Theory of Karman in Indian Thought

Author(s): Koshelya Walli
Publisher: Bharat Manisha

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used to hold that Universe is limited by our sense-experience. According to them there were four elements only namely earth, water, fire and air. They did not believe in the existence of Akasa. According to this school, the usual perception is the only valid pramāņa in support of existence of the reality, What is called consciousness is according to this school a by-product of the four material elements in a state of combination productive of body and senses,1
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It is easily intelligible that in a dissertation on the problem of Karma in its different issues we have to look at the question from different angles of vision. In our systematic study we have tried to keep in view the multiple aspects of the problem In a sense Karma as implying moral action cannot but be good or bad from the worldly point of view. From the spiritual or transcendent point of view it may be neutral as we have tried to point out in our discussion on coloured or colourless Karma in connection with
the Patañjala School. Coloured Karma, it has been pointed out, may be white or black or mixed (Śukla, Kṛṣņa or Miśra ). It is connected with worldly Karma with good or evil but there is also room for Karma which leads to a state of discrimination between the worldly and the transcendental. This colourless Karma (Aśukla Kṛṣṇa) is responsible for progress in the direction of final discrimination from Prakṛti.
In connection with this study, we cannot ignore the difference between the two views-one stating that Karma, good or bad leads after death either to heaven or to hell. If this result of Karma is supposed to imply its eternal nature in the form of eternal heaven or eternal hell, the ancient Indian Literature does not seem to accept this view, though it is believed by some religious systems.
1. Şaḍdarśanasamucaya by Haribhadra with the commentary by Manibhadra, pp. 72-75, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, Edited by Pt. Damodar lal Goswami, 1965, Banaras,