Karma means “change of position of objects”. When there is no change of position of an object, there is no karma either. There are two main types of karma⁽¹⁾ – nitya karma [action of regular nature] and naemittika karma [action of occasional nature]. Nitya karma is neutral by nature. It does not bring any benefit to anyone, nor cause any harm to anyone. Various discriminations, on the other hand, enter in regarding naemittika karma. Naemittika karmas that follow proper standards are puńya karmas [virtuous actions], while naemittika karmas that do not follow such standards are pápa karmas [sinful actions].

Virtuous actions, again, are of two types – direct and indirect. What are direct virtuous actions? Suppose someone is hungry and thirsty, and you offer the person food and drink. This is a direct virtuous action, by which you acquire virtue. Virtuous actions do good to others and also elevate the doer. “Elevation”, or “progress”, is used here to convey the idea that personally you are coming nearer and nearer to Paramátmá [the Supreme Soul]; and the person whom you have helped has also benefited.

Indirect virtuous actions have the same effect – they bring good to others and elevation or progress to one’s self. The difference here is that the good that is wrought comes about after some delay. Nevertheless, that good does result, and it is long-lasting – it can be felt for thousands of years. For example, suppose someone plants the seedling of a large shade tree today. We cannot expect to enjoy the shade with immediate effect; but it will start to provide shade thirty or thirty-five years later, and will continue for thousands of years. This is an indirect virtuous action. All these actions bring about good. Someone digs a big canal somewhere; someone else plants a tree; these are different kinds of good work. Indirect virtuous actions are also of two types.

Suppose someone builds a hospital for the treatment of the sick. That will be a direct virtuous action. But suppose the person donates some money for the development of society; that may be either a direct or an indirect virtuous action. If people benefit immediately from such a donation, it will be a [direct] virtuous action, and if the benefits are delayed, it will be an indirect virtuous action. But the advantage of an indirect virtuous action is that while the results may be delayed, they will continue for a very long time.

Sin⁽²⁾ is also of two types. An action of yours that brings harm to others and brings about your own downfall is called pápa [sin]. In this kind of karma, harm to others goes hand in hand with your own degradation. Humans become far removed from Parama Puruśa by such actions. I said before that pápa is also of two types – pátaka and pratyaváya. An action that should not be done but that is nevertheless done, is called pátaka. And an action that should be done but is not done, is called pratyaváya. For instance, one should not steal; so if anybody steals, that will be pátaka. And if one knows full well that nursing a patient is good, but refrains from doing so, that will be pratyaváya. People say that pratyaváya is worse than pátaka.

Now, pátaka [sin of commission] is divided into three categories – pátaka, atipátaka [major sin of commission], and mahápátaka [great sin of commission]. Someone might have committed a pátaka, but after that wrong action feels repentance, and compensates for the harm his or her action caused. After such repentance and compensation, the action is no longer a sin. Suppose someone has stolen a thousand rupees from someone else. If after this theft the thief feels compunction and returns the money – better, however, with the inclusion of interest thereon – and begs forgiveness, that will mean that the person’s sin has been washed away. The person should no longer be called a sinner.

What is atipátaka? Suppose someone chops off the fingers of someone else. In that case there is no scope for atonement of the crime, because to make good the severed fingers is not possible. If the person sincerely desires to atone, that person must give up everything else in life and devote himself or herself exclusively to worshipping Paramátmá, Parameshvara. That will be the only atonement. From the social viewpoint there is no scope for atonement. But from the spiritual viewpoint alone, there can be this kind of atonement – one will have to forsake all mundane duties and dedicate oneself to the worship of Paramátmá.

What is mahápátaka? Mahápátaka is like atipátaka. But what happens in the case of mahápátaka is that others are likely to see such sinful acts, take them as examples, and indulge in them themselves. For example, someone may adulterate foodstuffs; he or she may mix papaya seeds [[in with]] the black pepper. Following this example, other business people are prompted to adulterate. In other words, the sin gets perpetuated recurrently. This is mahápátaka.

From the social point of view there is no scope to atone for such mahápátaka. How can one atone from the spiritual point of view? Abandoning all of one’s personal enjoyments and comforts, one should devote oneself completely to spiritual sadhana and social service. This is the only means of atoning for mahápátaka from the spiritual point of view.

Pátakiis can, if they wish, atone instantly for what they have done. But for atipátakiis and mahápátakiis, such instant atonement is impossible. Atonement for atipátakiis is spiritual atonement. And that spiritual atonement will continue as long as mercy from Paramátmá is not forthcoming. Atonement on the social level can be effected through social service, but society cannot grant the forgiveness involved in spiritual atonement; Paramátmá, however, can.

So what is the way? There are many people in the world who were once atipátakiis, maybe three or four births ago, but are no longer so. Similar is the case of mahápátakiis.

Here example of Rávańa can be taken up. In the epic story, the Rámáyańa, Rávańa was losing his battle with Ráma. In the last stage of the battle Rávańa cried out to Shiva, “Save me, save me.” He was a devotee of Shiva and had become immensely powerful after receiving a boon from Shiva. Rávańa cried out but Shiva did nothing.

Then Párvatii said to Shiva: “Rávańa is a great devotee of yours but you are not saving him. What is this?”

“Rávańa is a mahápátakii [greatest sinner],” Shiva replied. “How can I save him?”

“If you do not save him, I will.” Párvatii told him.

“How can you save him?” Shiva replied. “You cannot save him either because he is a mahápátakii.”

“But he is not a mahápátakii, he is only an atipátakii [middle level sinner],” Párvatii said. “He has abducted another’s wife, so he is an atipátakii.”

“Had he gone as a thief and abducted another’s wife,” Shiva explained, “then he would have been considered an atipátakii. But instead he kidnapped Siitá disguised as a sádhu. And with what result? In the future others may kidnap someone else’s wife in the guise of a sádhu. With Rávańa’s example others will learn this evil deed. And furthermore, in the future, no respectable woman will ever trust a sádhu. She will think that the man may be another Rávańa disguised as a sádhu, in reality a thief. Thus Rávańa’s actions are those of a mahápátakii. They will have a recurring influence. So it is not possible to save the life of that mahápátakii. Untill a mahápátakii leaves everything for the sake of spiritual ideology and dedicates himself to the service of humanity, there can be no spiritual or social atonement for him. So what can I do?”

There are atipátakiis and mahápátakiis in the world even today. But they are also children of the Supreme Father. The Supreme Father is not merely a judge or lawyer. Honest or dishonest, sinner or virtuous – whatever people may be – with each and everyone He has a personal relationship. He is the Father of the world – not merely a judge. So He says: “No, my children should not have to carry the burden of their sins forever” – that He does not want. In the scriptures the normal word for pátaka is dośa; so a pátakii is called a duśt́a, an atipátakii is called a dúrácárii, and a mahápátakii is a sudúrácárii. All these three types of people should be avoided; one should stay away from them. But Bhagaván Shrii Krśńa has said that even for such people there is no reason to worry:

Api cet sudúrácáro bhajate Mámananyabhák;
So’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát.

“If a sudúrácárii devotes himself or herself single-mindedly to My worship, forgetting everything else, and” – Mámananyabhák – “takes refuge in Me with unswerving attention,” “then he or she too is liberated from all sins and earthly bondages.” Hence no one has any reason to worry. Once anyone has taken refuge in Parama Puruśa, their future is secure.

Footnotes

(1) Usually translated “action”. Sometimes the connotation is positive or negative action which produces saḿskáras (mental reactive momenta). –Trans.

(2) [[Pápa karmas, sinful actions. –Trans.]]