Theory of Karman in Indian Thought

Author(s): Koshelya Walli
Publisher: Bharat Manisha

Page 19

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Vyaşti and Samaști, but in view of the fact the issue of the Samaşti cannot be clarified unless and until the Vyaşți Karma is made in elligible. We have deliberately confined ourselves to the Vyaşți. It may be pointed out by way of example that the conception of dharmasaınsthăpana as found in the Gita has its bearing on dharma and adharma both viewed from the Samasti or Collective Viewpoint.1
The advent of a great soul for redemption of humanity is based upon a collective predominance of adharma in a particular country or in a particular age.
The doctrine of Karma to be properly appreciated has to be reviewed both from an esoteric philosophical proposition and from an exoteric standpoint. The external aspect deals with the social and formal side of the evil and not with the deep-rooted cause of it which is rather mental and spiritual. It is related to the lapses in Ś'la and Acāra and has mostly a social-bearing. Any remedial penance prescribed for it and gone through under the rules of the society concerned results in Vyayahāraśuddhi only unless Bhavaśuddhi is ensured through a change of hearts. The Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina religious literature agree on this.
It may be pointed out in this place that the doctrine of Karma, which has been taken up for special study in the following pages, is one of the several of the doctrines which appeared in recent India in the context of the problem of creation. The other doctrines are Kāla, Yadệcchā, Syabhāva and Niyati of "Svetā. śvatara Upanişad.2
1 Gita IV 7-8.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्यं तदात्मानं सजाम्यहम् ।।
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् । धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे। 2. Svetāśvatara Upan şad 1.2. Dr. Otto Schrader made a special study of these
theories in his 'Uber den stand der indischen philosophic Zur Zeit Mahaviras and Buddhas'--Strasburg. Mm. Dr. G. N. Kaviraj has also dealt svith them in his paper on 'Theism in ancient India' in Saraswati