Prarabdha!

There was a great saint, Bilvamangala by name. He would call on Lord Krishna and He would appear. Such was his devotion. One man who suffered from chronic stomach-ache pestered him to find out from Krishna whether it would end or not. When Krishna appeared next, he asked him. Krishna replied, “When the rolling stops, it will cease.” The man interpreted it to mean “When he stopped rolling in pain”.

Bilvamangala told him that he had to suffer this trouble due to his Prarabdha (the result of his activities in previous births). He took rolling to mean, “Rolling from birth to birth.” On the road to Kashi which the man took for pilgrimage, he came to a free feeding place run by a pious lady, Kururamma. She saw his agony and spoke to him kindly. He told that he had decided to drown in the holy river Ganges for he was told there was no escaping the consequence of past sins. She gave him Lord Krishna’s holy mantra, and asked him to repeat it and said the Name would cure him completely. The man uttered and was surprised to find that the pain had gone!

The man returned from pilgrimage and fell at the feet of Bilvamangala, who enquired about his ache. When he was told that it had disappeared, he called on Krishna and asked what he had meant by “rolling.” Krishna meant rolling in this objective world, and its changing phenomena. When the man lived in the God’s name and had no other thought, the rolling had ceased; the Name and the chain of destiny cannot exist together. Prarabdha will melt away like fog before the sun when chanting is done.

There is a way to escape from the consequences of Karma (action). But once you become the recipient of God’s grace, you will not be affected by karma phala (fruits of actions). Hence, you should strive to earn His grace. Scholars say, it is impossible to escape Karma. What they say is true to a certain extent. But once you earn Divine grace, even if you have to experience the consequences of karma, you will not feel pain. If the person has a pure heart, and is living Swami’s teachings, Swami’s grace is automatic. No Karma can prevent that.