Mimansa Darshan Me Karm Ka Swarup - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Mimansa Darshan me Karm ka Swarup" by K.L. Sharma, focusing on the concept of Karma within Mimamsa philosophy:

The text explores the concept of Karma (action) as understood in Mimamsa Darshan, a school of Indian philosophy. The author, K.L. Sharma, begins by defining "Mimamsa" itself as stemming from the root "man" with the intention of "desire to know" (जिज्ञासा). Mimamsa, as developed by Rishi Jaimini, is presented as a system that compiles and analyzes existing doctrines, particularly those related to Dharma.

Key Aspects of Mimamsa Darshan:

Mimamsa Darshan primarily focuses on four central points:

The nature of Dharma: What constitutes righteous conduct.
Karma and its relation to Dharma: How actions are intrinsically linked to Dharma.
The subject matter of the Vedas: Specifically, the concepts of Dharma and Karma as presented in Vedic texts.
Methodology for analyzing the Vedas: A detailed approach to understanding Vedic injunctions accurately.

The Nature of Karma in Mimamsa:

Dharma as Consequence of Injunctions: Jaimini defines Dharma as that which is indicated by the persuasive word (चोदना लक्षणोऽर्थो धर्मः). This means Dharma is the meaning conveyed by an injunction that motivates or directs action. These Vedic injunctions are seen as binding, much like laws in civil society, because adherence leads to future rewards. The term "chodana" thus signifies a Vedic command or directive found in Vedic scriptures.
Karma as the Law of Life: Dharma arises from Karma, which is described as the law of life. Therefore, understanding the nature, types, causes, objectives, and instruments of Karma is crucial.
Mimamsa's Focus on Ritualistic Karma: Mimamsa Darshan specifically interprets Karma in the context of Vedic ritualistic practices, particularly sacrifices (Yajña). However, it acknowledges that Karma is an inseparable part of our nature, being eternal and universal.
Components of Karma: Karma inherently involves physical elements, space, and time. It can also be characterized by its purpose and is composed of various parts. Physical movements of the body are essential for Karma, and even mental actions like thinking and acquiring knowledge can be understood as integral or fragmented actions.

Types of Vedic Karma:

Mimamsa categorizes Vedic actions into three types:

Kamya Karma (Desire-driven Actions): These are actions performed to achieve specific desirable results, such as attaining heaven. An example is performing the Jyotistoma sacrifice for the sake of heaven.
Nishiddha Karma (Prohibited Actions): These are actions that lead to undesirable consequences, such as going to hell after death. Examples include consuming meat or killing a Brahmin.
Nitya-Naimittika Karma (Perpetual and Occasional Actions): These are actions that do not yield immediate rewards but failing to perform them incurs a fault or demerit. Examples include daily religious observances (Sandhyopasana) and performing Shraddha for the continuation of the lineage.

These three types of Vedic Karma can be understood as three categories of duties, each carrying an implicit sense of "should" (chahiye). Nishiddha karma is what one should not do, Nitya-Naimittika karma is what one must do, and Kamya karma is what one should do to achieve desired results. The first two are social and personal duties, while the third is purely personal, though the execution of rituals may involve others.

The Problem of Karma and Fruition (Phala):

A natural question arises regarding the fruit or result of performing these actions. For instance, commands like "Yajet svargakamah" (One should sacrifice desiring heaven) suggest a cause (sacrifice) and an effect (heaven). Since the fruit doesn't always manifest immediately, the question is how the efficacy of Karma operates over time to produce the result.

The Concept of 'Apurva':

To address this, Mimamsakas introduce the concept of 'Apurva'. Apurva is considered a potency or capability that arises from transient Karma and exists in the individual soul, bridging the gap between the action and its future fruit. Essentially, every action generates an Apurva (merit or demerit) with the power to produce a result later.

Kumarila's View: Kumarila, in his Tantravartika, describes Apurva as a qualification or potential that was not present before the action and is proven by scripture. It is a definite force generated by Karma that leads to the result. Its existence is proven by inference (arthapatti). The sacrifice creates a lasting potency in the performer that grants rewards at the end of life.
Prabhakara's View: Prabhakara and his followers differ, believing that Karma does not create a specific capacity within the doer. They argue that such a capacity cannot be proven by direct perception or other means. Instead, Prabhakara suggests that the potency should be attributed to the action itself, not the doer.

Types of Apurva:

Mimamsakas discuss four types of Apurva:

Paramapurva (or Phalapurva): The Apurva that directly generates the ultimate fruit.
Samudayapurva: The Apurva arising when several parts collectively constitute a single action (e.g., Darsha Purnamasa sacrifice).
Utpathyapurva: The Apurva generated by each part of a collective action.
Angapurva: The Apurva originating from the subsidiary parts of a ritual.

Broader Implications of Mimamsa's Analysis of Karma:

The text concludes by questioning whether Mimamsakas merely discuss ritualistic procedures or if their analysis of Karma offers deeper insights. Karma is acknowledged as an inherent part of human existence. Mimamsakas distinguish between Sahaja Karma (innate actions) and Aichhik Karma (voluntary actions), with the intellect being involved in the latter.

Nature of Action: Action (Kriya) involves the conjunction of an object with space and time, but this doesn't limit Karma to being merely local, as an object can exist in different places at different times.
Motivation for Karma: The cause of Karma is an objective, such as the desire for satisfaction or happiness. Only living beings perform actions with purpose. Even inaction has a purpose. Karma, purpose, and result are interconnected like the organs and the body. Desire, the basis of action, is linked to knowledge and can be considered a quality of the mind.
Understanding 'Kriya' (Action): Mimamsa views Karma as expressed through the verb 'Kriya'. The meaning of 'Kriya' necessitates the prior assumption of a doer and an object. Every action contains an injunction. An action is meaningful only when it has a directive, as in "Yajet svargakamah."
Perception of Motion: Regarding the knowledge of Karma (motion), Prabhakara believes it is attained through inference, while Kumarila considers it to be through direct perception. Prabhakara argues that we observe an object connecting with and separating from a location, inferring motion from this. Kumarila contends that we directly perceive motion within the object itself, which explains its connection and disconnection from points in space.
Cause of Action: Kumarila considers the doer as the cause of Karma, whereas Prabhakara suggests that actions can be analyzed independently of specific doers, their desires, and motivations. Prabhakara's analysis of action includes factors like knowledge of the task, intention to act, exertion, effort, and external behavior. In essence, Kumarila offers a psychological explanation of Karma, while Prabhakara employs a causal approach.

The concluding verses by Satyanarayan Goenka offer a philosophical reflection on the cyclical nature of happiness and sorrow, the importance of a stable mind, purity of conduct, self-awareness, detachment from desires, and the distinction between being a enjoyer (bhokta) and a witness (drashta) in relation to karma and liberation.

In summary, "Mimansa Darshan me Karm ka Swarup" elucidates the Mimamsa perspective on Karma, emphasizing its role in Dharma, the Vedic injunctions as the source of motivation, and the complex concept of 'Apurva' as the mechanism that connects actions to their future fruits, highlighting the nuances in the interpretations of key Mimamsa scholars like Kumarila and Prabhakara.