The Archery of Existence: Aligning With Destiny Through Conscious Choice.
Prarabdha and Purushartha in the journey of life.
Podcast about Prarabdha and Purushartha.
The interplay between destiny and free will has perplexed philosophers across time. The Vedantic sages illuminate this mystery through the concepts of prarabdha karma and purushartha.
Prarabdha refers to the portion of one's accumulated karma that has become activated to bear fruit in this lifetime. These karmic seeds were sown in previous lives and have sprouted in the fertile field of our present existence. Prarabdha manifests as our innate tendencies, capacities, and the circumstances into which we are born.
In contrast, purushartha represents our capacity for conscious choice and free will. While prarabdha maps the terrain, pur
ushartha allows us to navigate it. We have agency in how we respond to situations that arise due to prarabdha. Our decisions shape the course of our life within the parameters prescribed by destiny.
To illustrate the dynamics between these two forces, let us examine the metaphor of an archer. The archer symbolizes the jivatma, or individual soul. The target represents the jivatma's destiny, mapped by prarabdha. Now the archer can choose to aim skillfully or carelessly, with focus or distraction. These choices reflect purushartha.
The most skilled archer may miss the bullseye due to external factors like wind speed and direction. This symbolizes the limits imposed by prarabdha karma. But a focused and disciplined archer will fare better than one who is undisciplined, even if their inherent skill levels differ due to prarabdha. Similarly, while results are not wholly in our hands, our conscious choices determine the quality of the process. Two students may study a similar number of hours for an exam. But the focused student who studies without distractions will comprehend more than the student watching TV while looking.
What produces our actions? The Vedantic view holds that both prarabdha and purushartha play a role. Our personality, desires, and capabilities are shaped by innate tendencies due to prarabdha. But within these parameters, we have freedom of action. For instance, you may have an inherently impatient nature due to karma, but with awareness, you can choose to respond patiently to situations.
The wise utilize purushartha to maximize harmony with their prarabdha. Consider two people with an illness caused by past karma. One person may become bitter and frustrated by this limitation. The other approaches it with equanimity and faith, making lifestyle adjustments to minimize discomfort. Both face the same prarabdha, but their purushartha creates differed interior experiences.
Changing unfavourable prarabdha requires transcending the cycles of action and reaction perpetuating karma. Vedanta says that this freedom comes through atma jnana, or Self-knowledge. With enlightenment, action arises from inner freedom rather than compulsion. We gain mastery over destiny.
Neither destiny nor will alone is supreme. Both prarabdha and purushartha interact in every moment, shaping the evolution of life. Understanding their interplay allows us to harmonize with existential forces and sow seeds for a beautiful future.
The Gita states that the best way to exercise purushartha is to act without attachment to the fruits of one’s actions, dedicating them to the Lord. In this way, one frees the mind from passions and desires that generate karma and realizes the supreme Self (atman), which is identical to Brahman, the absolute reality. This is the path of liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirths (samsara).
Some verses of the Gita that illustrate these concepts are:
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.” (II.47)
“One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work.” (VI.4)
“Renouncing all actions unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.” (III.30)
“He who sees Me in everything and everything in Me, I am never lost to him nor is he ever lost to Me.” (VI.30)
I have woven tales for anyone who cares to read them. My books await you on Google Books.
