Theory of Karma - Chapter 8
 

8. SANCHIT KARMA

However, there are certain Kriyaman Karmas which do not instantaneously ripen to give you fruits immediately. They, therefore, remain pending in deposit waiting for the
opportune time to ripen and bear fruits at the appropriate moment in future. Till then they are kept in abeyance and get accumulated. They are calied SANCHIT KARMA,
(accumulated Karmas). For example (i) you took laxative in the morning, but will get resultant motions after a few hours, (ii) you appeared in the examination to-day and will get your result after one month, (iii) you abused somebody to-day but he will wait for an opportune time to take revenge after three months, (iv) you harassed or tortured your parents in your young age causing a lot of anguish to them and your children will torture you in your old age,(v) you tried and laboured enthusiastically with great devotion to become a proficient musician or a famous painter but before acquiring perfection you left your body. Even then your labour of the present birth is not wasted. In your subsequent birth or births you will continue your efforts and
will definitely reach your goal of perfection and will get the fruits of your labour and devotion of your present birth.

Thus certain actions and efforts in the present (Kriyaman Karmas) do take time to ripen to enable them to yield fruits. Till then they are stored away, kept in abeyance and get accumulated in the balance as Sanchit Karmas. But anyhow, every action will have its reaction, every cause will have its effect and every effort will have its destiny

determined in due course of time without exception.

The millet seeds take Sa days to become ripe as millet corn, wheat seeds take 120 days to ripen and be ready for reaping as wheat corn, a mango tree starts bearing
fruits five years after sowing its seed, a jack fruit tree will start giving fruits after 10 years. Thus it takes time to germinate into ripe fruit, for the cause to be transformed
into effect. This time varies according to the nature of the seedlings and potentiality of that cause or action.

Taking example from Ramayan, Shri Das'ratha (father of Rama) in his young age killed one innocent Brahmin boy named S'ravana and hence his old blind parents cursed
Shri Das'rath that he shall also have to die due to the separation of his son. At the time of this curse Shri Das'rath was not married and hence that curse could not
be effetive immediately. His action (Karma) was therefore kept in abeyance pending as Sanchit Karma waiting for the opportune time to come. Subsequently, in due course of time, when Shri Das'rath got married, also got Rama as his son and then precisely just on the auspicious coronation day of Rama, the unholy sinful past action of King Das'rath immediately cropped up and he had to die because of the curse compelling the separation of his son Rama. And curiously enough, even shri Rama (the
omnipotent God incarnate), in due respect to the immutable law of Karma, chose not to interfere by showing any favouritism to his own father in giving him extension for at least 14 years till he would return from the forest. Taking one more example from the epic Mahabharata, King Dhrutarashtra, when he lost all his 100 sons in the
battle field, inquired of Lord Krishna as to why he met with such a disastrous loss even though he did not remember to have committed any such horrible sin during his present lifetime. Lord Krishna, out of respect and sympathy for him gracefully bestowed upon him divine vision so that he could visualise for himself the heinous act perpetrated by him in any of his previous births which was responsible for his current misery. Thus aided, Shri Dhrutarashtra discovered that fifty births back when he was a hunter of birds he once threw his burning net on a tree causing hundred small baby birds to be entrapped and burnt to ashes, while the remaining big birds flew away but they became blind due to the scorching heat of the burning net. The effect of this
horrible sinful deed was that Shri Dhrutarashtra became and remained blind all throughout his present life and also lost his 100 sons. Shri Dhrutarashtra wondered and further inquired from Lord Krishna as to why that wanton and sinful act did not immediately rebound on him to punish him in the same birth or even during his immediately next birth, and why it remained dormant as Sanchit Karma for such a long period of fifty lifetimes. Lord Krishna smiled and replied that his past sinful deed had to wait for an opportune time up to 50 births during which time he could earn and accumulate enough pious deeds to merit him to be eligible to get a hundred sons in one lifetime so that his previous sinful Sanchit Karma could instantaneously
confront him with the effects of his evil action.

Thus, nobody can escape or avoid the punishment for his sinful actions even after 50 or five hundred births. Of course, the sinful deeds will remain latent and dormant as
Sanchit Karmas waiting for the opportune time to confront the person. So long as the stock of his pious, meritorfous deeds is not fully exhausted, the sinful deeds will not be able to attack the person and will bide their time, but, in any event, will not allow the person to escape. His sins will catch up with him at the most opportune time, and will definitely attack him even after hundreds and thousands of births. Thus there is neither delay nor any chaos or confusion in the realm of God. God is full of both mercy and justice. There are innumerable such instances and episodes in our scriptures and also in our day-to-day life propounding this doctrine of Karma that "as you sow, so shall you reap" the fruits either immediately or in due course of time as and when they become ripe - either in the present life or in the subsequent birth or births to come.

Suppose you are owed 500 dollars by someone who cunningly refuses to repay. Hence you file a civil suit against him for recovery. The court issues a demand warrant in your favour and the bailiff goes to execute that warrant. But he cannot recover the money because the debtor is currently bankrupt. However, the demand warrant will not, therefore, be cancelled, but will only be kept pending till the recovery becomes possible. Subsequently, if the debtor acquires sufficient money through some business, service or by heritage, the demand warrant will immediately be enforced and executed for payment to you. Perhaps, before the recovery
of the amount, if the debtor dies, he can safely escape the execution of the order of this worldly court but his sinful debt (action) will be deposited in his Sanchit Karmas. Thus he cannot escape the divine court of God, as in his subsequent birth or births, he shall have to repay the amount, whether in terms of dollars, or in terms of service by becoming a bullock in your house in your next birth as a farmer.