What Exactly is Karm? Does it mean only Action?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF KARM

Karm {Karma} is one of the most famous Indian Words to get absorbed into the English Language; it is also probably the most incompletely understood words, even by Indians. This incomplete understanding has now permeated into the language as well as its usage by nearly everyone, thus propagating a meaning which does not fully do justice with this word. What does this word actually mean, and does it mean in common parlance? With regard to common usage, a simple dictionary search gives the result : “the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. / good or bad luck, viewed as resulting from one's actions.”

IS KARM GOOD OR BAD?

There are two aspects to this : first, karm isnt good or bad; karm just "is", as it were. It just exists; that is it – without any adjectives to quality it. It is the effect of Karm – what is called karmphal in the scriptures, that is good or bad, depending on whether the original karm was done in Transcendental, Saatvik {purity, goodness}, Raajasik {passion, ambition, desire, anger etc} or Taamasik {ignorance, laziness etc} mode; and what were the desires / causative factors driving the said karm. As an example - Killing is bad; yet when a soldier kills in protection of his country, it is considered good.

KARM IS NOT ACTION

Second, Karm is frequently, almost always in fact, confused with action. That is perhaps the most erroneous misunderstanding; karm is most certainly not action. The synonym for action is kaarya, not karm; karm is a much wider, far more detailed concept. Action is but a small, tiny part of Karm. It is the external visible aspect of karm, that is - Kaarya, not karm. Kaarya is simple the middle point of karm; karm is far deeper as a concept, encompasses aspects such as Kaarya and Kaaran as well as the instrument of action etc...

UNDERSTANDING KARM

Stated in English, Karm can be stated simply as Action + Instrument of action + Objective of action + Means of Action {path} + steps taken during action + driving force behind action {reason why you are acting}. However, karm does not end there; a fuller understanding of karm also has to include its reaction – the attendant result of the undertaken kaarya {action} plus the internal driving forces, like ego desire ambition anger etc. Thus, we have to include the karmphal as well in the understanding of karm; the result of your action cannot be separated from your action till you attain Akarm status, or, in very simplistic terms, nirvaana. {Not exact, but this conveys the gist}. Further, your karmphal leads to a new chain, with a new reaction to the reaction starting…

Let me illustrate with an example; you keep an objective of becoming the head of your department. This by itself is fine- but what is the driving force? If you keep only personal ambition – then there is a misalignment; the head of department is responsible for collective performance. This will also lead to lack of focus on skill development, as your driving ambition is personal glory. You may yet make HoD, but this will set off a series of reactions from varied vested interests / requirements / connections etc which you may have ignored on the way up. In other words, a wider, more inclusive driving ideal, if employed, will be in alignment.

CONCLUDING WITH AKARM

Akarm is a situation wherein the yogi has reached a position where his karm do not create a fresh chain; that state is Unity, and all actions carried out in that state are Akarm. For now, this should suffice; Akrm is a subject for another day and another article. For Karm to reach Akarm – all of the components of Karm have to be transcendental; for any Karm to be Saatvik, all of these have to be saatvik. Just doing good, but adopting means or instrument or whatever that isnt pure degrades the entire Karm into Raajasik or worse. All the components have to be aligned for the resultant reaction to be the one desired by the person doing the karm. The fact that usually the results differ from planned is in part due to the misalignment in the action, its kaaran, its method, its objective etc…