Baba's Words

However all is not over by renouncing the desire or abandoning the doer’s vanity. So long as Prakrti is active, rajoguńa is there, causing actions. Doing any act means being caught by the cycle of action and reaction. What is the way out? The only way is to surrender all actions to Brahma and to ideate that every action is performed by Brahma. Such actions will not be called our own. The actions have been performed by Brahma alone and their consequences, whether good or bad, will be borne by Brahma alone. In that case we have no separate identity.

Many people do not do anything out of fear of reactions, and they become indolent. But can they really become devoid of actions? Though they do not act externally, their heart and other organs continue to function. Moreover, inactivity or apparent inaction can never be commended. Those who have surrendered all actions unto Brahma have no reason to fear to act. It also keeps the mind completely engrossed in Brahma. Sannyása means surrendering the mind to the Supreme Object or Brahma. Those who have surrendered their mind to Brahma are the real Sannyásins.

In this connection, there is a befitting illustration in the Mahábhárata.

Draopadii inquired from Yudhisthira why he was undergoing the privations of exile in spite of his virtuous actions, while according to ordinary laws of nature he ought to be rolling in happiness. To this, Yudhisthira replied –

“Karmakari yeijan phalákáḿkśii hay;
Bańiker mata sei váńijya karay.
Phal lobhe karma kare, lubdha bali táre;
Lobhe punah punah paŕe narak dustare.
Ámi yáhá karma kari, phalákáḿkśii nai;
Samarpańa kari sarva Iishvarer t́háiṋ(1)

[“Those who solicit the fruits of their actions are no better than merchants. He or she who acts for a gain is called a greedy person and acting under the influence of greed they are carried to the dark hell. I do not act for any fruit, rather I surrender all my actions unto Brahma.”]

It is invariably true that the separate identity of the soul is completely dissolved by totally submitting the mind to Brahma. As a consequence of this, human beings qualify for the attainment of liberation (Mukti) or salvation (Mokśa).

Actions and Their Results (Karma and Karmaphala)
Mághii Púrńimá 1955 DMC, Bhagalpur

Ordinarily people perform actions with certain objective in view, but still there are many who perform actions not with a view to the result, but only for the sake of self-satisfaction or to feel elevated with vanity because they have done their duty. Suppose a particular person has donated one million rupees to a certain institution. However their mind is not at peace until they find the news of the donation published in the newspapers the following morning. All through the night he or she restlessly waits for the morning and then feels gratified to find the news of the donation in the newspapers.

Mere renunciation of the fruits of actions will not do. The vanity of having performed an act, for example the desire to see the news of gift published in the newspapers, all contributes to the formation of mental vibrations. Saḿskáras will continue to multiply as before.

Karmakleshavipákáshaeraparámrśt́ah Puruśa visheśo
iishvarah.

The term “Iishvara” means Puruśa uninfluenced by actions, afflictions, results or objectives.

For this reason one has to be actions-free in order to merge into “Iishvara”. But we have seen above that so long as Prakrti’s dominance prevails, it is not possible to be actions-free. By merely relinquishing the desire or pursuit of the fruits of action it is hard to get rid of the vanity of a doer, of the idea that “I do”, in so far as we cannot extricate ourselves from the objects of our actions or from the contemplation of accomplishment. To avoid these, one has to always contemplate that one is a machine and Brahma alone is the machine operator who gets the work done through this machine. But even this is not sufficient to eradicate the vanity of a doer. The reason is that one may believe that although a machine, yet he or she is he is superior to others having been selected by the machine operator for that particular action being performed at that point of time.

To avoid such thoughts, the belief has to be developed that Brahma is only served or chosen by Brahma. That is, Brahma inspires us to donate and again receives the same through others. It is simply by the grace of Brahma that we act and have the favourable opportunity of performing this act. It is possible to avoid the doer’s vanity or kartrtvábhimána tyága by developing this belief.

Actions and Their Results (Karma and Karmaphala)
Mághii Púrńimá 1955 DMC, Bhagalpur

A man performs each act with a particular objective or other in mind. No act can be accomplished without an objective. For example, someone is studying for an MA then their aim is to graduate? But if he or she only broods over the aim and does not strive to attain it, can they be successful? What is the significance of reflecting over or striving to achieve an aim? For instance, suppose a piece of iron is tossed upwards. The higher it will go, the more it will gain the force of coming down, and as soon as its force for going up is exhausted, it will come down with the same force as it went up. This is natural, an invariable law of Prakrti. Similarly, with every thought or deed the reactions in potentiality will inevitably have to be accumulated. As soon as any act is accomplished, the growth of the potentiality of reactions is stopped and this potential energy is invariably transformed into the reactions of the actions performed. Therefore, it has been said in the Giitá –

Karmańyevádhikáraste má phaleśu kadácana.

Human beings can only control their deeds but not the fruits thereof. When we have no command over the results of our actions, it is vain to brood over the attainment of certain objectives. There is no use in brooding. Is it not reasonable to keep on working only for the accomplishment of an act? To continue to work in this way is to relinquish the desire for the fruits of action or Phalákáḿkśa tyága.

Actions and Their Results (Karma and Karmaphala)
Mághii Púrńimá 1955 DMC, Bhagalpur

Spiritual elevation depends on three factors - Pranipata, Pariprashna and Seva. Except for these, nothing else will benefit you in any way.

You have come for a very short span of time. Therefore, utilize the time to the maximum. Serve the world with the feeling of service; render service in all the three spheres of life - physical, psychic and spiritual.

A'nanda Va'n'ii - January 2006

For a bhakta, only apta vakya has value.What comes from Parama Purusa is apta vakya. When the devotee is able to feel, realize and understand the will of Parama Purusa through having developed a relationship of love with Him, it is called apta vakya. As devotees you should follow only apta vakya .You should remember that the sixteen points are your apta vakya.

A'nanda Pu'rn'ima' 2006

nivrttimukhii = movement towards decreasing desire: ni (lack of) - vrtti (desire) + mukhii (towards);
pratisaincarah = centripetal movement towards the Cosmic Nucleus;
gun'a = binding principles;
avaks'ayen'a (3rd case) = by means of the waning

[Pratisaincara (in the Cosmic Cycle) is the gradual introversial movement under the waning influence of the gun'as.]

pravrtti = desire, movement towards crudeness;
mukhii = towards;
saincarah = "proper movement";
gun'a = binding principles, attributes, qualities;
dha'ra'ya'm (7th case) = in the flow

[Saincara (in the Cosmic Cycle) is the gradual extroversial movement under the increasing influence of the gun'as (binding principles).]

Parama = Supreme;
Shivah = Consciousness;
Purus'ottamah = literally "Highest Consciousness", name for Cosmic Consciousness in the nucleus of creation;
vishvasya (6th case) = of the universe;
kendram = nucleus

[Supreme Consciousness at the nucleus of the universe is known as Paramashiva or Purus'ottama.]

tayoh (6th case) = of the two;
siddhih = proof, fulfilment;
saincare (7th case) = in saincara. saincara = literally "proper movement", the extroversive phase of creation from subtle to crude: sam (proper) - car (to go) + ghain (suffix);
pratisaincare (7th case) = in the introversive phase of creation from crude to subtle: prati = reverse, counter; ca = and.

[Purus'a and Prakrti find their fulfilment in saincara (extroversial movement) and pratisaincara (introversial movement).]

A'nanda Su'tram

Shaktih = Operative Principle, Cosmic Force, Prakrti;
Sa' = She, Prakrti;
Shivasya (6th case) = of Shiva.

[Shakti (the Operative Principle) is the shakti (force) of Shiva.]

A'nanda Su'tram