QUESTIONER: “Sir, how can one escape Prarabdha? The effect of action performed in previous births?”
Sri Ramakrishna: “No doubt a man experiences a little of the effect; but much of it is cancelled by the power of God’s name. A man was born blind of an eye.
This was his punishment for a certain misdeed he had committed in his past birth, and the punishment was to remain with him for six more births. He, however, took a bath in the Ganges, which gives one liberation.
This meritorious action could not cure his blindness, but it saved him from his future births.”
Disciple: Can the effect of Karma be made null and void? The Scriptures say that knowledge alone can destroy Karma. Still one must reap the result of Prarabdha Karma.
Mother: The result of Karma is inevitable. But by repeating the Name of God, you can lessen its intensity. If you were destined to have a wound as wide as a ploughshare, you will get a pin-prick at least. The effect of Karma can be counteracted to a great extent by Japa and austerities. This was the case with king Suratha. He had worshipped the Goddess by slaughtering a lakh of goats. Later on, these hundred thousand goats killed the king with one stroke of the sword; he did not have to be born a hundred thousand times. That was because he had worshipped the Divine Mother. Chanting God’s holy Name lessens the intensity of Karmic effects.
Disciple: Is the effect of Karma destroyed by austerities and Japa?
Mother: Why not? It is good to do the right kind of work. One feels happy in doing good and one suffers by doing evil.
The Second Arrow of Suffering
Imagine you’re walking through a serene forest, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Suddenly, thwack! An arrow pierces your arm. Ouch! The pain is real, immediate, and intense—the first arrow. But wait, there’s more. Your mind kicks into overdrive: “What if it’s infected? What if I can’t make it back? What about my family?” The second arrow arrives, not physically but mentally. It’s the story you tell yourself about the pain—the suffering.
The Buddha himself shared this parable. He likened the first arrow to physical pain—the raw, unfiltered sensation. But the second arrow? That’s our mind’s reaction, the stories we weave around the pain. It’s the “what ifs” and “why me?” that amplify our suffering.
The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength.
– Swami Vivekananda
By taking care of the second arrow we can forget or minimize the effects of first arrow and it also helps us improve our future conditions.
MASTER: “One thinks of God through His grace.”
NANDA: “But how can we obtain God’s grace? Has He really the power to bestow grace?”
MASTER (smiling): “I see. You think as the intellectuals do: one reaps the results of one’s actions. Give up these ideas. The effect of karma wears away if one takes refuge in God. I prayed to the Divine Mother with flowers in my hand: ‘Here, Mother, take Thy sin; here, take Thy virtue. I don’t want either of these; give me only real bhakti. Here, Mother, take Thy good; here, take Thy bad. I don’t want any of Thy good or bad; give me only real bhakti. Here, Mother, take Thy dharma; here, take Thy adharma. I don’t want any of Thy dharma or adharma; give me only real bhakti. Here, Mother, take Thy knowledge; here, take Thy ignorance. I don’t want any of Thy knowledge or ignorance; give me only real bhakti. Here, Mother, take Thy purity; here, take Thy impurity. Give me only real bhakti.’”
NANDA: “Can God violate law?’
MASTER: “What do you mean? He is the Lord of all. He can do everything. He. who has made the law can also change it.
“But you may very well talk that way. Perhaps you want to enjoy the world, and that is why you talk that way. There is a view that a man’s inner spirit is not awakened unless he is through with enjoyment. But what is there to enjoy? The pleasures of ‘woman and gold’? This moment they exist and the next moment they disappear. It is all momentary. And what is there in ‘woman and gold’? It is like the hog plum — all stone and skin. If one eats it, one suffers from colic. Or like a sweetmeat. Once you swallow it, it is gone.”
Nanda remained silent a few minutes. Then he said: “Oh, yes. People no doubt talk that way. But is God partial? If things happen through God’s grace, then I must say God is partial.”
MASTER: “But God Himself has become everything — the universe and its living beings. You will realise it when you have Perfect Knowledge. God Himself has become the twenty-four cosmic principles: the mind, intellect” body, and so forth. Is there anyone but Himself to whom He can show partiality?”
NANDA: “Why has He assumed all these different forms? Why are some wise and some ignorant?”
MASTER: “It is His sweet will.” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
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Admin Notes:
- For example, if there are so many thorns in our path that we may not be able to get rid of them, we can shield ourselves from the thorns (our past karmas) by donning footwear.
- Similarly, we can’t stop the rain, but by using an umbrella of Lord’s name, we can protect ourselves from the rain of Karmas.