Architects of our karma

One man’s food is another man’s poison. We find our lives constantly riddled with the vagaries of life which offer contrasting situations. We often find people working on cross purposes sometimes defeating the very cornerstone of their goal.

For instance students are more interested in clearing or topping examinations than learning the subject. Teachers are busy finishing portions as against imparting knowledge. Businessmen, journalists, governmental and non-governmental organisations are more worried about meeting deadlines rather than investing quality time and research on their projects.

In other words, most people in every walk of life, no matter what their age, gender, occupation or station, are keen on working towards their goal. Little do they realise that the not so pleasant or positive side effects of the journey launched by none other than themselves in other words it is the direct result of their own karma.

A tale in the Puranas puts across this point ever so well. Once upon a time, king Shwetaki decided to perform a series of homas and yajnas for a period of a hundred years. He used several thousand pots of pure ghee as oblation to Agni the god of fire in order to appease all the gods in the pantheon.

As years passed by, Agni found it extremely difficult to digest the rich offerings. He lost his resplendence and became very pale and weak. He rushed to the creator Lord Brahma to seek a solution for his unique problem. He was asked to consume the green vegetation of the Khandava forest to restore his healthy appetite.

Accordingly, Agni spread his flames into the verdant area. The creatures of the forest appealed to Lord Indra to protect them from the raging fire. The area was doused by torrential rains by the grace of Indra. Agni found it difficult to continue with his treatment.

He sought the help of Krishna and Arjuna who were passing by to help him on his mission. The twosome was initially reluctant to interfere in a matter which did not concern them in the least. Yet the prayer, petulance and persistence of Agni made them consider the offer.

Little did they realise that they would be inviting the fury and vengeance of Takshaka, the venomous serpent who lived in the forest. Long after the Great War of Kurukshetra, Arjuna’s grandson king Parikshit became the victim of the long-drawn animosity created through an inadvertent chain of events.

So, when the results of our endeavours are met with unsavoury situations and unexpected outcomes, we must trace back our steps and analyse our situation. We are most likely to find that we are the architects of our destiny.