of ten while another dies at the age of ninety? Is this due to heredity? Certainly not. The operating cause is Karma. He who has done Tapas, meditation, had Satsang with Mahatmas, served saints and devotees and lead a life of purity is born as a Yogi or a saint in this birth He who had done vicious actions in his previous birth is born as a wicked man He who had done a lot of charity in his previous birth is born as a king It is only the theory of Karma that can explain things beautifully and satisfactorily. Lord Krishna says: "Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti, because of his constant thought of that being ” Ch. VIII-6. Avidya (ignorance), Kama (desire), and Karma (selfish action) are the three Granthis or knots which 174

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