‘Swechha’ is Swa+Ichha, meaning one’s own choice or will. This decides current karma or actions. ‘Bhagyam’ is the outcome of our previous karma. There is always a debate on the supremacy of Swechha and Bhagyam. If one advocates the supremacy of Swechha, then one believes only in the ‘present’. Then embeddedness in the past and outcomes of the past karma are completely ignored. On the other hand, if we believe in the Bhagya, then the outcome of any present karma is already pre-determined. Irrespective of one’s current efforts, the end-state is fixed. This frustrates one who is putting super-human efforts against the adverse karmic tide.
The essence of karmic law is ‘we reap what we sow’. This means, for our actions we get the reaction in the rightly matching quality and quantum. Throwing the boomerang in the forward direction is followed by seeing it coming back after a delay. Hitting on the hand of another with an open palm by one cause ‘hurt’ to both the parties. In this case the result is almost instantaneous; both feel the pain simultaneously. The difference between the physical and spiritual plane’s karmic reactions is the delay and the reaction’s form. But for these, we are sure of the action-reaction Karmic occurrence.
Comparatively on a spiritual Karmic plane, the delay is not clearly known, and the form of the ‘reaction’. Throwing of the boomerang comes as a returned throw, and the hit on other’s hand is returned as equal hurt. But karma’s result may not be in the same form or measure and may be after an un-identifiable delay. This often confuses people and leads to arguments on either side.
We observe that the role of Bhagyam cannot be dismissed. We may observe that with similar initial conditions and comparable efforts, different individuals reach different end-states. Even the opportunities that appear before the individuals differ. The mentors they get in life are different. There may not be a perceivable difference in their efforts or attitude. This ‘invisible factor’ is called ‘a+drushtam’. We know that ‘swechha’ is one’s will. It is the Swechha exercised upon the options generated by Bhagyam that decides outcomes should be the mature understanding. ‘Give your best’ can be our resolve for this new year and beyond.
Dr S Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Tradition. Intent is nextgen’s learning and cultural education
