Doing Bad Karmas Lead to Lower Births

As per the Hindu Philosophy, any "Karma" done by a person, remains with that person, unless he/she has enjoyed the consequential Fruit arisen out of doing that Karma. For a good act done by him, he shall bear good result & enjoy it. Similarly for a bad act done by him, he shall bear bad result & shall have to bear punishment for it. So ,whatever, action/karma we perform with our body, mind or even speech, it should not do harm to others but should be of some use only to others. By doing good Karmas only we shall get good life in future births & shall finally meet the God.

In Hindu scriptures Karma is related to the origin of one's own body. Karmas of earlier birth become the basis of this birth & Karmas of this birth become the basis of your next birth & so on. At death, soul of a person takes the stock of all Karmas (having its reservoir in that person's mind) & Divinity or God as per the divine law takes a handful of those Karmas & a new body is made with the seeds of these Karmas. So if a person has done good Karmas he/she gets a good godly body in heavens & if he/she has done bad karmas in this life then that person's soul goes to lower wombs of birds & animals. So it is generally said that we should do good Karmas only.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about how a soul travels from one body to the other & where it goes as per the Karmic law:

"yada sattve pravrddhe tu
pralayam yati deha-bhrt
tadottama-vidam lokan
amalan pratipadyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages."

"rajasi pralayam gatva
karma-sangisu jayate
tatha pralinas tamasi
mudha-yonisu jayate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruit producing activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom."

"urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the Lower hell worlds."

In above verses Lord Krishna explains the result of “Rajo Gun” or mode of passion being predominant at the time of death is that the jiva or embodied being is born into families that are are involved in vigorous activity. Likewise the result of “Tamo Gun” or mode of ignorance being predominant at the moment of death then the jiva is born in the wombs of irrational species as animals.

Lord Krishna describes that when a jiva or embodied being dies while in “Rajo Gun” or the mode of passion, one takes birth among those who perform activities out of desire for rewards and having been born as such will endeavour mightily to accomplish works that would be rewarded by immense wealth and power even up unto the heavenly spheres. Similarly if one dies while under the influence of “Tamo Gun”or the mode of ignorance then such jivas will be born from the wombs of animals such as pigs and dogs where one would be completely incapacitated to perform any activity that would give any spiritual benefit.

Lord Krishna states that if death comes upon a jiva or embodied being while predisposed to “Rajo Gun” or the mode of passion then one takes birth next from those who are obsessed to perform actions in anticipation of rewards. Also a jiva dying while under the influence of “Tamo Gun” or mode of ignorance is forced to take birth as an animal in the next life.

So we should do Good Karmas only as result of doing good karmas is good only. Those people who do Bad Karmas, do harm to other people & do sinful activities, such people shall have bad consequences as they are in the “Tamo Gun” state at the time of their death. Such “Tamo Guni” people shall take birth in the animal species as a dog, or pig or other animals, or in the birds species or even in lower species as an insect or worm. So Lets do only Good Karmas only in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Why Bhishma Pitamah had to Suffer on a Bed of Arrows?

When Bhishma Pitamah was struck down by Arjuna,in the Mahabharata War, he fell down from his chariot. But since the arrows had pierced his chest (gone aar-paar), he did not touch the ground, but remained lying on the bed of arrows. His head was hanging, he needed to rest it, and told Arjuna to make some provision. Arjuna immediately stuck 3 arrows beneath his head to support it. Bhishma remarked joyfully - "What a fitting pillow for a warrior like me - a pillow to match the bed !". Next he asked for water, since he was thirsty. Arjuna once, more, struck a mighty arrow right through the earth, and Ganga maiya surged up to pour cool water in the parched mouth of her beloved son. So Bhishma Pitamah had to suffer the pangs on the bed of arrows in battlefield before attaining final beatitude and redemption to Vaikuntha Loka.

Now what was the Karmic reason that Bhishma Pitamah had to Suffer on a Bed of Arrows? To the question as to why Bhishma Pitamah was suffering this punishment even when he had not committed any sin during past 72 birth lives (Great Bhishma could peep into his past lives through Samadhi), Lord Krishna replied him that he committed a folly in past 73rd life birth when he inflicted injuries to insects by piercing thorns / needles into their bodies. Those thorns have now appeared as bed of arrows for you. Your sinful Karma remained dormant as you were a pious person throughout theses lives but since you have now become a party to Adharma of Duryodhana, the sanchit evil Karma’s of 73rd life has ripened now.

So if a person has done good Karmas in past lives, he/she gets a good life in future births & if he/she has done bad karmas in past lives then that person has to suffer bad fruit of those bad Karmas. So it is generally said that we should do good Karmas only.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about how a soul travels from one body to the other & where it goes as per the Karmic law:

"yada sattve pravrddhe tu
pralayam yati deha-bhrt
tadottama-vidam lokan
amalan pratipadyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of goodness (after doing good Karmas) , he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages."

"rajasi pralayam gatva
karma-sangisu jayate
tatha pralinas tamasi
mudha-yonisu jayate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruit producing activities (i.e. as a man or woman on earth); and when one dies in the mode of ignorance (after doing bad Karmas) , he takes birth in the bird & animal kingdom."

So it is said that we should do all our Karmas for the God only as by doing such Karmas no evil result shall come out of those Karmas in future lives.

"yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra
loko ’yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya
mukta-sangah samachara" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 9)

"Sri Krishna said: Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O Arjuna, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage."

So let’s do Good Karmas only so that we shall get Goof Fruits of those Karmas in future births. Let’s do all the Karmas for God only as by that way God shall protect us always.

Jai Shri Krishna

Our Present Life is The Result of Our Deeds in Past Lives

At the end of Kurukshetra War, when Bhishma was lying down pierced by thousand arrows of Arjuna, then Pandavas asked Bhishma to give them knowledge of life & past life. Pandavas said:

“O Great Bhishma! Some people in this life earn money without any effort and some people do not get a single pie inspite of their strenuous efforts. Some people, inspite of having lots of money, are not inclined to enjoy the life. Some people, without learning anything from any Guru, acquire more knowledge and intelligence. Some people, inspite of serving many gurus, learn nothing in life. Some people, inspite of suffering with number of diseases and receiving death blows with lethal weapons, do not meet their death. But some people, even though they are strong and mighty, meet their death by receiving a smallest blow from a small piece of stick. What is the reason for all these adversities & why it happen like that?

At this Bhishma siad:

“O Pandavas! the only answer for all the above questions is the result of their deeds in past life. Without sowing seeds, plants never sprout. Similarly, good or bad deeds done in past life give good and bad results in the present life. By making charities in past life, one gets enormous wealth in present life without any effort. Tapas made in past life yields pleasures in present life. Service done to elders and gurus in past life results in acquiring knowledge and intelligence without studying under any guru. If one observes non violence in past life then that person lives for long age in present life. Therefore, Sadhu / Saintly people always observe nonviolence, make charities, regard gurus, serve elders and guests etc. Then only they enjoy pleasures in next life. So it’s all about doing Good or Bad Karmas in past life that one get a good or bad result in present life."

In Hindu scriptures Karma is related to the origin of one's own body. Karmas of earlier birth become the basis of this birth & Karmas of this birth become the basis of your next birth & so on. At death, soul of a person takes the stock of all Karmas (having its reservoir in that person's mind) & Divinity or God as per the divine law takes a handful of those Karmas & a new body is made with the seeds of these Karmas. So if a person has done good Karmas he/she gets a good godly body in heavens & if he/she has done bad karmas in this life then that person's soul goes to lower wombs of birds & animals. So it is generally said that we should do good Karmas only.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about how a soul travels from one body to the other & where it goes as per the Karmic law:

"sariram yad avapnoti
yac chapy utkramatishvarah
grhitvaitani samyati
vayur gandhan ivasayat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, As the wind carries away odours from their seat, even so the Jivatma (soul), the lord of the body, snatching these (the mind & the senses) from the body, which it casts off, migrates into the body, which it acquires.

"yada sattve pravrddhe tu
pralayam yati deha-bhrt
tadottama-vidam lokan
amalan pratipadyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages."

"rajasi pralayam gatva
karma-sangisu jayate
tatha pralinas tamasi
mudha-yonisu jayate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruit producing activities (i.e. as a man or woman on earth); and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the bird & animal kingdom."

As per the Hindu Philosophy, any "Karma" done by a person, remains with that person, unless he/she has enjoyed the consequential Fruit arisen out of doing that Karma. For a good act done by him, he shall bear good result & enjoy it. Similarly for a bad act done by him, he shall bear bad result & shall have to bear punishment for it. So ,whatever, action/karma we perform with our body, mind or even speech, it should not do harm to others but should be of some use only to others. By doing good Karmas only we shall get good life in future births & shall finally meet the God.

Read also...............Understanding "Karma" as per the Hindu Philosophy?

Read also...............Is there Life after death?

Jai Shri Krishna