Characteristics of KAraNa, Cause and Kaarya, Effect The study of Vedanta involves a correct understanding of the concept of Cause and Effect. These are called ‘kAraNam’ and ‘kAryam’ respectively. The final purport of Vedanta is Advaitam and the very concept of cause-effect is unreal. Yet, in order to get the proper grasping of the Non-dual truth, the Vedanta adopts the method of cause-effect. Once the truth is grasped, the concept and the method of cause-effect are dropped. The Mandukya Upanishad, in the crucial seventh mantra naantaH prajnam… presents the Ultimate Truth, Turiya, as kArya-kAraNa-vilakShaNam. Brahman, the Ultimate Truth, is neither the cause of anything nor the effect of anything.
This study of the characteristics of the cause and effect is undertaken as an example in order to apply them to Brahman and the world and finally appreciate the nature of Brahman and understand the nature of the world. These characteristics are enumerated below: KaaraNam Ekam, One – Kaaryam anekam, many kAraNam Nityam, eternal – kARyam anityam, ephemeral kARaNam Saaram, essence, substantial – kAryam asaaram, insubstantial KaaraNam Satyam, real – kAryam asatyam, unreal The example of gold, the cause and gold-ornaments, the effects, is taken up to elucidate the above. Whatever be the number of ornaments, the material gold is one only. Thus, the effect, kAryam, ornaments have anekatvam, multiplicity and the cause, kAraNam, gold is ekam, one only. While ornaments keep changing, whenever one decides to ‘convert, remake’ a bangle into a chain and ring and so on, the material gold does not undergo change. That is, what was called a bangle is now called a chain but what was gold in a bangle is still gold in the chain. Thus gold is nityam, eternal and the ornaments are anityam, ephemeral. Gold alone is the substance, the substantial material, in all the ornaments. The name and form of the ornament is insubstantial, immaterial. When considering the worth, value, security of the ornaments one possesses, the individual name and form of ornaments are disregarded and only the content of gold in them is calculated. Thus, what is disregarded, the name and form, is insubstantial, asaaram, and that which is counted, considered, valued alone is substantial, saaram. Gold is the ‘real’ thing and the ornaments are ‘false’. This is because we say ‘bangle is’ and ‘is not’ referring to the presence and the absence of the bangle-name and form. But gold is always referred to as ‘is’ and never comes to be called ‘is not’. Whichever object swerves from its initially determined state is false, asatyam, mithyaa, and that which never gives up its originally determined state is alone true, satyam. The above four characteristics can be applied to the Cause, Brahman, and the effect, the world. Brahman the cause is only One and the world, the effect, is variegated. One can even talk about several worlds, considering the past ones that have perished in pralaya. Brahman is Advaita and the world is dvaita. Brahman is eternal, nityam and the world is ephemeral, the constantly changing one. Brahman is the substance of the world; the world as a name and form is insubstantial. In deep sleep we discard the world and repose in the Atman, the Self, our love for the world and our body-mind notwithstanding. Also, more importantly, the realization of Truth demands our ‘giving up’ the world. Only he who is able to consider the world as insubstantial can succeed in realizing Brahman, the Substance. Brahman is the Truth, Real, Satyam and the world in mithyA, unreal. Viveka, discrimination is the result of the consideration of the Satyam-mithyA aspect of Brahman-world. Vairagyam, dispassion, desirelessness, is the result of the consideration of the nityam-anityam aspect of Brahman-world. Vairagyam is strengthened by considering the essential, substantial nature of Brahman and the insubstantial nature of the world, resulting in shama, mind-control, dama, sense-control, uparati, withdrawal from actions to fulfill unnecessary goals, titikshaa, forbearance in the face of difficult situations, shraddhaa, deep faith, conviction, in the teaching of the scripture and the preceptor, samaadhAnam, abidance in longing-free equipoise. All these will result in reinforcing mumukshutvam, the burning desire for release from bondage. The above study results in these corollaries: The deep study of the characteristics of cause and effect, applied to Vedanta, will enable the aspirant to focus his sadhana in the right direction. He will consider what his own fundamental needs are: lasting peace lasting security lasting happiness He comes to understand that these cannot be had by turning to the world. The world is characterized by: variety beauty novelty unreliability ephemerality The sadhaka sees the contrast and total unsuitability, incompatibility of the world with reference to what he fundamentally seeks. He learns to intelligently ‘use’ the world but not lean upon the world. The world is compared to a beautiful chair, artistically ornamented and displayed in the showcase of a shop. One likes to buy it for use in the office or home. The shopkeeper, while negotiating the price, casually remarks that the chair is made of card board and is very light in weight. He says it is a fine piece of curio and one can do anything with it except sitting on it. With this crucial knowledge about the world, the aspirant learns not to rely on the world for security, peace and happiness. This is the avowed purpose of the study of the nature of the cause and effect. MUNDAKA UPANISHAD: Again, in explaining the cause-effect relationship, the Upanishad says that the effect is always dependent upon the cause and the cause is independent. For its substance, emergence, existence and the resolution, the effect is ever dependent on the cause. Whereas the cause is independent substance for itself and self-subsistent, the effects have no substance but only form, name, function and modification. Explaining further, the causal relation of conscious Brahman and the inert world, the example of the human body and its inert hair and the nails is given. In the previous illustration of fire and spark it is established that the relation is like that of material to material. Here the relation is between the conscious principle and the inert principle. Brahman is the one cause and the effects are many. For the effect there is no independent existence, it is mithyā. Brahman exists independently and is the intelligent cause. Brahman is present all the time, during origin, existence and destruction. Brahman is the intelligent cause of the world and the world is inert, matter. Brahman is consciousness and lends its ‘is’-ness to all the effects of the world. World cannot be separated from Brahman as no ornament is separate from its substance gold. Theory of Causality In explaining the relation between universe and Brahman, is stated that the cause is always present in the effect. Satkāryavāda, is the theory of causality that believed in the pre-existence of the effect in the cause. Before the manifestation of the universe the need of and knowledge of it has been visualized by the Brahman. The name and the form of the universe already existed in the potential form in the Brahman. In vedāntic terminology there is no actual evolution or creation of the world, but only the manifestation of the Brahman as the world. The world is not a creation of new things. The world comes into being only as a projection of the potential form. Thus, the world comes into existence in four stages; first the five elements, space, air, fire water and earth are projected. In the second stage, ego and mind are brought forth. Thirdly, the five gross elements are made by unification of subtle elements in certain proportions. Finally, the gross bodies are manifest. Brahman – Source of All The ritual performance of sacrifices prescribed in all Vedas also originated from Brahman. The Upanishad says that everything that is connected to the yajña, the ritual has come from Brahman alone, the diksha, a type of grass, worn by the performer for rituals, his wife, the sacrificial fire, the post to tie the sacrificial animal, sacrificial materials, the fees, Dakshina, the cow, etc. Even the merits of the performance, namely various worlds and the enjoyment of the benefits are also from the Brahman alone. The Upanishad further gives an account of other virtues and various forms of beings, like heavenly beings, gods of various orders, the injunctions for performance, faith in the scriptures and teachers, grains used in sacrifice, life force, cattle, birds, penance and devotion, instruments used in sacrifices and the code of conduct, all are said to have come from the same Brahman. The objects and the sensual experiences of two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a mouth and a tongue are the effect of the Brahman. The oceans, all the mountains, rivers of every kind and herbs, all proceed from Him.The earth is the one cause which produces a variety of plants and trees. Human body which is considered to be living and conscious produces inert hair and nails. There is no pain experienced when these are cut. Inert, unconscious things can be caused by Conscious principle. As there are varieties of effects from the single cause, Brahman, the consciousness projects the inert material world. As in the case of the Spider Brahman is both the material and intelligent cause of the Universe. K Rajaram IRS 25925 On Thu, 25 Sept 2025 at 04:22, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote: > Everything happens for a reason. That reason causes change. Sometimes it > hurts. Sometimes it's hard. But in the end it's all for the best. > > > *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not as > important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a > happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "* > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorSsUA-Z3_ab5yD_h9zxX%2B5D64v3F6_t%3DS9ifSg7P5Dvw%40mail.gmail.com.
