Prarabdha-karma

Expressions researched:
"Prarabdha"

SB Canto 4

SB 4.29.73, Translation:

When the living entity dreams, the sense objects are not actually present. However, because one has associated with the sense objects, they become manifest. Similarly, the living entity with undeveloped senses does not cease to exist materially, even though he may not be exactly in contact with the sense objects.

SB 4.29.73, Purport:

It is sometimes said that because a child is innocent he is completely pure. Actually this is not the fact. The effects of fruitive activities reserved in the subtle body appear in three concurrent stages. One is called bīja (the root), another is called kūṭa-stha (the desire), and another is called phalonmukha (about to fructify). The manifest stage is called prārabdha (already in action). In a conscious or unconscious state, the actions of the subtle or gross bodies may not be manifest, but such states cannot be called the liberated state. A child may be innocent, but this does not mean that he is a liberated soul. Everything is held in reservation, and everything will become manifest in due course of time.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.15, Purport:

Nondevotees must undergo material hardships because they are prone to commit sinful fruitive activities. The desire to commit sinful actions continues in their hearts due to ignorance. These sinful actions are divided into three categories—pātaka, mahā-pātaka and atipātaka—and also into two divisions; prārabdha and aprārabdha. Prārabdha refers to sinful reactions from which one is suffering at the present, and aprārabdha refers to sources of potential suffering. When the seeds (bīja) of sinful reactions have not yet fructified, the reactions are called aprārabdha. These seeds of sinful action are unseen, but they are unlimited, and no one can trace when they were first planted. Because of prārabdha, sinful reactions that have already fructified, one is seen to have taken birth in a low family or to be suffering from other miseries.

SB 6.1.15, Purport:

When one takes to devotional service, however, all phases of sinful life, including prārabdha, aprārabdha and bīja, are vanquished. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.19) Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava:

yathāgniḥ susamṛddhārciḥ

karoty edhāṁsi bhasmasāt

tathā mad-viṣayā bhaktir

uddhavaināṁsi kṛtsnaśaḥ

"My dear Uddhava, devotional service in relationship with Me is like a blazing fire that can burn to ashes all the fuel of sinful activities supplied to it." How devotional service vanquishes the reactions of sinful life is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.6) in a verse spoken during Lord Kapiladeva's instructions to His mother, Devahūti. Devahūti said:

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.4:

Persons afflicted by disease or other miseries are known as ārta, "the distressed." Commonly, a sick person depends on a doctor and medicine to cure his disease. But far-sighted scholars say that suffering of any kind is a result of sinful activities performed in the past. Ordinary people do not understand that sinful reactions result from ignorance. This ignorance exists in manifest (prārabdha), unmanifest (aprārabdha) and latent (kuṭashta) form.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Indian (2): Swamiji, then what is (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: No, prārabdha can be changed.

Indian (2): Prārabdha-karma...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. I am replying you. Prārabdha can be changed. Kṛṣṇa says. Prārabdha means you are enjoying the fruits of your past activities. That is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Nirdahati. Karmāṇi, the resultant action of your past karma, can be vanquished by Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "I shall give you protection."

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

After two or three days the cholera appears. It takes some time. Just like if you sow a seed of a tree, immediately it does not become a tree and gives its fruits, delivers its fruit. It takes some time. Therefore, imperceptibly, or knowingly or unknowingly, we are doing so many sinful activities. So they are in the seedling stage, then growing stage. Then, when we suffer, that is called prārabdha. Prārabdha means, "Now receive the result." So in this way we are creating, we are sowing, some seeds. That will take its reaction, either in this body or another body. It takes time to fructify. So... But if we act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is just like fried seed. Fried seed, if you sow in a land, it will not fructify, fried seed. So this fried seed...

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

These are infections. In... It is so dangerous infection. Infection, anyone can understand nowadays, scientific days. If you infect some disease, you have to suffer. You cannot escape. You infect today somehow or other. Not today, not tomorrow, but some day it will come out. It is called kūṭastha, phalonmukha, prārabdha, pāpa-bīja. Pāpa-bīja, remains as seed, kūṭastha. Then it is fructifying, phalonmukha. Then you suffer, prārabdha. This is called prārabdha-karma, infection.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

Grathitam, they are very deep-rooted, grathitam. So we have to pluck out this karmāśayam, the root of karma. Kūṭa-stha, then phalonmukha, and phala-prāpti. There are three stages, karmāśayam: kūṭa-stha, in the seed form, kūṭa-stha; then phalonmukham, sprouting; then prāpta, prārabdha. In the beginning it is aprārabdha, not yet manifest, and prārabdha means manifest. The same example, as we have given several times, infection. We have infect... Suppose I have infected some chronic disease or infectious disease. It is not yet manifest, but it is kūṭa-stha. It is... In the seed form there is. Then, all of a sudden, we get some feverish condition. That is called phalonmukha. And when it is high fever and quite manifest, the delusion and so many other things, that is called prārabdha.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

So we are all undergoing prārabdha-phalam, manifest phala, for our past deeds. So they are very deep-rooted. It is very difficult to uproot them. But there is one process. That is recommended: bhaja vāsudevam. Bhaja... The others... There are many yogis, jñānīs, they are trying to get out of the situation, kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha situation of our life. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that the devotees, they can very easily uproot the causes of our material miserable condition of life. Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā. Vilāsa. Vilāsa means enjoying, and bhaktyā means devotees. They are always attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

Kūṭa-stha-bīja, prārabdha... Like that. This is, these are the... Our effects. Just like we can understand in the modern... Just like if you infect some disease, it becomes immediately kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha means stocked. In due course of time, it will come out, manifest. Similarly, we are acting so many sinful activities. Sometimes they complain that "This man is committing so many sinful activities, but he's happy." But actually he's enjoying the effects of his past something pious. Now he's happy, but that effect of the impious activities, that is in stock. It will come out in due course of time. That is called kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha phalonmukha, prārabdha. These are the Sanskrit language.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

Because it is assured by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. It is not imagination. If we believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no question of denying this fact. Kṛṣṇa personally says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣa... Sarva-pāpebhyo (BG 18.66). The kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha, everything, it become immediately nullified, simply by this process, by surrendering: "Kṛṣṇa, I, I was mistaken. I got..., forgot your mastership; You are my eternal Lord. So I was bewildered. I was wandering. Now I have come to my senses. I surrender unto You sincerely. You accept me." This very thing will give you immediately protection from all sinful activities.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva loke sanātana (BG 15.7). Sanātana-jīva-loke jīva āṁśa. Āṁśa cannot be the full. Yes. Āṁśa, part, cannot be equal to the whole.

Guest (5): Then if we be the parcels of God, then what about prārabdha? We are suffering from pain and pleasure...

Prabhupāda: So you are suffering. God is not suffering.

Guest (5): No. God is not suffering.

Prabhupāda: Then, therefore, difference between you and God. You are suffering god and he's enjoying God.

Guest (5): We are enjoying the prārabdha, is it not?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That prārabdha. That is the... But God is not...

Guest (5): This is not argument. I have no equal.(?)

Prabhupāda: God is not under the laws of karma.

Guest (5): Swami, I want to know from swami.

Hari-śauri: If you want to know, then listen! If you want to know, listen. Don't speak!

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Mayapur, September 27, 1974:

"We have got this body. Let us enjoy senses to the utmost." But that is not the fact. Sense enjoyment means infection of the material modes of nature. That is sense enjoyment. Just like we infect some disease, and that disease will come out some day, will be manifested. They are called kutastha, phalonmukha, and prārabdha. Three stages. Infection... The same example. Infection remains in dormant stage, not manifest immediately. Then phalonmukha, fructifying; and then prārabdha, one gets it and suffers. This is the nature's way, going on. But people do not know it. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious movement, scientific movement, and people are gradually trying to understand the importance of this movement. Because in the foreign countries, especially in America, our books are being accepted by (the) higher circle, big, big universities, colleges, professors.