August 4, 2013: In my blog "10 Myths about karma" I explained what Karma is all about and why God does not dispense individual Karma.

One of the readers of my blog has just sent me a private message stating "We often hear from temple Pundits, and in your discourses too that If I do japa of certain mantra, or perform a specific ritual or a certain Puja, I get my desired need/want fulfilled; get a job, recovery from an illness or birth of a son etc. etc. A pilgrimage or a dip in the holy Ganga washes away all my sin. If I observe a certain vrata (fast) or do certain Puja regularly, God will bless me with this or that. For example, observing  Shivji's  Vrata during the Shravan Mondays  by an unmarried woman will yield her a good husband. My questions are:

1.  Are they true? Does it really happen? What is the origin of these ideas and suggestions? Puranas?

2.  Are they just heresies? or made up by "Karm Kandi Brahmins" to give solace, or false hope, to their distressed yajmans (clients) seeking help to solve their problems, and make some money at the same time?

3.  If all these things can really happen, or actually do happen, does it mean that you can over ride the Karma concept by doing all those things? "

My  ANSWERS:

1. Yes, they are true. It does truly happen. The origin of these ideas and suggestions is the Bhagavad Gita which suggests that although karma is a law of cause and effect,  yet God can mitigate karma for His devotees. In the most popular Shloka of the Gita, the Lord says very loudly "sarva-dharmān parityajya, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo, mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ" Bhagavad-gītā (18.66). In other words Lord Krishna is saying "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." Thus the Lord takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies such a person against all reactions of bad Karmas.

2 and 3.  While it is true that false pundits and Gurus exploit their distressed clients or should I say prey on them for monetary benefits without themselves acquiring the knowledge of how to perform the obligatory rites, Pujas, Vratas and Yatras (pilgrimage) leading to the acquisition of virtue, which in turn eliminates the sin of the individual, Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa  has said "Spiritual practices such as japa, meditation, Puja, pilgrimage, etc., can lessen the effect of bad karma. Prayer is always beneficial".

Puja is a ritualistic worship of the divine performed to keep one in harmony with cosmic forces, thereby removing and overcoming the sorrows of life and bringing spiritual upliftment. By doing Puja, thoughts and vibrations of spiritual forces are created around us. These spiritual forces work to eliminate the negative influences in our life and help surround us withpositive energy which can bring peace of mind, prosperity and enable us to touch the divine, our true nature. The malefic  effects, which are destined to befall us, can be averted or their effects reduced by sincere prayers, selfless service and performance of specific Pujas as recommended in the Hindu texts. The body, mind and spirit are purified and harmonized by meditation, acts of devotion, prayers, mantra japa and the Pujas we perform.

According to the Vedic scriptures and the learned saints, performing mantra-japa, stotra recital, dana (charity), Puja/homa or a dip in the holy Ganga etc. are auspicious as they produce positive effects and counteract and remove or at least reducethe negative (bad) Karma and improve your life.

I believe God is not only just but also supremely merciful and Almighty. You may find yourself under the worst Prarabdhadue to your bad or negative Karma yielding its fruit but if you raise your cry to God with full faith using external or internal means like Puja, vrata, japa, homa, meditation etc., God will come to your aid. He is known to be the savior of the fallen and the degraded sinner (Patit Pawan). He has been known to alter the Law of Karma for His devotees.
 

Source: Speaking Tree, DT. August 4, 2013.