Sriman Ananda Tirtha Madhvacharya Bhagavatpadaru (1238 - 1317 AD)

Sriman Madhvacharyaru (1238 - 1317 AD) was born in a Tulu speaking Brahmin family in Pajakaksetra (eight miles southeast of Udupi in Karnataka).

Vasudeva, as Sri Madhvacharyaru was known in his childhood. Madhyageha Bhatta, Vasudeva's father, is supposed to have practiced austerities and prayers at the Ananteswara temple to beget another child through divine grace, after his two sons passed away in early childhood itself.

Madhvavijaya, the authentic biography of Sri Madhvacharyaru composed in Sanskrit by Narayana Pandita attributes a divine origin to Madhva's birth, as is usual in Indian spiritual tradition with all great teachers. For example, Adi Sankara is considered as an incarnation of Siva and Srimad Ramanujacharyar the incarnation of Adisesa, the divine serpent depicted in the reclining posture of Lord Vishnu, Ananta Padmanabha.)

The text describes the distortions that had crept into the Advaitic school because of Sankara's followers preaching extreme doctrines condemning the devotional path (bhakti) and forms of worship. Mahavishnu is supposed to have directed Mukhyaprana (or Vayu, the wind god) to take a human birth to redeem the misguided people and re-establish the bhakti marga. Mukhyaprana is also said to have assumed a human form as Hanuman during the Ramayana age and as Bhima (the mightiest of the five Pandavas) during the Mahabharata age. Followers of Madhva worship him as the latest incarnation of Mukhyaprana. Sri Madhvacharyaru's life is full of miracles demonstrating his superhuman physical strength, alluding to his connection with Vayu, Hanuman and Bhima.

Even as an infant, Vasudeva is said to have cleanly digested horse-gram that his sister fed him by mistake during the mother's absence. In another incident, he is said to have crossed a forest alone when he was just a few years old, to offer worship at the Vishnu temple in Kaduvoor and at the Ananteswara temple in Udupi. When the anxious parents located him after a long search, he told them not to worry as Narayana always protected him.

Vasudeva displayed extraordinary memory retention and knowledge of scriptures, which indicated again an ancient soul clothed in a new body. His later works contain references to many Vedic texts or slokas, which are not available today. His followers believe that he was quoting from treatises that were in existence long ago and had been lost in the course of time. But his detractors accuse him of basing his arguments on non-existent evidence or fabricating it.

Vasudeva was also diligent in physical exercises and a leader amongst his peers in all sports activities. Even in later years he displayed many extraordinary feats of physical power. For instance, there is even today a huge block of stone called 'Bhiman kallu' (Bhima's stone) which the acharya is said to have lifted easily, when even a group of strong men could not move it with their combined effort.
Such was the promising childhood of this great teacher.

At the age of sixteen, Vasudeva decided to become a monk to fulfill his life's mission of spreading bhakti to Lord Vishnu amongst the masses. He joined a monastery in the village of Karey near Udupi, which was headed by Achyutapreksa who was proficient in Advaita but later became an ardent worshipper of Anantesvara. Achyutapreksa would soon witness the greatness of his new disciple through astonishing scholarship and other miraculous feats. Vasudeva's parents got reconciled to the pain of losing their only son after another boy was born to them and also to prevent him from carrying out his threat of leaving Udupi if the parents stood in his way.

Achyutapreksa initiated him into Sannyasa under the new name of Purnaprajna. The young ascetic started learning Advaita Vedanta from his guru but very soon he started expressing his differences of opinion on many of the fundamental teachings of Vedanta, particularly with Adi Sankara's commentary on the Brahmasutras. It is said that his guru Achyutapreksa was amazed to see his thorough knowledge of the Bhagavata and other auxiliary texts, which he had not yet been taught! Purnaprajna could demonstrate that every Vedic Sukta had three meanings, the Mahabharata ten meanings and every name in the Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names of Vishnu) had hundreds of meanings. In recognition of his vast and inspired learning, Purnaprajna was adorned with the title of "Ananda Theertharu".

Ananda Theertharu defeated many reputed scholars of the Buddhist, Jain and Advaitic schools in debates and his name began to spread far and wide. Encouraged by the growing response to his teaching, he undertook his first tour to Kanyakumari. At Anantapuram (located in the South Arcot District of Tamilnadu), he is said to have had a bitter debate with the then Sri Sri Sankaracharya of Sringeri Math, Vidya Theertharu, who was so enraged with this young ascetic's scholarly arguments that he threatened to break his Danda (the ascetic's staff). Such encounters with the followers of Sri Sri Sankaracharya and Srimad Ramanujacharya made him feel the need to write his own commentary on the Brahmasutras and found a new school of thought rooted in devotion to the Lord.

Having completed his tour of Rameswaram, Srirangam and other places in the South, he decided to go on a tour to North India culminating in his visit to Badarikasrama (popularly known as Badrinath today) where Lord Narayana is said to have performed penance. It is believed that Veda Vyasa, the composer of the Mahabharata continues to live in the upper reaches of the Himalayas at Badari invisible to ordinary humanity.

The Madhvavijaya mentions that Ananda Theertharu received a divine call to visit upper Badari and he could even see Veda Vyasa who taught him the true meaning of the Vedas, the Brahmasutras and the Mahabharata. Ananda Tirtha heard the divine command of Lord Narayana to complete the work begun by Veda Vyasa to establish the correct meanings of the sacred texts and popularize it amongst the masses. Purnaprajna therefore undertook and completed a commentary on the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavat Gita and dedicated them to the Lord.

He then traveled back to Udupi and started expounding his new commentary to all and converted his own guru Achyutapreksa after a tough debate. Thus, the guru Achyutapreksa himself became a disciple of this divine teacher. Purnaprajna was made the head of the monastery and he won over many reputed scholars who became his followers and later on wrote commentaries on his works.

A significant event after his return from Badari was the installation of the image of Sri Krishna, which is worshipped even today at the temple in Udupi.

The popular story associated with the setting up of the Krishna icon and the composition of the dvadasha stotra is as follows:

One morning Ananda Theertharu was on the seashore performing his rituals when he saw a ship in distress, wobbling violently in the stormy waters. He waved his upper cloth and calmed the storm. When the grateful captain of the ship offered him the entire contents of the ship, he declined to accept anything except three mounds or lumps of gopichandana that had been used as ballast. With his divine vision, he saw in one of the lumps a beautiful and precious icon of shrI Krishna that had originally been worshipped by Rukmini Herself. Soaked in devotion he carried the lumps on his shoulders and walked towards Udupi, composing the Dvaadasha
Stotra on the way. He duly consecrated the icon in Udupi and personally worshiped it for 20 years.

After installing Sri Krishna at Udupi, he laid down rules for the regular worship and devotional service and also reformed certain sacrificial rites which involved animal sacrifices, as he felt that in the most ancient days Vedic rituals did not allow animal sacrifice. He replaced such animal sacrifices in Vedic rituals by substituting animal forms made of a paste of black gram powder and ghee and also made his brother perform a grand yajna according to the new rules set by him to demonstrate their efficacy.

Large crowds of ordinary men and scholars alike began thronging to him, attracted by his divine persona and his brilliant scholarship. Thus, the transformation of the young ascetic Purnaprajna into the revered teacher-saint Ananda Theertharu was now complete.

One of the most interesting incidents in the Ananda Theertharu's life is his encounter with a Muslim king on the banks of the Ganga. The king had put his guards on watch to prevent any enemies from crossing the river during a state of war. Ananda Theertharu put a spell over the guards and approached the King and spoke to him in the Turkish language, which he was not known to be familiar with. The Muslim king offered a part of his kingdom to the Ananda Theertharu if he agreed to stay with him, so pleased was he with Ananda Theertharu's intelligence, charming personality and divine appearance!

During his visit to Kurukshetra, Ananda Theertharu described the exploits of Bhimasena to his disciples who became very curious to see the mighty mace, which Bhimasena is said to have used in his fight against Duryodhana. Ananda Theertharu pointed to a spot and asked his disciples to dig there, where the disciples found the hidden mace to their utter astonishment!

At Goa, he is said to have consumed 4,000 bananas and thirty pots of milk to demonstrate his powers as Hanuman. Such stories of superhuman capacity for digestion also occur in the lives of modern saints like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineswar and Trailanga Swami of Varanasi. At Gomati, he demonstrated the efficacy of Vedic mantras to a skeptical King by making green gram seeds sprout instantaneously and bear fruit by uttering the Vedic sukta 'Ya oshadhih purvajata.' One night when a rough wind blew out all the lamps, he enabled his disciples to continue their studies with the light emanating from his body!

The Ananda Theertharu's voice was so loud and sonorous that it could drown the noise of even a turbulent sea, as he demonstrated on a solar eclipse day by expounding the Aitareya suktas on the shores of the sea to his disciples who had gathered there for a ritual bath. A mere side-glance from the Ananda Theertharu turned the turbulent sea into a still lake, enabling them to complete their ablutions during the auspicious time. At a village called Paranti, he is said to have brought rain to fill up the dried up village tank.

The Ananda Theertharu laid great emphasis on physical fitness and he was himself known to be a great wrestler; he could defeat fifteen of his strongest disciples simultaneously. The disciples compared the hold of his hands and fingers with the weight of a mountain. A wrestler named Gandavata and his brother made an unsuccessful attempt to strangle the Ananda Theertharu by his neck. The wrestlers collapsed in exhaustion because the Ananda Theertharu's neck was as unyielding as an iron pipe.

Ananda Theertharu lived for seventy nine years. The Sumadhva Vijaya is not clear about his final days. It just says that it was the ninth day and showered flowers on him. This is the famous prayer that ends with the verse ending in “namaste prANesha praNata vibhavAya ….”

After this, the popular belief is that his disciples searched for him under the flowers but did not find him. It is believed that he went to Upper Badari to continue his studies with Shri VedavyAsa. This day is celebrated as Madhva Navami.

Several disciples form various regions of the country sought and obtained sanyAsa from the Ananda Theertharu. The prominent ones among them are:

Sri Padmanabha Theertharu
Sri Narahari Theertharu
Sri Madhava Theertharu
Sri Akshobhya Theertharu

Sri Madhvacharya, during his manifestation on earth, made and worshiped several idols of Lord Vishnu. He later distributed these to his Shishyas and in turn, they continue to be worshiped by the various mathas that the students formed. The following is a list of the Shishyas, the mathas they established and the idol they received from Srimadacharya.

•Sri Hrishikesha Tirtha – Palimaru Matha – Sri Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana

•Sri Narasimha Tirtha – Adamaru Matha – Sri Kaliyamardana Krishna (with four arms)

•Sri Janardana Tirtha – Krishnapura Matha – Sri Kaliyamardana Krishna (with two arms)

•Sri Upendra Tirtha – Puttige Matha – Sri Vittala

•Sri Vamana Tirtha – Shirooru Matha – Sri Vittala

•Sri Vishnu Tirtha – Sode Matha – Sri Bhuvaraha

•Sri Ramachandra Tirtha – Kaniyooru Matha – Sri Narasimha

•Sri Adhokshaja Tirtha – Pejavara Matha – Sri Vittala

•Sri Padmanabha Tirtha – Uttaradi Matha – Sri Rama

In addition to the above direct disciples there are several other illustrious ascetics associated with dvaita Vedanta. The names that immediately come to mind are Sri Jaya Theertharu (also known as Teeka Charayaru for his act of writing commentaries on Ananda Theertharu’s works), Sri Brahmnya Theertharu, Sri Lakshminarayana Theertharu (more commonly known as Sri Sripadaraja), Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu, Sri Vyasa Theertharu, Sri Vadiraja Theertharu, Sri Vijayindra Theertharu, Sri Raghuttama Theertharu, Sri Sudhindra Theertharu, Sri Raghavendra Theertharu and so on.

In addition, there were many gruhasthas (householders) who served the cause of Ananda Theertharu. The prominent ones are Sri Trivikramapanditacharyaru, Sri Shankara Panditacharyaru, Smt. Kalyani devi (Trivikrama panditAcharya’s sister), Sri Narayana panditacharyaru, Sri Vamana Panditacharyaru, Sri Purandaradasaru, Sri Vijayadasaru, Sri Gopaladasaru, Sri Jagannathadasaru (author of Harikathamrutasara) and so on. It is a widely held belief that most of the saints and haridasas who came in the dvaita tradition are incarnations of celestial that came down to serve Aananda Theertharu.

Ananda Theertharu’s works are called as Sarvamoola, because they are the root source of all knowledge of the Almighty, who is also the source of everything.

Incidentally, the Ananda Theertharu never wrote any work by hand. He composed the work in his head and dictated it continuously to his disciples who would take it down on palm leaves.

The following are his works

Commentaries On Vedic Hymns
Rig-Veda Bhasya
Karmanirnaya

Upanishad PrasthAna' (On Upanishads)
Aitareya Upanishad Bhasya
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad Bhasya
Chandogya Upanishad Bhasya
Taittiriyaa Upanishad Bhasya
Isavasya Upanishad Bhasya
Kathaka Upanishad Bhasya
Atharvana [Mundaka] Upanishad Bhasya
Manduka Upanishad Bhasya
Shatprasna Upanishad Bhasya
Talavakara [Kena] Upanishad Bhasya

'Gita prasthana' (on bhagavad gita)
Bhagavadgita Bhashya
Bhagavadgita Tatparya Nirnaya

‘Purana Prasthana’ (on itihasa and puranas):
Bhagavata tatparya nirnaya
Shriman Mahabhrata ttparya nirnaya

'Sutra Prasthana' (On Brahma Sutras)
Brahmasutra - Bhashya
Brahmasutra - Anubhashya
Brahmasutra - Anuvyakhyana
Brahmasutra - Nyayavivarana

'Lakshana Granthas'
Pramana Lakshna
Katha Lakshana

'Khandana Traya'
Upadhi Khandana
Mayavada Khandana
Mithyatvanumana Khandana

'Tattva Granthas'
Tattva Sankhyana
Tattva VivEka
Tattvodyota
Vishnutattva(vi)Nirnaya.

Stotras:
Kandukastuti
Bilva Mangala Sadhu

Other Works (offering guidance on spiritual matters):
Sadacharasmriti
Jayanti nirnaya
Krishnamritamaharnava
Tantrasarasangraha
Yamakabharata
Yatipranavakalpa
Thithi nirnaya
Nyasa paddati

The Lakshana Granthas (2),
Khandana Traya (3),
Tattva Granthas (4), along with Karma Nirnaya are collectively known as 'Dasaprakaranas'.

Sriman Madhvacharyaru made a study on “Pancha-Beda”, which is often named as “Atyanta Bheda Darsanam”. It is classified as five distinctions:
1. The distinction between Supreme and the individual soul
2. The distinction between Supreme and non living matter
3. The distinction between the individual soul and non living matter
4. The distinction between one individual soul and the other
5. The distinction between one material thing and another.

The Atyanta Bheda Darsanam has been further categorized as ‘Padartha’ or objective reality, i.e.
a. Independent (Svatantra)
b. Dependent (Paratantra)

The Svatantra is one who is independent in total – meaning God, The Supreme and the Reality. Whereas the ‘Soul’ (Jiva) and the ‘World’ (Jagat) are the dependants (Paratantra) of the Supreme. Hence God rules them. The Supreme is the Independent and cannot be further classified, whereas the dependents are further classified as Chetana and Achetana. The positive signs are the ‘Chetana’ (intellect) i.e. Conscious souls and ‘Achetana’ (ignorant – unawareness or unconscious) that of ‘matter and time’. Unconscious entities are either eternal like the Vedas or eternal and non-eternals like ‘Prakriti, time and space’, or non-eternal like the products of ‘Prakriti’.

Before defining the unconscious entity, Sriman Madhvacharya explains about the Svatantra and Paratantra which is Nitya-Mukta i.e. eternally free from Samsara. In this study the ‘Svatantra’ is Maha Vishnu, Who is intelligent and Who is the Governor of the world and Whose Nitya-Mukta or the energy or power is Lakshmi. Vishnu can be realized through various group forms (Vyuhas) and Avataras (Divine incarnations). Likewise, the foremost ‘Paratantra’ is Lakshmi, the energy or power of Vishnu, Who is co-eternal and Who can assume various forms without a material body. She is not affected by pain or sorrow. Their sons are Brahma and Vaayu.

Prakriti (Pra = Supreme + Kriti = created/creation):- It is believed in the philosophy of Sriman Madhvacharya that Creation is different from Him. Based on this study he said that Vishnu is the efficient and the material or the cause of the world. God energizes Prakriti through Lakshmi and makes its evolution into the visible world. Prakriti is the material cause as all the objects, bodies and organs are made by Prakriti. The three aspects of Prakriti are presided over by the three powers – Lakshmi, Bhu (Saraswati – earth) and Durga. Avidya (ignorance) is also a form of Prakriti that hides the Supreme from the vision of the individual soul.

Sriman Madhvacharyaru believed that the world made of Prakriti is not an illusion but a reality, distinct from God. It is not also a transformation of God as that of curd out of milk nor is it a body of God. Hence it is unqualified and absolute dualism.

Sriman Madhvacharyaru accepted the classification of souls made by Srimad Ramanujacharyar as:

a) Nitya – the Eternal (like Lakshmi)
b) Mukta or liberated (the Demi-Gods, Rishis, and Sages) and
c) Baddha or bound ones

Sriman Madhvacharyaru added two more to these: Those who are eligible and not so eligible for Moksha

(i) The completely surrendered ones, even though Baddha are eligible for Moksha.
(ii) Those who are not eligible for salvation are classified as

(a) Nitya-Sansarins i.e bound by the cycle of Samsara and
(b) Those whose destiny is hell – the region of blinding darkness (Tamoyogya).

Based on this classification the individual soul (Jiva), a distinct entity becomes plurality of souls. It is believed, as based on the classification, no two jivas are alike in character. As soul (Jiva) is different from God and matter (Prakriti), it depends on God for guidance. The Lord impels the Jivas to action in accordance with their previous conduct. Because of the past deeds the Jivi has to undergo sufferings and pains by which its impurities are removed, it attains salvation and skips the cycle of life and death and enjoys the blissful and true nature of a Jiva. Although the Jivas are graded and the classes of souls in the realm of bliss are various, as such there is no discord among them as they are aware of Brahman and have no faults. But the soul does not attain equality with God. They are entitled only to serve the Lord. Through nine types of devotion {Nava vidana bakthi} souls attain salvation with the grace of God.

He took a stand different from Sri Sri Shankaracharya on Brahman and constituted nine most famous statements (Prameyas).

The Shloka that lays out the nine prameyas is

SrIman Madhvamate

harih paratarah, satyam jagat, tattvatho bhedho jIvagaNA, hareranucarA, nIchoccabhAvam gatAh |

muktir naijasukhAnubhUtir, amalA bhaktih tatsAdhanam, hyakshrAdi tritayam pramANam, akhilAmnAyaikavedyo harih ||


1) Harih Paratarah

Harih ---------------- Hari
Parataraha -------- (is) Supreme

Hari is the Supreme Lord and there is none superior to Hari. Hari is the One and Only Independent Reality.

2) Satyam Jagat

Satyam --------------- True
Jagat ------------------ World

The world is real. According to Sriman Madhvacharyaru the reality is very much that we live in this world. In context to Sri Sri Shankara calling this materialistic world as a dream, Sriman Madhvacharyaru says that we are not yet awakened from the dream to say that this is a dream. Hence what is happening at this moment is to be considered.

3) Tattvatho Bhedho JIvagana

Tattvatho ------------ Virtues
Bhedho -------------- Difference
Jivagana ------------ Living beings

Difference in beings according to their virtues. Every follower of the Madhva school firm believe in the Pancha-bheda—five real and eternal distinctions—

Atyanta Bheda Darsanam or Pancha-bheda:

A) Jiiveshvara bheda

The difference between Supreme Being and the Individual Soul {God and Living things}

B) Jadeshvara bheda

The difference between Supreme Being and the Non Living Matter {God and
Things}

C) Jiiva-Jiiva bheda

The difference between two individual Soul. Within the category of trees there are apple trees and there are lemon trees. {If this has been misinterpreted for division in caste then it is NOT the mistake of the Sriman Madhvacharyaru. It may be the difference of two individuals of same family also like two brothers having common parents}

D) Jada-Jiiva-bheda

The difference between individual Soul and Non Living Matter {There is the category of trees and there is the category of hills. Trees and hills belong to different categories.}

E) Jada- Jada bheda

The difference between Non Living Matter. Within the category of books there are religious books and there are friction books.

4) Hareranucaraha

Harer --------------- Hari’s
Anucaraha -------- Followers

Having talked about difference due to distinction, Sriman Madhvacharyaru concludes all are followers and servants of Hari.

5) Nichoccabhavam Gataha

Nicha --------------- inferior
Uccha -------------- superior
Bhavam ------------ feeling
Gataha ------------- exists

There is gradation among the beings. Some are superior; some are inferior. The law of karma at work. Because of their past karma, there are differences or gradations, taratamya among jivas. We have ripe apples as well as row apples in a basket. If this gradation were not to be there we would not have sentenced a criminal to jail.

6) Muktir Naijasukhanubhutih

Mukthi ------------- Salvation
Naija ---------------- without
Sukha -------------- Bliss
Anubuthir --------- felt

Moksha is the realization of innate happiness of the self. Ones life has a worthy meaning if it has mukthi (salvation).

7) Amala Bhaktih Tatsadhanam

Amala -------------- Pure
Bhakti -------------- Devotion
Tat ------------------- that (mukthi)
Sadhanam --------- Achievement

The means of achieving moksha is uncontaminated and unconditional Bhakti (devotion). Here Sriman Madhvacharyaru emphasizes on Bhakti alone. There is no mention of Jnana (knowledge).

8) Hyakshsraditritayam Pramanam

Hya ---------------- Conclusion (Anumana)
Akshara --------- Word (Sruthi) (Sabda)
Adhi -------------- and
Tritayam -------- Three
Pramanam ----- Witness (Pratyaksha)

Sriman Madhvacharyaru while talking of mukthi says it can be achieved through Bhakti alone. Bhakti towards Hari and the jnana (Knowing about Hari) is already available through perception, inference, and scriptural testimony, ie. Pratyaksha, Anumana, and Sabda.

Pratyaksha (perception):

There are jivatmas who have got the vision of the Supreme at some point of time. Like as we could let us say see “Fire”.

Anumana (inference):

Some times at the circumstantial evidence we have got to conclude the presence of the Supreme. Like if there is smoke on a hill we conclude that there must be fire at the bottom of the smoke. Even though fire is not visible from the foot of the hill. Let us suppose there is water in a vessel we immediately conclude it to be hot by seeing the vapors. The earth is rotating on its own axis; there must be some power to spin this huge ball. What is that power which makes this earth rotate?

Sabda (sound from Sruthis):

The testimony of the scripture. This is same as Srimad Ramanujacharyar felt that the destiny has proclaimed at the crown of the all scriptures that SRINIVASA is the Para Brahman.


9) Akhilamnayaikavedyo Harih

Akhila -------------- All
Amnaya ----------- Praise
Eva ----------------- only
Vedyo ------------- Vedas
Harih -------------- Hari

Hari, and Hari alone, is praised in all the scriptures.


Dvaita

Sri Hari is Sarvottama. The other Demi-Gods including Maha Lakshmi serve Him. Reality in this materialistic world should be accepted. Even though all beings are one, a son has to show respect to his father, like wise an employee to his employer. The serving section have to follow Dvaita Philosophy and think that the people who have employed them are superior to them and try to respect the Supreme residing in their hearts.

Sri Krishna in Bhagavad-Gita explains Arjuna in regard to the Four Varnas. He says “Chatur-Varnam Maya Shrustam, Guna Karma Vibhagasha" The Four Varnas are classified based on Guna and Karma. The Guna that is told here is not the character but the Prakriti’ (nature) of the individual containing the amalgamation of the trigunas i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

An individual who has Satva guna is categories as Brahamana (teacher/scholar)

An individual who has Satva and Rajas with Rajas in prominence is a Kshatriya (ruler/administrator)

An individual who has Rajas and Tamas with Rajas in prominence is a Vaisya (merchant/tradesmen)

An individual who has Tamo guna is categories as Sudra (worker/crafsmen)

This system of division of labour was to help the individuals in inter dependence to strive for the existence of society. But this division of labour has so much so divide our society that we give much credit to Engineers and Doctors but we care less to Farmers and Soldiers. A road layer and a sanitary cleaner are as important to society as space scientist and research doctor. We usually tell our children to study well and give the instance of becoming a road layer and a sanitary cleaner if they don’t study well in this way we bring the division of labour in them. Instead we can tell them by studying well one can serve the society better than a road layer and a sanitary cleaner even though those work are divine and are necessary for society.

Karma is not the work that we do but is the latent desires that the souls have carried from their past lives. If suppose an individual who had been in the category of Brahamana and had a desire of having lordship over others as a ruler but could not fulfill his desire in that life, he will be given an opportunity by Supreme in the future life in letting him to take birth in a Kshatriya family. The proof for this is in “Atmasamyama Yoga” of Bhagavad-Gita in Chapter 6 Arjuna asks Krishna what would happen to a person who has full faith in Karma yoga but is unable to control his mind and senses and cannot practice it to perfection and passes away midway. Gita 6.37-38. Listening to the queries of Arjuna, Krishna answers that a person who has stepped into the path of Karma Yoga will never come to grieve in this world or in the next. Evil never befalls one who does good. After death, he will be born in a family of prosperous and pious parents after enjoying the celestial world. Gita 6.41-42