शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः ।
न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः ॥ १८.१५ ॥

śarīra-vāṅ-manobhir-yat-karma prārabhate nara: |
nyāyyam vā viparītam vā pañcaite tasya hetava: || 18.15 ||

Nirdvandvatā – the path of harmony and integration

What Krishna states now is extremely spiritual, philosophical and yogic. It clearly reveals how Krishna’s discussion, no matter what subject he takes up, is underscored and climaxed by spiritual vision and philosophical sublimity at every stage.

The Soul, which is the centre of one’s being and the universe, should be made one’s basic vision and ultimate strength in life. This means that the Soul-perception should be infused into the analysis of life and its activities with practical relevance and insight. Herein lies the effectiveness of spiritual wisdom and its pursuit. Krishna excels in ensuring this:

Whatever action, proper or improper, man begins to perform through his body, speech and mind, these five are its causes.

Like so many other absolute dicta on karma, this too is a summary statement. Any activity one performs by thought, word or deed, whether proper or improper, is governed by the five factors Krishna has pointed out. Human activity can only be bodily, oral or mental (including intellectual). Naturally, Krishna’s enunciation includes the whole range of human activities – religious or secular.

Since in all actions our body, speech and mind are employed, there is the need as well as freedom to think, plan and design our efforts in all matters. At the same time, it has to be understood that the result of all our planned actions will not fully be in our hands. The fifth factor has its place in everything. And, therefore, a measure of unpredictability will be there.

Krishna says that both righteous and unrighteous acts will be governed by the five constituents. Simply because an action is righteous, it cannot claim an absolute fruition. Even the best of the humans may fail in their views and judgement. There will always be elements that defy human conception. Should not this fact be considered?

The play of the Providential factor will be there in the case of all activities, no matter whether they are right, proper and benevolent. Even the best of surgeries performed by the most knowledgeable and skillful doctors sometimes prove fatal. Is it always because the surgeon’s intention or the need of the operation was not in place?

What about the pitiable death of Abhimanyu, whom the most righteous Yudhiṣṭhira asked to penetrate into the enemy’s battle-line, in spite of the fact that the young warrior warned that he did not know the art of exiting from that special formation? What does this mean? Krishna’s pronouncement on this matter is quite significant and should be remembered with all care and attention. That is why Krishna says ‘proper actions’ (nyāyyam vā) also are equally under the fifth factor.

Another point is also there. In no case, the destiny of the complex world should be made to rest on the wish or will of one individual or even a group. What may prove good, relevant and useful now, may turn to be different after a while. Changefulness is the very nature of the world and life. So the desirability of any thing may vary from time to time. In fact, the freedom enshrined in every human is amazing. It may not always yield benevolent effects. It can also prove very harmful, destructive. A definite check is necessary.

That is how our scriptures portray instances like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, where the pauruṣa (human power) was ill-directed to a destructive level. But for the pañcama factor, the disastrous courses would not have been checked.

Hiraṇyakaśipu had become unconquerable, having armoured himself with a number of boons from Brahmā. Yet the pañcama factor took over the plight and delivered the necessary redress. A form, neither human nor animal, which Hiraṇyakaśipu had not envisaged, suddenly came down to subdue him! In Hiraṇyakaśipu resorting to severe tapasyā and obtaining abundant boons to make himself invincible, we find the play of the first four factors, constituting his pauruṣa. If the Providential factor were not there to check, he would have succeeded in his disastrous mission. But it came down with its expediency to allow the might of boons, only to overwhelm it with its own higher might.

In the same way, everything that the dhārmic votaries think and do will not fruition. Some omissions or shortcomings may creep in. How is it that the great ári Rāma’s wife was abducted by Rāvaṇa? Why did Sītā feel attracted to the illusory deer? Even when Rāma was setting out to catch hold of the deer at the persuasion of Sītā, did not Lakṣmaṇa warn him that it could well be the witchcraft of Rākṣasas? And what did the elder say in reply? “If it were so,” Rāma argued, “I must punish them. Or else, I must get the deer alive for Sītā, who had never asked for any such gift in life.”

Let none, pious or righteous, ever think that no adversity should ever befall his lot. Righteousness is not an end by itself. The righteous mind will have to transcend the dual plane of abhorring the wrong and admiring the right, and get to the transcendental plane of nirdvandvatā.

The great loyal Draupadi, for whom Krishna always had a tender heart, could be mauled by Duḥshāsana in the open Kuru assembly. This shows how Duryodhana’s pauruṣa could have its way to perpetrate such cruelty. And Draupadi was pitiably subjected to torture in the hands of a wicked person while the entire assembly of men was looking on. Nonetheless, Duḥshāsana could not succeed in his wrath. The pañcama factor had its role to make him exhausted and withdraw.

Thus, the righteous should not always expect an easy and successful path. It is likely to meet insurmountable obstacles. In fact, only then the righteous mind will delve deeper and get to the pedestal of nirdvandvatā. In such transcendence reigns the sovereign magnificence and splendour of the Soul. Far from contradictions, this is the path of beautiful harmony and integration.