On Karma - The Foundation of Jyotisha

Jaya Shri Krishna.

Namaskaram, dear reader.

We often have a question as to why Jyotisha works in the first place. If the world is truly random and events happen in an ad-hoc manner as we have been conditioned to believe by the forces of Nature - how does Jyotisha reveal events from the Future?

What is the framework behind the beautiful, clockwork-like operation of events that are hidden behind a set of clues we have been able to decipher in the form of astrological patterns?

There are two levels that explain how Jyotisha works. 

Primarily, the Law of Karma. The intricate workings of this universal system have been revealed to the enlightened sages such as the Great Patanjali Maharshi. Who in his monumental Yoga Sutras declared -

क्लेशमूलः कर्माशयो दृष्टादृष्टजन्मवेदनीयः

सति मूले तद्विपाको जात्यायुर्भोगाः

ते ह्लादपरितापफलाः पुण्यापुण्यहेतुत्वात् || 2.13,14 & 15 ||

The root of all suffering is the accumulation of Karmic impressions that is to be experienced in the present and future births. As long as the root cause (repository of Karma) exists, its results manifest in the form of the type of birth, lifespan and experiences. 

The Karmic results manifest as either enjoyments, if one has accumulated virtue, or sufferings if one has accumulated sin. || 2.13,14 & 15 || Patanjali Yoga Sutras

As the Shrimad Bhagavatam, a monumental Vedic Purana states as below that the Jeeva (living entity) experiences the effects of one’s collected  righteous and unrighteous actions in the next incarnation. 

Śrimad Bhāgavatam 6.1.45

येन यावान्यथाधर्मो धर्मो वेह समीहित: ।

स एव तत्फलं भुङ्क्ते तथा तावदमुत्र वै ॥ ४५ ॥

The same Purana also mentions that this transmission of positive or negative results takes place under the divine supervision (KarmanA DaivanetreNa)

An individual commits a specific Karma, or action. Every action has a reaction, and must be experienced by that individual. Intent has a stronger effect and these Karmas are stored in a layer of consciousness that then translates into a result. This can be termed a Karmic contract. Every time one commits an act, the collective result of it has to be experienced by the individual that caused it. 

As the Chandogya Upanishad states, one’s Karma has an impact on what kind of incarnation one will take next. From the species to the unique experiences, there is no dearth in variety. Some may be born as animals, some as microbes, some as plants, trees with varying levels of perception, emotion, and experience. 

So is the Universal Law as per the Upanishads which have been echoed by the greatest enlightened minds that have gained the awareness of the Truth. For example, the Buddha in whose teachings this principle has been expounded. 

The result thus fated requires time to ‘ripen’. 

Which is why Jyotisha’s predictive part is known as Phalita. Karmaphala, or the fruit of action, needs time to ripen. The time needed for a Karmic contract to have effect is very precise, and engrained deeply within this layer of consciousness. For which the individual either may experience its result in the present incarnation, or as required it may take another incarnation to fulfill the contract. The great Jain Munis and the Divine Buddha too delved deep into this aspect of the ‘ripening of Karma’ 

We will give a brief overview of this law here too. 

The precision and timing of these contracts is deeply interconnected with the rest of existence as everything is interconnected at a higher level in a strong way. That means a celestial giant such as Jupiter or the massive orbs such as stars have a direct influence on the humans, and even that is precisely meant for the target individual or group based on their Karma. 

Essentially, the time for a Karma to ripen is linked to the Graha cycles. The Grahas dispense the results in accordance with the law of Karma. This connection has been referenced to in the Brihat Samhita as ‘प्रारब्धमसुस्थितैर्ग्रहै:’ The verse highlights the fact that the effects of one’s Praarabdha are dispensed by the Grahas. 

The wise Varahamihira states emphatically - 

प्रारब्धमसुस्थितैर्ग्रहैर्यत्कर्मात्मविवृद्धये अबुधैः ।

विनिहन्ति तदेव कर्म तान्वैतालीयमिव अयथाकृतम् ॥ ५९ ॥

Actions undertaken by the dim-witted, even if for the purpose of prosperity will end up being disastrous as if under a spell,  for those whose negative Karma is to be dispensed by Grahas placed negatively in their chart. 

That is the power of action. Negative actions lead to an accumulation of Karma, which then matures and fructifies as a reaction, dispensed by the Grahas and their negative or positive placements. 

It is indeed impossible for mere mortals like us, who are disconnected from the Truth to understand Karma in its entirety and hence I have just shared the words of the enlightened Ones for the benefit of the students. 

As Bhagavan Shri Krishna states, गहना कर्मणो गति:, The system of Karma is indeed bewildering.

Through Jyotisha we can gain a glimpse into the workings of this system. It is as complex as the Universe itself, for there exist innumerable types of actions, situations, and environments. As one action leads to another, it is often so complex that it is impossible to distinguish an act done willingly versus one done under the influence of circumstances. 

Jyotisha, through its deep knowledge, can help one decipher the ordainments of the system in very specific ways. This is exactly how we are able to predict certain events. 

The Three types of Karma

Sripada Adi Shankaracharya Bhagavatpaada further described three types of Karmas in his Tattvabodha. 

कर्माणि कतिविधानि सन्तीति चेत् ?

आगामि–सञ्चित–प्रारब्धभेदेन त्रिविधानि सन्ति॥

“How many kinds of karmas exist?

There are three: Āgāmi, Sañcita, Prārabdha.”

The next verses then define each one (Āgāmi, Sañcita, Prārabdha). 

1) Āgāmi-karma (the “newly-produced”)

ज्ञानोत्पत्त्यनन्तरं ज्ञानी–देहकृतं पुण्य–पाप–रूपं कर्म यदस्ति तदागामीत्यभिधीयते।

jñānotpattianantaraṃ jñānī–deha–kṛtaṃ puṇya–pāpa–rūpaṃ karma yad asti tad āgāmīty abhidhīyate.

Sense: “After the rise of Self-knowledge, whatever merit/demerit–type action is done by the (still-living) knower’s body is called Āgāmi.”

Mechanism: Āgāmi = fresh karma generated after realization (or simply, by present doing); in a non-knower it accrues to one’s account; in a jñānī it does not.

Note: This type of Karma is linked to a liberated individual.

2) Sañcita-karma (the “accumulated stock”)

संचितं कर्म किम्?

अनन्तकोटिजनमानां बीजभूतं सत् यत् कर्मजातं पूर्वार्जितं तिष्ठति तत् संचितं ज्ञेयं॥

sañcitaṁ karma kim?

anantakoṭijanmanāṁ bījabhūtaṁ sat yat karma-jātaṁ pūrvārjitaṁ tiṣṭhati tat sañcitaṁ jñeyam.

Q: “What is sañcita karma?”

A: “That accumulated karma—acquired in innumerable births—which remains in seed-form as a stored stock is to be known as sañcita.”

This verse is very significant as it also illustrates the Vedic concept of innumerable incarnations a Jeevi (individual spirit) goes through. As the Bhagavan says in the Gita. 

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।

तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥ ४-५॥

Oh Arjuna, we have passed through several births, you and I. I know all of every single incarnation, but you, do not.

Sañcita-karma is the entire unspent backlog of one's puṇya/pāpa, the seed-potentials (bīja-bhūta) from countless lives, stored in the karmic storehouse (karmāśaya) of the subtle body (liṅga-śarīra), not yet allocated to this lifetime. It simply exists, waiting to be spent over the course of the next incarnations. 

A few lines later Tattvabodha states the result of knowledge upon this large seed bank of Karmas called Sanchita:

सञ्चितं कर्म ब्रह्मैवाहमिति निश्चयात्मक–ज्ञानेन नश्यति।

sancitaṃ karma brahmaivāham iti niścayātmaka–jñānena naśyati.

Sense: “Sañcita-karma is destroyed by the firm knowledge ‘I am Brahman’.”

Mechanism: The entire heap of unfructified karma (the stock) is burnt by Self-knowledge. (That is why Sañcita is not said to ‘continue’ for a true jñānī - self realized soul) 

3. Prārabdha-karma — the embodiment-causing, experience-disbursing karma

(śarīra-utpādaka, bhoga-pradāyaka)

prārabdhaṃ karma kim iti cet |

idaṃ śarīram utpādya iha loke sukha-duḥkhādi-pradaṃ yat karma tat prārabdham |

bhogena naṣṭaṃ bhavati prārabdha-karmaṇāṃ bhogād eva kṣaya iti ||

Translation

Q: What is Prārabdha-karma?

That karma which, having given rise to this very body, causes experiences of pleasure and pain in this world—that is called Prārabdha.

The exhaustion of Prārabdha-karma comes only through experience (bhoga). In other words, Prārabdha is destroyed only by being lived out.

Prārabdha-karma is the portion of the karmic stock that is drawn at conception and causes this very embodiment (idaṁ śarīram utpādya), then disburses a stream of pleasure–pain experiences in this janma, waning only by being undergone (bhogād eva kṣayaḥ).

Operating now: it is the activated slice of karma; once operative, it concludes only through experience (bhoga), and no matter what, cannot be destroyed in any way. The body linked to it must experience it in full. 

As described in Yogasūtra 2.13, it is Prarabdha that fixes the present frame of jāti (type of birth/species/bodily or mental qualities), āyus (lifespan window), and key bhoga (major experiences).

Let us elaborate on each of these. 

1. Jāti here refers to the type of birth. We all realize how significant the type of one's type of birth is to any outcome. 

For example, being a human being, with the most developed brain, mind and emotional sense with extraordinary intelligence in comparison to other species already predisposes one to success in the world. 

Which is why the scriptures state that the Janma of a human being is indeed rare and must not be wasted. 

Even in this, being born in affluent conditions  either to parents who are wealthy or well educated is not only numerically rare but also requires a great deal of positive Prarabdha. 

A common example given in studies of success is that often one of the biggest determinators of success is the country one is born in. And it is our Prarabdha that influences this, entirely. 

Simply being born to healthy parents and having few to no diseases is a Jaati privilege, or a privilege of the type of birth. 

Flipping the script, imagine the huge odds faced by a Jeeva born as an insect, an animal on the lower parts of the food chain, or right in the middle of a war torn country to poor, suffering humans. The differences at birth are of varied levels. 

Even modern studies have proven that luck plays a far larger role in our lives than what we commonly acknowledge. The privilege of being born simply as a human is in itself massive, what to speak of being born in more advantageous conditions?

Why such enormous difference in luck, man has questioned for long. It is only the true knowledge of the Law of Karma that can answer this question. 

2. Ayus. 

Secondly, Praarabdha influences our lifespan. Think of a child, born in a royal family in the b et conditions available to mankind but having one's life cut short to a decade by fate. 

Or a person with great potential getting quipped by fate at a young age in the most dramatic manners, as if it had simply been decided so. 

Yet there are many who live long and longer. Even this disparity has pushed the most peaceful thinkers into mental chaos. 

The wise sages however, have an answer. Even lifespan is decided by one's Prarabdha (the stock of Karma that is meant to be experienced in this birth)

3. Bhoga. Experiences. 

Even then, continuing our example, with an excellent birth and lifespan, individuals have wildly varying experiences. 

Someone might suddenly face a life changing accident. Or lose a loved one, driving them mad. Or experience a deep, dark heartbreak. 

On the flipside, someone might gain access to the best education, seemingly by the dint of luck. 

Or, might win the lottery of his career by simply happening to meet the right opportunity at the right place. While these occurrences both positive and negative, seem to be random and by the dint of luck, it is indeed Praarabdha that influences the same. 

Another bit of wisdom in our scriptures may leave some rattled. Even those achievements and experiences whose attainment we attribute to our own hardwork are effects of Praarabdha. 

What is hard work? It is indeed achievable through focus, a circumstance that makes one work hard, a mental state or a will to do so.  What is intelligence? What is discipline? These are all states that are only attainable by those who have accumulated the Prarabdha necessary to be able to work hard. 

And again, whether that hard work will bear fruit also rests with Praarabdha, for it is on a deeper but palpable level, responsible for outcomes and experiences. 

Now that we understand the foundations of Karma and its broad categorisation, this initial bout of knowledge leads to greater questions on fate and free will. I would like to remind the dear reader that the subject of Karma is beyond the comprehension of a mere mortal such as myself. I have however tried my best to give what the sages have said about it. So please read the next paragraphs with an open mind devoted to the truth. Devoted simply to the search for truth, decline the temptation to be fed with what your mind may like to hear. 

The Vedic thought is that everything happens for a reason. Every event in the entire Universe is controlled by an environment, which is controlled by the laws of Karma. This Universal system runs like a Machine, as Bhagavan Krishna says in Gita - Yantrārūḍhāni Māyayā. 

That explains why the future indeed is discernible for it already exists in its entirety. This notion may clash with the modern concept of indeterminism, where everything happens for no predetermined reason. But a seeker of Truth can realize that on a deeper level the past, present and future are simply illusory states and it is Maya, the illusory power of the world that creates mirages of perception. 

Important to note here is that it is only the Jeeva, the individual soul who is bound by the Karmic reactions. Not one’s true identity, which is known as the Atman. Despite some conflation in various translations, Jeeva refers merely to the individual soul, vulnerable to the influences of Karmic actions. 

The one who transcends the imaginary identities crafted by the illusory nature of Maya shall be unbeknownst to the anxieties of the body as put beautifully by Shri Shankaracharya Bhagavatpada in his Vivekachudamani. 

प्रारब्धसूत्रगृथितं शरीरं प्रायतु वा तिष्ठतु गोरिव स्रक् ।

न तत् पुनः पश्यति तत्त्ववेद्यानन्दात्मनि ब्रह्मणि लीनवृत्तिः ॥ ४१७ ॥ 

This body, woven of the strands of prārabdha, may drop or remain like a garland on a cow; the knower of Truth, absorbed in Bliss of Brahman, does not notice it.

The Atman on the other hand, which is the only true Self, is unbound, unharmed, unaffected by any Karmic reaction. It is the sum total of existence and cannot be accessed through physical means. It can, however, be realised through a true path given by a Guru, known as Self Realisation. 

एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति ।

तमात्मस्थं ये'नुपश्यन्ति धीरास्तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ॥ १२ ॥

There is One who solely controls all, exists as the Supreme Self of all existence. Only those shall be situated in eternal bliss who realize and perceive in perfection that it is this One who manifests itself in Multitude. 

Even more interestingly, at a deeper level, all of material existence is nothing but mechanical, functioning like clockwork. All that has happened had to happen. 

Everything, including the Past, Present as well as the Future are completely under the control of Ishwara. As the Vishnu Sahasranamam says, bhūta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuḥ - the Supreme One is the Lord of all, the past, present and future. 

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।

भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ॥ ६१ ॥

Or as Bhagavan Shri Krishna says, it is Ishwara or the Supreme One that indeed has the entire world running on a machine of Maya. The machinations of Maya completely control every act, every event and all that is to happen. He shows us the perfectly functioning illusion of free will in the Vishwaroopa episode, where all those that must be slain have already been slain. Arjuna saw the future of every warrior on the battlefield, vividly

Essentially, all that is to happen was simply supposed to. 

Writing this section was the most transformative for me, personally, as I simply marveled at the amazing mirage that the world is, where truth hides in plain sight but seems difficult to perceive.

Little by little though, with fervent devotion and the Grace of that Divine One, we can indeed clean the mirror of Self reflection to realize what truly is. 

And till then, as succinctly put by the Nada Bindu Upanishad - 

 आत्मानं सततं ज्ञात्वा कालं नय महामते । प्रारब्धमखिलं भुञ्जन्नोद्वेगं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २१ ॥

Reminding yourself of your true Self; live out your prārabdha entirely without agitation.