Bhagavad Gita 4.17

[Vannessa Rataj]

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that the law of karma is, like the other laws of nature discovered by modern science, a foundational principle governing the world we live in; no in the sense that it involves the interaction of non-quantifiable parameters like consciousness, free will, and motivation that are beyond the ken of classical physics.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.17) that karma works in complex ways difficult to understand. God knows best what reaction has to be given at what time and under what conditions. Therefore, some reactions may come in this lifetime, some in the next, and some in a distant future lifetime.

Devotional service to the Lord is akarma. It brings the ultimate freedom from karmic entanglement because by its very nature it is a transcendental activity. It also provides us with, among other things, four great gifts that help us progress to the pure spiritual platform.

2. The determination to do right and avoid wrong. Devotional service saves us from (a) doing further bad karma and (b) the craving to do bad karma. It gives us the inner satisfaction that enables us to say no to all the sinful pleasure of this world. Thus, we not only know the right choices, but we also get the willpower to make those choices.

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