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But even in this view it would appear that the origin of karma is based upon ignorance. The ignorance may be selfgenerated but even then ignorance must come first in the order of manifestation before karma as a cosmic factor can have its own place. The Agamic teachers are inclined to think that karma is based upon Mithya Jñāna or Māya which accounts for a knowledge of difference in the world and Maya itself as thus conceived is not the ultimate factor.
The ultimate factor is Svätantrya of the Atma which also according to some is called Māyā, the inscrutable power of the Lord.
The Pātañjala School from its own point of view has made it sufficiently clear that Karma as good or evil originates from the primary impulse of Raga and Dveșa i. e. desire and aversion. Raga and Dveşa on the other hand originate from the Asmita or the sense of egoism. And asmitā however is a joint product of Prakṛti and Purusa. As to when for the first time this product came into existence, human intellect is not in a position to
answer.
B
It has already been stated that the doctrine of Karma represents in some real sense a law in nature, the violation of which is punishable. We are aware that even the law of Karma is not outside the general rule. It is well-known that high authorities on ancient Indian social ethics and individual moral codes have `dwelt at great length on the violation of this law and the corrective punishment it involves, not only in individual life but also in social life. In India the individual and the society are supposed to be linked together by common ties of morality and it is for this reason that any violation of the law of the individual morality has its reaction on the social morality as a whole. As a matter of fact the violation of Karmic law
entails a sort of degradation not only in the individual spiritual advancement but also in the morality of the society of which the
