Accumulated punyā and pāpa are the good and bad impacts of our past actions that are yet to fructify. The purushārthā, dharmā , is all about accumulating only the punyā as it leads to happiness. But it is possible according to the scriptures that by not doing what must be done, known as ’vidita karmā’ or doing what ought not to be done, known as ‘nisheta karmā’, we may end up accumulating papā also.

Together these ‘unseen impact’ or the ’karma-phala’ act as a counter to the efforts that we put in, thereby enabling or inhibiting the expected outcome.

Who maintains our record of karma-phala and performs its due dispensation?
Let us give that role to the power known as GOD. In this role, GOD is known as ’karma-phala dāta’, the ‘dispenser of our due karma-phala’.

Two doubts creep in.

Why do we have to assume the existence of a God? And, even if God exists and takes up the role, on what rationale the dispensation of our karma-phala is done?

To the first question, we can take a very simple approach. By an assumption of a GOD, if we can attain our goal of happiness, so be it! What do we lose? If we need to rationally find out about the existence of God, then also, we need to start with an assumption of the unknown, like we do in algebra, assigning x, y, z to unknown things that we are yet to resolve.

There is another obvious and compelling rationale for the need and existence of GOD.

(to be continued – Mee. Rajagopalan – 02/06/2017)