Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday visited the first Integrated De-addiction and Rehabilitation Center for women in the state at Bhuntar in Kullu district and inquired about the facilities being provided there.

The consultants working at the Centre shared information with the Governor, who later also interacted with the inmates under treatment. The Governor, accompanied by Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg, and Superintendent of Police Gurdev Sharma, also saw and appreciated the colourful paintings made by the inmates.

On the occasion, while interacting with the inmates, the Governor said that they need to rectify their mistakes, try to get healthy and return home with a positive attitude. They should keep themselves busy with work as everyone was ready to help them, he added.

A separate rehabilitation center for boys has been provided with 20 beds in the campus while the women’s center has 15-bed capacity. The women's center was being looked after by the District Red Cross Society. It was informed that 140 women have been attending OPD centers in this center being run from June 29, 2022. They are being given free treatment.

Earlier, the Governor offered prayers at the Hidimba Temple in Manali and also visited the Rishi Vashisht temple.

VOICE WITHIN / VIJAY SINGAL: Sanchit, Prarabdh and Kriyaman Karma

As per the doctrine of karma, one has to undergo the fruits of his good or bad deeds, in the form of pleasure or pain, in one or the other life. Karma means an action, work or endeavour ; and its consequences. This term alludes to the principle of cause and effect, which proclaims that every action of an individual i. e. the cause has a corresponding  effect. Noble intent and good deeds contribute to good karma which lead to joyous life and happier re-births, while evil intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma which result in miserable life and hellish re-births.

On the basis of readiness for being reaped, karma has been declared to be of three kinds namely sanchit (accumulated works), prarabdh (fructifying works) ; and the kriyaman (current works).

Sanchit karma refers to the sum total of all the unfructified actions of one’s past. It is a collection of all of one’s deeds, whether done in the current life or in the previous lives, whether mature for bearing fruit or not ; the results of which are yet to be realised. Prarabdh karma is that part of the total karma (sanchit karma), results of which are ready for being experienced. One’s overall personality in the form of his habits, tendencies, aptitude, inclinations, desires and potentialities etc. are greatly influenced by his prarabdh. One has to experience the results of his prarabdh karma in the present life. Lastly, the kriyaman karma (also known as agami karma) are those actions which one is doing in the present.

The pending results of such deeds are to be realised in the future. Kriyaman karma of today is the sanchit karma of tomorrow.

To illustrate the difference between the three kinds of karma, a beautiful analogy of a bowman has been given in the vedic literature. The bundle of arrows in the quiver on his back has been compared to sanchit karma. The arrow he has already shot from his bow is prarabdha, and the arrow which he is about to shoot is his kriyaman karma.

One has to face in this birth the consequences of his prarabdha i. e. one has to endure the results of those of his deeds which have started bearing fruit. It is said that one’s intellect leads him to work in consonance with his fructifying works. He, thus, experiences the effects, good or bad, of his prarabdha karma.  Events taking place in one’s life are mostly determined by his prarabdh. Since he is unable to comprehend the cause-effect relationship between the actions and their fruits, he calls the results as destiny.

What is kriyaman karma ? It refers to those actions which one is doing in the present. Sometimes the results of such actions are instantaneous, and one gets the reward or punishment on the spot. That kriyaman gets exhausted immediately. If, for whatever reason, one does not get the reward or punishment right away, it is added to his sanchit ; and he would have to bear the fruits later, in the form of prarabdh (destiny). In other words, the kriyaman karma not only determines the quality  of one’s current life, but also influences the nature of his future lives.

Every karma creates bondage. Even the good karma is binding because they urge the jivatman to take noble births, and reap the fruits of their good karma in the form of joyous lives. How can one get freedom from karma ? How can the sanchit be destroyed, and how can the effects of prarabdha be made bearable ? Sri Krishna has declared in shloka 4.37 of Bhagavad Gita that as a blazing fire reduces the firewood to ashes, so does the spiritual wisdom neutralise all reactions from the material activities. In other words, by gaining true knowledge of the soul and by understanding its relationship with God, one is  able to attain freedom from the bondage of all past karmas - including the sanchit and prarabdha. The same theme has been re-iterated in shloka 9.28 wherein it has been declared that by dedicating all his works to the Supreme Lord, one can be freed from the bondage of their good and bad results. To put it slightly differently, one can overcome the effects of his past actions by doing work through sakshi bhava (an attitude that one is an unattached witness to the actions of the senses, mind and the intellect) and nimitta bhava (an attitude that one is only an instrument in the hands of God). When false ego is destroyed through spiritual wisdom, all karmas of the past lives get washed away. When there is no ‘I’, there is no doer. Hence, there is no karma.

Even though the prarabdha cannot be changed and one has to face the consequences of his earlier actions ; still its results can still be mitigated by spiritual practices and moral conduct. Everyone has to work for himself. No one else can interfere in one’s prarabdha. A spiritually evolved person can only guide him to cultivate righteous attitude, and give him moral support to face the consequences of his prarabdha.

To conclude, one must conduct himself in his day-to-day life in a manner which neutralises the ill-effects of his past actions, creates new good karma ; and makes life worthwhile and a joyous experience.