Page 68 - Metaphysical questions of life

forgets what to do. First of all he makes a determina on to act in a cer-
tain way, and then he is entangled in the ac ons and reac ons of his
own karma. A er giving up one type of body, he enters another type of
body, as we take off and put on clothes. As the soul thus migrates, he
suffers the ac ons and reac ons of his past ac vi es. These ac vi es
can be changed when the living being is in the mode of goodness, in
sanity, and understands what sort of ac vi es he should adopt. If he
does so, then all the ac ons and reac ons of his past ac vi es can be
changed. Consequently, karma is not eternal. Therefore we stated that
of the five items (īśvara, jīva, prakṛ , me and karma) four are eternal,
whereas karma is not eternal.” (Bg – Introduc on)

The fact that karma is not eternal and that it can be changed is of the
utmost importance. It means that salva on is possible for all living en -
es. If karma was eternal, then it would be impossible to become free
from it. In the Brahma Samhita. Lord Brahma states:

yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva‐karma‐
bandhānurūpa‐phala‐bhājanam ātano
karmāṇi nirdaha kintu ca bhak ‐bhājāṁ
govindam ādi‐puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all frui-
ve ac vi es of those who are imbued with devo on and impar ally
ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's ac vi es, of all
those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of
their previously performed works, no less in the case of the ny insect
that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the de-
vas.” (Brahma Samhita 5. 54) Bhak siddhanta Saraswa Prabhupada
writes:

“God impar ally induces the fallen souls to act in the way that is conse-
quent on the deeds of their previous births and to enjoy the frui on of
their labors but, out of His great mercy to His devotees, He purges out,
by the fire of ordeal, the root of all karma, viz., nescience and evil de-
sires. Karma, though without beginning, is s ll perishable. The karma of
those, who work with the hope of enjoying the fruits of their labors, be-
comes everlas ng and endless and is never destroyed. The func on

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