Podcast:
Transcription
Question: When A Helpless Girl Is Raped, Does The Gita Say That It Happened Due To Her Past Karma?
Answer: Whenever an event occurs, there are reasons based on different levels, and the Gita puts emphasis on our dharma. Here, dharma refers to our responsibility, meaning what responsible actions we should take. Neither in the Gita nor in the Mahabharata is it emphasized that when Draupadi is subjected to humiliation and attempts are made to disrobe her, no one says that this was all due to your past karma. When we interact in this world, we need to see what particular actions a person has done with regard to his present birth and situation, and if they haven’t done any wrong action and something wrong happens to them, then it is injustice, and that injustice should be retaliated against.
So, that retaliation happens at many levels. There should be a system in society where there is no injustice, but if there is injustice, then the one who has committed it should be punished. When such events occur, it is injustice at the level of this present birth, hence it is highly inappropriate to even mention the karma of their past life here. If we attribute every wrong thing happening in the world to past lives, then where do we stop? For example, if a newborn baby is crying, will the mother say that due to the baby’s past karma it is unhappy and suffering? Rather than attributing it to the baby’s past karma, the mother should take cognizant of what her duty is. So, it is the duty of the mother to feed the child, take care of the child, check if there is any illness and get it treated appropriately. As much as possible, she should try to relieve the baby of its pain, reduce its crying, and provide relief. It is possible sometimes that the child may have some pain, some illness that they can’t understand or find a solution to, and the baby keeps crying. At that time, when we cannot change a situation and it is essential to accept what has happened, then in order to console himself, that person can think that maybe this happened because of my past karma, but blaming the person who has suffered the injustice, holding him responsible for what has happened, is called “blaming the guilty”, that is, one who has been victimized is held guilty. You must have done something, that’s why they did that to you. When such a thought occurs, it is entirely wrong.
So, the teaching of the Gita is for all of us to do our duty well, not to attribute others’ suffering to their own karma and allow injustice, abuse, or any wrongdoings without retribution. If we look at the Bhagavad Gita which is a part of the Mahabharata, when Draupadi is subjected to humiliation, then Krishna miraculously intervenes and provides her with clothing. But after that, when Duryodhana remains adamant and does not accept the peace offer, he is punished. There is even a war for that purpose. This means that it is the responsibility of a person to retaliate against injustice, abuse, and especially for Kshatriyas, it is a still more significant responsibility. So, when something bad happens to anyone, rather than focusing on the person’s karma, we should see what our dharma is. If anyone misuses tattva-jnana (spiritual knowledge), we can safely say that it shines a poor light on their humanity. If qualities such as humanity, empathy, compassion towards others, service to others, etc., are declining, then we should understand that it amounts to a misuse of the tattva-jnana.
Nowhere in scriptures, when someone is subject to injustice, does the person who was responsible for their protection ever say that it’s the result of your own karma, consequently you should suffer now? No! They realize that they have not been able to fulfil their duty and how they can now do their duty. When Sita was abducted, no one says it’s her own karma that caused her to be abducted and she would be better off in Ravana’s captivity. No! Ram and Lakshman consider themselves to blame for having left her alone, and realize it’s their responsibility to find her and rescue her from the one who abducted her. So, the example of how to apply the knowledge of scriptures in our life can also be found in the scriptures itself. If someone is drawing a conclusion contrary to the examples given in the scriptures, then it is a misuse of spiritual knowledge.
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By Vijaya Dasa
