Thread by @MadhvaHistory

1. Today is mahA shivarAtri.

Not just this day but on everyday one must seek refuse in Mahashiva to get rid off life-death cycle. Shiva, as the controller of the mind, with His 'karma vipAka saMhita' shows the way to how to achieve 'withering of karmaShEsha' & become nisSEsha.

2. karma vipAka saMhita, part of Brahma Purana, comprises of 111 chapters & covers the effects of bad karma on the souls born under 27 stars (nakshatrA-s) & 12 rAshis [zodiac signs]. It gives the atonement for each ill effect in detail. It's a samvAda between Shiva & Parvati.

3. This thread is an abridged version of the Samhita. Any deviation/wrong interpretation must be considered as my personal failure only & not that of the Samhita.

What is karma & why it is important ? are the questions that have been dealt with in our Shastras widely.

4. In Bhagavata, during Govardhana giri puja Krishna says- "कर्मणा जायते जन्तुः कर्मणैव विळियते । सुखं दुःख् भयं क्षॆमं कर्मणैवानिपद्यते" - Living beings take birth through karma & die because of it. Vice, virtue, fear & safety are the results of karma.

5. Brahma Vaivarta Purana states:

अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभं.
ना भुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्प कोटि शतैरपि"

One must eat the fruits of good and/or bad deeds. If not done so, karma will never get exhausted [implying no mOksha at all]

6. Soul has 3 types of shakti - (a) jnAna [knowledge] (b) ichChA [will] & (c) kriyA [action]. These powers manifest in 3 types of forms.

*Knowledge manifests in Thought
*Will manifests in Desire
*Action manifests in Performance

All the above are collectively called as karma.

7. karma is done in 3 ways - (1) kAyaka [physical], (2) vAchika [effected by words] & (3) mAnasika [mental].

Vicious karmas of the above affect the body, words & mind respectively. "Hence one must exercise caution & perform karma carefully" is the divine advise given to us.

8. पूर्वजन्मकृतं पापमिह जन्मनि भुज्यते । इह लॊके कृतं कर्म जन्मजन्मानि भुज्य्तते

The fruits of the good & bad karma-s done in the previous births have to be experienced in present birth & the present karma's fruits will be reaped in subsequent births thus having a cyclic effect.

9. Through 'karma vipAka saMhita' the ever compassionate Shiva gives the prAyaschittA-s (atonement methods) that can not only nullify the ill effects of bad karma but reinstates righteous knowledge & show the path to mOksha as said in the Brahmasutra - "na cha punarAvRuttatE."

10. Likewise, the ever merciful divine couple, Maha Shiva & Parvatidevi playing the roles of mind & wisdom, enable the mortals to find a way out of a laukika padmavyUha created by the cyclic effects of bad karma.

11. As per a Puranic verse "girISha mantaHkaraNE" ParamaShiva is the controller of the mind of living beings. Indra & other dEvatA-s who form the indriyA-s are His servants. As said by Purandaradasa "buddhiyinda tanu manava tiddikoLLa bEku" Shiva is the buddhi that a soul needs.

12. Hence by contemplating the manaHkAraka Shiva, one can achieve an unwavering mind which can keep the soul away from dushkarma that brings up the eternal life-death cycle.

13. 12. ध्यॆयः पंचमुखॊ रुद्रः स्फटिकामलकांतिमान्
विद्युच्छुभ्रासितरजः श्यामान्नस्यमुखानि तु
जटावबद्धेन्दुकलः प्रियायुक् नागभूषणः
------------------------------------------(आचार्य मध्व, तंत्रसार)

Let us meditate upon the five faced Shiva & seek His blessings.

14. References: Karma Vipaka Samhita Hindi translations by Sriyuta Shiva Govinda Diskhita & Sudeshkumar Sharma.

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