Avidya-Kama-Karma : the triangle that entangles

Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Arsha Vidya Gurukulam)

Between ātmā and the deha there is a granthi, a tie, bought about by avidyā, ignorance. From that comes kāma followed by karma, old and new. By this three-stranded string, avidyā-kāma-karma, together called hṛdayagranthi, an individual is bound and is released when that knot is untied. Doing varieties of things only makes it more knotted since action stems from a failure to understand the original problem. As in untying a tangled ball of yarn, pulling at the wrong threads will only make the ball more tangled. You must get the "hang" of it; then the knot will resolve. Spiritually also, you must first understand that seeking a solution within saṁsāra is only complicating the problem. The problem is ignorance and to determine that you need viveka. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa are the four strands hanging from the tangled ball of saṁsāra. If you pull on the first three, you are tightening the knots. Pursuing artha and kāma only create further problems and though dharma resolves problems to an extent it does not untie the fundamental knot. For that you have to remove avidyā. When you do, the knot resolves because there is no longer any doubt about whether ātmā is Brahman or limited, kartā or akartā, bhoktā or abhoktā.

Avidya-Kama-Karma : the triangle that entangles the body,mind & intellect.

Lack of knowledge leads to desires that lead to binding actions & the cycle continues....

Stock keeping – FIFO & LIFO for thoughts

An accountant will be familiar with the terms used here. First In First Out : what we get in first we use first & Last In First Out : What comes in last gets used first. Contradictory approaches, but are used for accounting in any business that has stocks.

A kitchen has fresh & dry goods as well as tools. Could we possibly apply these concepts? Well for rice & dry goods a FIFO may make sense and for lettuce the LIFO approach will have best crunch. 

Ask any kitchen manager or store keeper and they will know how best to use all ingredients and minimise wastage's

 Now try applying this to our thoughts....does the thought to actions process follow FIFO or LIFO ? Hard to say. Also do all thoughts result in action? Well only what we dwell on and give importance to. If we applied FIFO , that is every though either actioned or dumped, we will have little or no back log.  Where as in LIFO , the earlier thoughts will be hanging out till we turn attention on them. 

Think about it.

Some more Gita facts & quick summary for initial chapters

The first word is "Dharma" & the last word is "Mama". Its all about doing ones duty.

Very quick recap of first 4 chapters.

Chap 1 - Panoramic view of battlefield & the vast armies & illustrious warriors
Chap 2 - Atma & Parmatya gyan : Sankhya yoga. Index to rest of Gita. Shows him the goal here and rest of the chapters takes him thru details. Do your duty with spirit of renunciation & sense of sacrifice. Be Stithpragya.
Chap 3 - Arjun reluctant to fight , argues if God can be reached by alternate route. Karam Yoga (doing self less action) is essential.  (KYC- karma Yoga chap)
Chap 4 - Knowledge passed thru Avatars. Thirst for knowledge and search for Guru and he / she is the guide.

So far Karam Yog & introduces sacrifice

Chap 5 - Introduces sacrifices & leads to meditation. Arjun is a Sansari & has many desires hence Karam Yoga is the path for him. Going straight into Sankhya yog with complete mind control is not for everyone. The grahastha stage supports the rest of the 3 ashrams! Hence an important part of life. Being aware and having a KY attitude in this stage is key. Example of lotus un affected by the dirty water where it grows. Ever changing world.

Power of repeating / memorising / chanting

Just like in Math at young age kids are made to learn the tables unto say 12*20. After that forever they seem to remember them. Other complex ones we may not be able to answer as fast cause we did not repeat it enough...think about it.


Also why do Moms say the same thing again and again....and then they seep into our subconscious and stay with us forever.

And they say if you repeat Lords name or sing his praises , he will look out for you? Well when someone abuses us or praises us we usually as humans never forget, and Lord is divine , will surely remember. This they say is the power of chanting or singing bhajan or hymns.

Gita & Bollywood

Mother India : When a mother kills her son when he is doing something which is wrong and against the honour of the village.  Doing what is right and keeping her word by killing her son must have been tough. But what a character upholding her dharma!!!

Om Shanti Om : The re incarnation story to complete his vasna's of doing something for his beloved. And the entire cosmos helping him ( the famous bottle award speech)

Safar : The song about Zindagi ka safar, koi samjha nahin, koi jaana nahi" hints towards the mystery of human life.

Where is God

Where is God? Why don’t I see Him? And what does he do all day?
Beautiful Story from The Upanishads
In ancient India there lived a most virtuous Brahmin who was considered by all to be the best authority on philosophy. One day the local king ordered him to appear before him. When he did so, the king said: “I have three questions that puzzle–even torment–me: Where is God? Why don’t I see Him? And what does he do all day?If you can’t answer these three questions I will have your head cut off.” The Brahmin was appalled and terrified, because the answers to these questions were not just complex, they were impossible to formulate. In other words: he did not know the answers. So his execution date was set.
On the morning of that day the Brahmin’s teenage son appeared and asked the king if he would release his father if he–the son–would answer the questions. The king agreed, and the son asked that a container of milk be brought to him. It was done.
Then the boy asked that the milk be churned into butter. That, too, was done.
“The first two of your questions are now answered,” he told the king.
The king objected that he had been given no answers, so the son asked: “Where was the butter before it was churned?” “In the milk,” replied the king.
“In what part of the milk?” asked the boy. “In all of it.”
“Just so, agreed the boy, “and in the same way God is within all things and pervades all things.”
“Why don’t I see Him, then,” pressed the king.
“Because you do not ‘churn’ your mind and refine your perceptions through meditation. If you do that, you will see God. But not otherwise. Now let my father go.”
“Not at all,” insisted the king. “You have not told me what God does all day.”
“To answer that,” said the boy, “we will have to change places. You come stand here and let me sit on the throne.” The request was so audacious the king complied, and in a moment he was standing before the enthroned Brahmin boy who told him: “This is the answer. One moment you were here and I was there. Now things are reversed. God perpetually lifts up and casts down every one of us. In one life we are exalted and in another we are brought low–often times in a single life this occurs, and even more than once. Our lives are completely in His hand, and He does with us as He wills.” Bible also says (“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.” Luke 1:52)
The Brahmin was released and his son was given many honors and gifts by the King
”