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आयु भर कर्मयोग में लगा रह – रामनाथ विद्यालंकार

aayu bhar karm yog me laga rah

आयु भर कर्मयोग में लगा रह – रामनाथ विद्यालंकार

ऋषिः दीर्घतमाः । देवता आत्मा। छन्दः भुरिग् आर्षी अनुष्टुप् ।

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्मणि जिजीविषेच्छतः समाः एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति कर्म लिप्यते नरें

-यजु० ४० । २

आत्मा (इह ) इस संसार में ( कर्माणि कुर्वन् एव ) कर्मों को करता हुआ ही (शतंसमाः ) सौ वर्ष तक (जिजीविषेत्) जीने की इच्छा करे। ( त्वयि ) तेरे विषय में (एवं ) ऐसा ही विधान है ( इतः अन्यथा न ) इससे भिन्न नहीं है। ( नरे) मनुष्य में (कर्मलिप्यते न ) कर्म लिप्त नहीं होता, उससे चिपट नहीं जाता।।

कुछ मनुष्य यह सोचते हैं कि कर्म तो बन्धन में डालनेवाला है, इसलिए कर्म को तिलाञ्जलि देकर खाली बैठे रहो। उन्हें सावधान करती हुई भगवद्गीता कहती है कि कोई भी मनुष्य बिना कर्म किये रह ही नहीं सकता। प्रकृति के गुणों से बाधित होकर उसे कर्म करना ही पड़ता है। जो कर्मेन्द्रियों को कर्मों से रोक कर मन से इन्द्रियों के विषयों को स्मरण करता रहता है, वह मूढ़ मनुष्य मिथ्याचारी कहलाता है। इसके विपरीत जो जितेन्द्रिय होकर असक्त रहकर कर्मेन्द्रियों से कर्मयोग में लगा रहता है, वह विशिष्ट पुरुष कहलाता है। निश्चय ही कर्म अकर्म से अधिक उत्कृष्ट है। जो कर्म न करने का आग्रह करता है, उसकी शरीर-यात्रा भी नहीं चल सकती।’

‘कर्म तीन प्रकार के होते हैं-सात्त्विक, राजस और तामस । जो कर्म आसक्तिरहित होता है, बिना राग-द्वेष के किया जाता है और जिसमें फलेच्छा की उत्कटता नहीं होती वह सात्त्विक कर्म कहलाता है। जो कर्म फलेच्छा की उत्कटता के साथ या अहंभाव के साथ किया वजाता है वह राजस कर्म कहलाता है। जौ कर्म हानि, लाभ, उपकार, अपकार, क्षय, हिंसा, पौरुष आदि का विचार किये बिना मोहवश किया जाता है, वह तामस कर्म होता है।”

इनमें सात्त्विक कर्म ही श्रेष्ठ माना जाता है। यहाँ शङ्का यह हो सकती है कि कर्म करेंगे तो कर्मलेप अवश्यंभावी है। कर्म, कर्म के बाद उसका फल, फिर कर्म और कर्मफल, इस प्रकार यह श्रृंखला कभी समाप्त नहीं होगी। कर्म के बन्धन में ही हम बंधे रहेंगे, उससे मुक्ति कभी नहीं होगी। इस कर्मफल से बचने के लिए हम कर्म से विरत होना चाहते हैं। न रहेगा बांस, न रहेगी बांसुरी।। |

इस शङ्का का उत्तर यह है कि कर्म द्विविध होते हैं निष्काम कर्म और सकाम कर्म । जो कर्म किसी सांसारिक भोग की इच्छा न रखकर केवल परमेश्वर की प्राप्ति के उद्देश्य से किया जाता है, वह निष्काम कर्म होता है, उससे मोक्ष और ईश्वरसान्निध्य के अनन्त सुख की प्राप्ति होती है, उससे सांसारिक, फल प्राप्त नहीं होते। इसके विपरीत जो कर्म धर्मपूर्वक अर्थ और काम की सिद्धि के लिए किया जाता है, वह सकाम कर्म होता है। उससे लौकिक सुख प्राप्त होते हैं। यदि किसी की इच्छा कर्मलेप से बचने की है, तो यह निष्काम कर्म करे और जो सांसारिक सुख प्राप्त करना चाहता है वह धर्मपूर्वक सकाम कर्म करे। दोनों ही मार्ग ठीक हैं, सकाम कर्म से भी लोकोपकार और सदाचार प्रशस्त होता है । मन्त्र में कर्म मनुष्य में लिप्त नहीं होता’ कहा है, वह निष्काम कर्म के विषय में है।

पाद-टिप्पणियाँ

१. भगवद्गीता ३ । ५-८

२. वही १८ । २३-२५

३. स्वामी दयानन्द, ऋग्वेदादिभाष्यभूमिका, वेदविषय-विचार, कर्मकाण्ड

प्रकरण ।

४. (कर्माणि) धम्र्याणि वेदोक्तानि निष्कामकृत्यानि-दे० ।।

आयु भर कर्मयोग में लगा रह – रामनाथ विद्यालंकार

Vedas For Beginners 6 : IS GOD JUST AND MERCIFUL?

V:  How the attributes of Mercy and Justice could remain together with God was your yesterday’s question. Frankly speaking, both Mercy and Justice are always remain together, the difference being whereas Mercy is from the side of God; Justice is dispensed as per the Karma of men. For ex, a farmer sows the seed in a farm. But the God instead gives him hundreds of grains in return. This is God’s mercy. About Justice it is as per the well-known adage “he reaps what he sows”. When he sows the groundnut seed he reaps the groundnut crops only, and not wheat. This is his justice. There is a father with four sons. The father gives Rs 1000/- each to his sons. This is the mercy being shown by the father on his sons. If one son snatches the portion of another son forcibly then the father punishes the erring son. This is his justice. The father gives money from his side. Hence he is merciful; punishing the erring son and restoring the rights to the entitled is the Justice of the father. A king punishes a robber. This is his Justice. By giving death sentence to the robber he protects the weak and affected. This is His mercy. If the king lets off the robber it is His “injustice”. Really speaking the meaning of both Justice and Mercy is one and the same. Where is Justice without Mercy? The unjust is selfish and never kind. God is while being Just is also Merciful. He has created the world for living beings. This is His total Mercy. He dispenses fruits according to their Karma to everybody and this is His Justice.

 

K: Does God becomes aware whenever a wicked deed is performed or not? If yes, why it is not stalled immediately?

 

V: God tries to stall everybody from doing wicked deeds instantly. The proof for this is, while about to do an  evil, the feelings of guilt, shame, crop up in the mind of the doer at the same time, whereas while doing a good deed the feelings of delight, enthusiasm springs in his mind instantly. All these things happen from the side of God. This is called the inner voice. Why human beings? Even in animals the feelings of doubt and shame crop up. When a piece of bread is thrown at a dog it eats at the same place with its tail wagging. The same dog when it steals a piece of bread it neither wags the tails not eats at an open place. It eats stealthily. Why? It knows that this is a food gained by stealing. Hence it is clear that God prevents the living beings from committing a crime. Yes. This much is certain. God does not snatch away the liberty of doing an action from any body. The Soul is beginning less and is free to do any action and this being the case how can He take away the independence of human beings? If he takes away the liberty, the Souls do not remain as Souls as such or there a longing to improve from their side. For ex, when examination is going on, the teacher would be watching the boys against copying. So many boys would be writing wrong answers and the teacher is observing them. He does not prevent boys from writing wrong answers but allows them. He is not coming in the way of their independence. If the teacher on the other hand were to dictate the correct answers to all, how could there be an improvement from the boys? What is the point then in teaching and conducting examinations to them? In that event, the students do not remain as students but become a piece of lifeless dolls. It is the duty of the teacher to teach them well. To study well and write correct answers is the duty of boys. In a similar manner it is the duty of God to provide the nature of Good and bad deeds through Vedas. It is not His job to get good or bad things done. The living beings do their Karma according to their freedom. They get happiness if they were to do good things inspired by Knowledge and suffer if they do vice versa. Apart from the knowledge given thru Vedas, God by remaining within their hearts would be prompting living beings not to do evil things.  Of course, it is up to their freedom and power to heed to this advice or not. This is called the God’s attempt to prevent the occurrence of Evil deeds. Prevention does not mean taking away the freedom. In case, God was to take away the freedom of action, the imitative and Enthusiasm for doing a Work or not gets lost and the living beings become reduced to just dolls in the hands of God. And God becomes accountable for everything.

 

K: Good! Why God does not provide the benefit [Award or Punishment] immediately?

V: How can award or punishment be given instantly? Let us think for a while. God has given a reward for the good work done by a person immediately. The duration of happiness consequent of this reward could be also visualized to last for one year. Now in the very next day he does some wicked things and that that the duration of punishment for this deed is to last for a year. Now think about this. Now the man has got a reward and consequently he should not put to any suffering for a period of a year. But if punished immediately for his bad deeds for a period of a year then the earlier order of God that he should enjoy happiness for a period of one year is defeated. Since the human being possess the work freedom, he would  keep on doing either good or  bad deeds and if God were to provide instant reward for the deeds done then the system of God  awarding  punishments or happiness and their unhindered enjoyment or suffering  overlap each other   and His own inimitable law suffers.

 

K: Do the lakhs of lives in the world are born of their Karma?

V: There are two types of lives in the world. One is called Bhogayoni and other is called Ubhaya yoni. They have got this birth because of their Karma.

K: What is meant by Bhogayoni and Ubhayayoni?

V: Those lives that enjoy happiness or sorrows but do not indulge in any action for their future are called Bhogayoni. For ex, animals and birds. Man is an Ubhayayoni. He enjoys both pain and pleasures as per predetermined Karma and also does both good and bad things for future.

K: Why man is considered as Ubhayayoni?

V: Animals and Birds have passion or concern for eating only. They don’t have the passion to produce things. They are here to enjoy as decided by God’s system. They don’t earn anything. These animals eat, wheat, grains, but they are incapable of producing them for the reason they lack thinking faculty. But the man because of thinking strength produces the crops by utilizing the animals. Because of his thinking power only he is described as Ubhayayoni. He is capable of enjoying the goods and controls all animals by his thinking power. A shepherd has thousands of sheep. A cowherd has thousands of cattle.  Man gets acrobatics done even by lions in circus. Why animals? Because of this thinking strength he manipulates fire, air, water, sky, earth to his advantage. God did not give man feathers to fly but he has got aero plane built for the purpose. God did not provide him with bodies of fish, crocodile, turtle, etc, to remain in water but he has got ships, built for the purpose. God did not give him the distant penetrating sight of an eagle but has found out Microscope, Telescope etc, to overcome the difficulty. What is the secret of this? It is because of his thinking ability. Hence he is Ubhayayoni.  He enjoys the reward of his karma of his previous births and also does action for future also

K: Does all lives get their births as per their Karma? Does not man become animal or bird in his next birth?

V:  Yes. The types of lives [Yonis] are got by their own Karma. Souls keep on moving from one lives [Yonis] or the other. The Karma done in human life are linked to merit or sin [Punya or Pap] I have already told that human being possesses the thinking ability and when he misuses this faculty he commits a sin requiring to travel in all types of lives[Yonis}. God gives birth in many lives [Yonis] according to his own Karma for his improvement. The effect of his good and bad deeds leave imprint on his subtle body. It is this Sanskars that merit him births in several types of lives [Yonis].

K: When human birth is got?

V: When the Sanskars of noble deeds outweigh the Sanskars of sin he gets a human birth. When the Sanskars of selfless life become super strong he gets a liberation i.e. Moksha. In other words, man becomes free from the worries of mundane life and enjoys Bliss.

K: How can the soul of an elephant get into the size of an ant? Because the bigger the animal the bigger the size of the soul. This could be possible. Is it not?

V: There is no big or small in Souls. All Souls are of similar type. There are big or small things in the size of bodies. For ex, in a big machine there are many parts. One part cuts, the other part separates, yet another prints and each part does its own job. But the machine provides equal power to each part. But since the machine is big it has many parts with diverse functions. Those animals which have manlike lips drink milk. A bird with its peaks gulps the milk. There is no disparity in souls. The difference is found only in bodies.

K: Does birth takes place according to Karma? If that is the case, where was Karma before birth? While there cannot be Karma without a body and when was there was no soul with body, how Karma could be done then? Then how he gets caught in the bondage of births?

V: The birth takes place because of ignorance and the bodies are got according to Karma. A boy gets admitted to a school because he is ignorant. Further standards depend upon his Karma or fitness. Similarly, the man gets entry into a School called this world i.e. his first appearance with a body, due to his finite knowledge and taking births in so many lives are due to Karma. Secondly, this is not the first time that he got a birth but has obtained body countless times before and still happening. The Soul has many Sanskars.  One may ask what the Sanskars were obtaining at the time of beginning of Creation. At the beginning of Creation Sanskars pertaining to previous Creation was already there. The Creation is flowing like a river which has no beginning or end. Creation and dissolution of the world keeps on occurring like day and night. It keeps on rotating like a Wheel.

K: Some people assert that evolution has taken place from smaller animals to man.  They say that Man is the ultimate evolution in Creation.

V: This is wrong. If that is so, when man is present the other animals should have become extinct. Whereas man and other animals, birds etc, are also there. How can it be said, that Man also has evolved as other animals went on evolving?  How a seed could remain intact after it is sprouted and grown as tree? Can the flower buds remain as such after flowering? Another important thing to be noted is, there is general knowledge found to be even in animals other than man. But Special knowledge is to be found only in man.

 

How this Special knowledge is found in man? This is due to his power of thinking. This thinking power is not found available in other animals. If this thinking power was present in other animals then man would have found it, not possible to boss over them.  A common principle to be noted here is that, “Nothing emerges out of nothing”. In case, man is evolved out of other animals, then the thinking power should have been present in other animals too. But this is not seen. The theory of evolution says that man is evolved out of monkey. If this is the case, then a just born baby would not have been drowned if thrown into water. If man is evolved out of monkey then all the powers of monkey should have been found invested in man. But this is not the position. Hence, it is clear that man, animals, birds etc have been formed as per the just system of God.

 

Note :  This is the translated version of the original Hindi  “Do bahinonke bathe” written by late Pt. Siddagopal”Kavirathna” .