**Karma, Its Fruits, and Rebirth**

 

**Karma, Its Fruits, and Rebirth**

**“Ye rūpāṇi pratimuñcamānā asurāḥ santaḥ svadhayā caranti |

Parāpuro nipuro ye bharanty agniṣṭāṁllokāt praṇudāty asmāt ||”**

— *Yajurveda 2.30*

**Meaning:**

Those wicked people who, through false conduct of mind, speech, and body, cause suffering to other beings by injustice and seize others’ possessions for their own pleasure—God subjects them to sorrow and gives them birth in lower wombs, so that they may undergo the fruits of their sins and then again become fit for a human body. Therefore, all people ought to avoid such wicked persons and sinful acts and should always practice righteousness.

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**“Ayaṁ devāya janmane stomo viprebhir āsayā |

Akāri ratnadhātamaḥ ||”**

— *Ṛgveda 1.20.1*

**Meaning:**

A person attains birth and experiences in accordance with the deeds he performs.

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**Rebirth is also established by the following statements:**

When Lakṣmaṇa is struck by a powerful weapon and falls unconscious, Śrī Rāmacandra, seeing his condition, laments and says:

**“Pūrvaṁ mayā nūnam abhīpsitāni,

Pāpāni karmāṇy asakṛt kṛtāni |

Tatrādyāyam āpatito vipāko,

Duḥkhena duḥkhaṁ yad ahaṁ viśāmi ||”**

— *Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa 63.4*

**Meaning:**

Surely, in a previous birth I committed many desired sins again and again. The fruit of those deeds has now befallen me, because of which I am passing from one sorrow to another.

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At another place it is described: while searching for Sītā, Hanumān reaches the Aśokavāṭikā in Laṅkā. There Sītā says to Hanumān:

**“Bhāgyavaiṣamyayogena, purā duścaritena ca |

Mayaitat prāpyate sarvaṁ, svakṛtaṁ hy upabhujyate ||”**

— *Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa 113.36*

**Meaning:**

Due to the imbalance of fate arising from past misdeeds, all this has come upon me. I am experiencing the results of my own previous actions, for one must surely undergo the fruits of one’s own deeds.

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Rebirth is also mentioned in the *Mahābhārata*. After Duryodhana is killed, Dhṛtarāṣṭra laments and says:

**“Nūnaṁ vyapakṛtaṁ kiñcin mayā pūrveṣu janmasu |

Yena māṁ duḥkhabhāgeṣu dhātā karmasu yuktavān |

Pariṇāmaś ca vayasaḥ sarvabandhukṣayaś ca me ||”**

**Meaning:**

O Kṛṣṇa! Surely, in previous births we committed many sins. Because of this, the Creator has bound us to these grievous sufferings. I have grown old, and all my relatives and kinsmen have perished.

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Similarly, Gandhārī, overwhelmed with grief, says:

**“Nūnam ācaritaṁ pāpaṁ mayā pūrveṣu janmasu |

Yā paśyāmi hatān putrān bhrātṝṁś ca Mādhava ||”**

— *Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva 7*

**Meaning:**

O Mādhava! Surely I committed many sins in previous births; therefore, I am now seeing my sons, grandsons, and brothers slain.

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**Conclusion:**

From these statements it is clearly established that there was a previous birth, and after this life there will be another birth as well. Thus, the cycle continues—birth after death, and death after birth—unceasingly.

Reproduced by Dr. Vivek Arya