What is the ashraya(shelter) of karmaphala(fruit of Vaidika karma)? Or what is the primary factor upon which the result of karma actually depends?
Now, ordinarily a cause must immediately precede its effect, but this is not seen in statements like 'svargakAmo yajeta' because svarga is a result obtained in the next life but the yajña is an action executed in the present life. So how can Yajna be the cause of svarga?
To explain this, Mīmāmsakas posit something called 'apūrva'(Jaimini Sutra 2.1.5). There are two opinions regarding apurva: Prabhakara Mishra says that apūrva that is generated immediately is a subtle form of the phala that will become manifest at the appropriate time. But..
..Kumārila Bhatta believes that apūrva is not the phala that is produced but an intermediate power or shakti that will bring about the phala at an appropriate time. In either of these cases, the result is experienced only in the future.
Now that being acceptable, the question is where does this 'apūrva' produced reside in the meantime? There are two views regarding this...
The view of the mīmāmsakas is that the devatas to whom the offerings are given in the karma are merely limbs of the karma, whose role is merely to dispense the result of the karma. So they say, the karmaphala will be established on the agent who undertakes the karma(yajamana)..
The alternative view is that the karma is performed for the pleasure of the devatAs and these devatAs are the primary components of the yajña and hence, apūrva is established in the devatAs because it is generated by their prasAda. ...
...Moreover in preparatory rites of the yajña, like prokShaNa(sprinkling consecrated water) on vrIhi(rice), apūrva lies in the rice and other components and is yet not capable of bestowing the final result. ...
However there is a third view which is not discussed by Mimamsakas but is discussed in the Bhagavatam 5.7.6 which is described in Maharaj Bharata's performance of karma where he considered 'apūrva' to be sheltered exclusively in Bhagavān Vāsudeva...
If we consider the first opinion(i.e. of the Mīmāmsakas), in which 'apūrva' is established in the agent of the karma, then Bhagavān as antaryAmin is the pravartaka(impeller) of the action and is the mukhya-kartA, thus apūrva is established in Him ...
...and the yajamāna is merely the prayojya-kartA(impelled agent), meaning that he is prompted to act by Bhagavan. This is also confirmed by Jaimini Sutra (3.7.18). Furthermore, of the apūrva were sheltered in the yajamāna, it ...
...would have to be sheltered in the Rtvija-s(priests) employed by him as well but that is not the opinion of any authority as they(Rtvijas)are not the impellers of the action. Hence, it is Bhagavan alone who is the impeller in the first case.
Now, regarding the second opinion, that the devatas are the shelter of 'apūrva', even by that option, it is Vāsudeva alone who will be the shelter, since he is supreme among the devas and the devatAs are merely His limbs and hence act as merely the prayojya-kartA(as in SB 5.7.6)
Thus the same Vāsudeva declares in the Gita(9.23-24):
येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता:।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्।।
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते।।
...
येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता:।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्।।
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते।।
...
Padmapurana, Uttarakhanda(6.235.8) more explicitly says:
उद्दिश्य देवता एव जुहोति च ददाति च।
स पाषण्डीति विज्ञेयः स्वतन्त्रो वापि कर्मसु ।।
The पाषण्ड here is used for someone who has slipped away from the Vaishnava mārga...
उद्दिश्य देवता एव जुहोति च ददाति च।
स पाषण्डीति विज्ञेयः स्वतन्त्रो वापि कर्मसु ।।
The पाषण्ड here is used for someone who has slipped away from the Vaishnava mārga...
Thus, all kinds of Vedamārgas culminate only in Bhagavān as is said in the Bhagavatam(10.40.9-10):
सर्व एव यजन्ति त्वां सर्वदेवमयेश्वरम् ।
येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यद्यप्यन्यधिय: प्रभो ॥
यथाद्रिप्रभवा नद्य: पर्जन्यापूरिता: प्रभो ।
विशन्ति सर्वत: सिन्धुं तद्वत्त्वां गतयोऽन्तत: ॥
...
सर्व एव यजन्ति त्वां सर्वदेवमयेश्वरम् ।
येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यद्यप्यन्यधिय: प्रभो ॥
यथाद्रिप्रभवा नद्य: पर्जन्यापूरिता: प्रभो ।
विशन्ति सर्वत: सिन्धुं तद्वत्त्वां गतयोऽन्तत: ॥
...
Thus by such deliberation, Bhagavān becomes established as the sole shelter of 'apūrva' and ultimately the karmaphala(fruit of karma) itself.
This is as per the discussion of this topic in Anuccheda 222 of Bhakti sandarbha by Shrīmad Jīva Goswamīpāda.
This is as per the discussion of this topic in Anuccheda 222 of Bhakti sandarbha by Shrīmad Jīva Goswamīpāda.
Shruti pramana for condemning the visualisation of the different devatas invoked in Vaidika karma as independent ashrayas:
अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्ते, अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति, न स वेद, यथा पशुरेवम् स देवानाम् । (Brihad aranyaka upanishad 1.4.10)
...
अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्ते, अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति, न स वेद, यथा पशुरेवम् स देवानाम् । (Brihad aranyaka upanishad 1.4.10)
...
It is explained by Sri Vedantavagisha:
यो हि देवतामन्यां स्वप्रवृत्त्यहेतुं स्वाव्यापिकां कर्माङ्गमात्रतयोपकारिणीं मत्वोपास्ते न स वेद नासौ तत्त्ववित् । यथा पशुरिति लौकिकः पशुर्यथा लोकादुपात्तजीवनस्तस्य परिषेवया नित्यं क्लिश्यति तथा देवोपकृतो देवभृत्य इति तस्य पुरुषार्थधिषणविरहः।
यो हि देवतामन्यां स्वप्रवृत्त्यहेतुं स्वाव्यापिकां कर्माङ्गमात्रतयोपकारिणीं मत्वोपास्ते न स वेद नासौ तत्त्ववित् । यथा पशुरिति लौकिकः पशुर्यथा लोकादुपात्तजीवनस्तस्य परिषेवया नित्यं क्लिश्यति तथा देवोपकृतो देवभृत्य इति तस्य पुरुषार्थधिषणविरहः।
Translation of the part of the commentary:
"One who worships other devas, who are neither one’s original source nor pervade one’s self, considering them as benefactors merely because they are limbs in Vedic karma, such a person does not know the truth. He is like an animal.
...
"One who worships other devas, who are neither one’s original source nor pervade one’s self, considering them as benefactors merely because they are limbs in Vedic karma, such a person does not know the truth. He is like an animal.
...
...
Just as a worldly animal’s life is appropriated by people and it is always troubled by serving them, similarly such a person becomes a servant for the devas. Thus, he is devoid of understanding of the goal of life."
Just as a worldly animal’s life is appropriated by people and it is always troubled by serving them, similarly such a person becomes a servant for the devas. Thus, he is devoid of understanding of the goal of life."
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