Karma and Bhāva
Karma means action, and bhāva means the inner feeling, intention or state of mind with which an action is done. Chapter 103 of the Gautamī Māhātmya in the Brahma Purāṇa holds one of the clearest and fullest teachings in all the Purāṇas on how these two work together.
The teaching was given by Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi to the asura Viśvarūpa at the Bhīmeśvara tīrtha (holy bathing place). It says that action alone is not enough. The fruit of any action is decided wholly by the bhāva with which it is done. There are three kinds of bhāva, sāttvika (pure), rājasa (restless) and tāmasa (dark), and the same outward action bears very different fruit depending on which one is behind it.
The Setting
The seven ṛṣis held a great satra-yajña (a long fire offering) at Bhīmeśvara on the Gautamī river (the Godāvarī). There they also divided the river into seven named streams. The powerful asura Viśvarūpa came to the gathering. Through celibacy and tapas (spiritual discipline) he had won the favour of all the ṛṣis. He humbly asked: “How can I beget a powerful son who will be invincible even to the Devas? Tell me whether it shall be through sacrifice or through tapas.” Viśvāmitra answered with the teaching below.
The Teaching
The Three Causes of an Action’s Fruit
“Different kinds of benefits accrue from the performance of pious rites and benevolent activities. There are three types of causes. Of them karma is the primary cause. Next is the doer himself. Then there is the material cause. Learned men know that the seed is karma, but sometimes even when all causes are present the fruit appears, and sometimes not. Therefore the fruit is dependent upon karma.”
Two Sides of Action
“Karma is of two types: that which is being done (kriyamāṇa) and that which has been done (kṛta). The attainment of fruits is in accordance with the bhāva (feeling, idea, inner quality) with which the creature performs karma.”
The Central Rule
“If anyone performs a karma duly but without bhāva (feeling), the fruit shall be adverse. Everything shall be in conformity with the respective feelings. Hence austerities (tapas), vows (vratas), charitable offerings (dāna), japa, yajñas, and all other holy rites will yield benefits in accordance with the feelings the performer has.”
Three Kinds of Bhāva
Viśvāmitra says that bhāvas are of three kinds:
- Sāttvika: of the nature of sattva guṇa (purity, clarity, light)
- Rājasa: of the nature of rajo guṇa (passion, activity, desire)
- Tāmasa: of the nature of tamo guṇa (inertia, darkness, destruction)
“The benefit is in accordance with the karma and the accompanying feeling. Hence a clever person shall cultivate the bhāva in accordance with his wish, and then perform karma accordingly. The fruit is derived through bhāvas.”
The Statement for All
“Karma alone is the cause of virtue (dharma), wealth (artha), love (kāma), and liberation (mokṣa). The karma sustained by bhāva is the cause of bondage as well as salvation.”
How Viśvarūpa Used the Teaching
Viśvarūpa understood this teaching and chose, on purpose, a tāmasika bhāva (dark inner feeling) for his own tapas. He knew this would give him a son of terrible power whom the devas could not defeat. He performed a fearsome rite, meditating on the Ātman (the Self) in the cave of the heart as a frightening presence inside a blazing fire pit. Following the command of a divine voice, he gave himself to the fire, leaving only his matted hair outside. From this tāmasika action done with a tāmasika bhāva, he was reborn as Vṛtra, the great asura known in the Vedas, terrible in form and in power.
Why It Matters
This is one of the clearest teachings in the Purāṇas on how the guṇas (qualities of nature) and action work together. It shows that:
- Action without bhāva is incomplete, and its fruit turns out badly
- The same outward action done with a sāttvika, rājasa or tāmasika bhāva brings completely different results
- Bhāva is what decides whether action leads to bondage or to liberation
- Even the four puruṣārthas (goals of life: dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa) are fruits of action shaped by bhāva
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 103