The Kapilopadesa explains in detail the full sweep of the sway of samsara. The greatest wonder is that though the jivatma is endowed with the senses, mind, intellect and an inherent sense of good and evil, he is unable to transcend the cycle of births.
Sastras say that each one’s experiences of joy and sorrow are the result of past deeds good and bad and that heaven and hell are in this world, said Sri Kesava Dikshitar in a discourse.
The degree of experiences caused by old age, sickness, death, etc, varies in people but is unavoidable for all who are born in this world. Human nature is such that no one desires the fruits of bad deeds and all want only the fruits of good deeds.
But they do bad deeds easily and are not keen to do good deeds.
Yet all wish to live comfortably without sorrows and are quick to wonder why they experience sorrows and tend to think it is not what they deserve.
The Lord, who is not bound by any karma, empathises with human sorrow, in the Aranya Kanda when, as Rama, He cries out in despair on losing Sita: “I think there can be none in this world who is a greater sinner than me; that is why I am facing this kind of sorrow and grief that overpowers my mind and intellect easily. I am sure that in my past births I must have followed my desires and not abided by the rules of sastras. The effect of that is now being felt by me now. Sorrow after sorrow follows me.”
Rama does not highlight His commitment to dharma and truth, nor His devoted worship of Lord Ranganatha. This is to enable the jivatma understand and accept that his suffering is the result of past karma and that he should learn to seek to rid himself of this bondage.
