Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

(116) PRARABDHA (FATE)

Prev Next 17th May, 1947
This morning at 9 o’clock one devotee addressed
Bhagavan as follows: “Swami, you said yesterday that a Jnani
will perform such actions as are ordained according to his
prarabdha. But it is said that Jnanis have no prarabdha at all!”
Bhagavan said, in a leisurely way, “How did they get this
body if they have no prarabdha? How do they perform the various
actions? The actions of Jnanis are themselves called prarabdhas. It
is stated that there is prarabdha from Brahma right up to Sadasiva
and the Avatars of Rama and Krishna and others also.

pirÇa[ay saxUna< ivnazay c Ê:k«tam!,
xmRs

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of
evildoers, for the sake of firmly establishing dharma
(righteousness), I am born from age to age.

Bhagavad Gita, IV: 8
“As stated in this sloka, Ishwara assumes a shape when
the virtues of good people and the sins of bad people mingle
and become prarabdha and he has to establish dharma. That
is called parechcha prarabdha (the acts of other people). The
body itself is prarabdha. The purpose for which that body
has come into existence will get done of its own accord.”
The questioner of yesterday said, “In the Gita, Karma
Yoga has been given greater prominence.” “Oho! Is that
so? Karma Yoga is not the only one. What about the others?
If you understand them all, you will know the real secret of
Karma Yoga; only you don’t do that,” said Bhagavan.

Ah< 3turh< y}> SvxahmhmaE;xm!,
mNÇae=hmhmevaJymhmi¶rh< ÷tm!. IX: 16
I am the oblation, I am the sacrifice, I the offering, the
fire-giving herb, the mantram; also the clarified butter, the
fire, and the burnt-offering.

Before saying this, Lord Krishna in the Gita has said:
n c ma< tain kmaRi[ inb×iNt xnÃy,
%dasInvdasInms ́< te;u kmRsu. IX: 9
Nor do these works bind me, O Dhananjaya, enthroned
on high, unattached to actions.

Besides this:
%dasInvdasInae gu[EyaeR n ivcaLyte,
gu[a vtRNt #Tyev yae=vitóit ne1⁄4te. XIV: 23
He who, seated as a neutral, is unshaken by the qualities
(gunas), who stands apart immovable saying, ‘the gunas
revolve’.

And:
smÊ>osuo> SvSw> smlaeòaZmka,
tuLyiàyaiàyae xIrStuLyinNdaTms. XIV: 24
Balanced in pleasure and pain, self-reliant, to whom a
lump of earth, rock, and gold are alike, the same to loved
and unloved, firm, the same in censure and in praise.

And again:
manapmanyaeStuLyStuLyae imÇairp]yae>,
svaRrMÉpirTyagI tu[atIt> s %Cyte. XVI: 25
The same in honour and dishonour, the same to friend
and foe, abandoning all undertakings — he is said to have
crossed over the qualities (gunas).

“That is what has been stated. The Mahapurushas (great
personages) mentioned above, are realised souls. Whatever
outward shape they may have, sishya (disciple), bhakta (devotee),
udaseena (the unconcerned) and papatma (sinner), all the people
in these four categories are protected through the grace of
the Jnanis. The sishyas worship them as gurus, ascertain the
truth and attain mukti (freedom from bondage). Bhaktas pray
to them as the swarupa (form) of God and get release from
their sins. Udaseenas listen to what the Guru says, get enthused
and become devotees. Sinners hear the stories from people
that come and go and get release from their sins. People in
these four categories are protected by the grace of Jnanis,”
said Bhagavan.

Someone said, “You said that bad people will be released
from their sins. Is that by listening to what others say or by
talking amongst themselves?” “It is by hearing what others
say. They are sinners, aren’t they? How will they talk about
good people?” said Bhagavan. Yesterday’s questioner asked,
“You said sinners will get released. Does that mean from
their bodily or mental ailments?” “It is for the mind only,”
Bhagavan replied, “happiness is possible only if the mind is
right. If the mind is not right, whatever else may be, there is
no peace. The mind becomes ripe according to each person’s
fitness. A nastik (an agnostic) becomes an astik (a believer), an
astik becomes a bhakta, a bhakta becomes a jignasu (one desirous
of Knowledge) and a jignasu becomes a Jnani. This refers to
the mind only. What is the use of saying it refers to the body?
If the mind is happy, not only the body but the whole world
will be happy. So one must find out the way of becoming
happy oneself. One cannot do this except by finding out
about oneself by Self-enquiry. To think of reforming the world
without doing that is like thinking of covering the whole
world with leather to avoid the pain caused by walking on
stones and thorns when the much simpler method of wearing
leather shoes is available. When by holding an umbrella over
your head you can avoid the sun, will it be possible to cover
the face of the whole earth by tying a cloth over it to avoid
the sun? If a person realises his position and stays in his own
self, things that are to happen will happen. Things that are
not to happen will not happen. The shakti that is in the world,
is only one. All these troubles arise if we think that we are
separate from that shakti.”