‘The ultimate rule that governs all beings is that the effects of one’s karma have to be borne by every individual. The wise, having internalised this truth, will always maintain equanimity and remain indifferent to joy or sorrow. In a way all actions of the jivas are controlled by their past karma just as the dance movements of puppet dolls depend on the way the actors pull the strings. There is no remedy for the inevitable.’ These enlightened views are expressed by one Sudarsana in the Devi Bhagavata when he is overwhelmed by the impact of Devi’s grace, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse.
How and why did Sudarsana deserve Her grace? In the story told by Vyasa, Sudarsana’s inherent good and devout nature helped him to accept whatever came his way including the unjust treatment by his own kinsmen. He had faced difficulties since childhood but he continued to propitiate Goddess Devi. So, once when his enemies tried to kill him in battle, Devi appeared in person and killed them. With his devotion thus strengthened Sudarsana is able to assess the implications of jivas in samsara. One thing is clear from this episode. All beings are bound by karma but karma is an insentient vastu. It cannot give the effects on its own. Likewise the jiva has no idea of his karma and his awareness of his past is limited. Nor can he be trusted to even punish or reward his own present acts bad or good impartially. Only the Supreme Force who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent can be the dispenser of the effects of karma to each and every jiva according to individual deserts. What if He does this arbitrarily? The Brahma Sutra states that Brahman is the One Supreme Lord who has no partiality or cruelty towards any being in this Srishti and so there is no room for this doubt.
