Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.24.15
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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sva - sva
—
each one's own
Reduplicated sva — 'each his own.' The verse insists that karma is personal property: nobody's karma is interchangeable with anybody else's, and no demigod can substitute one ledger for another.
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anuvartinām
—
of those who follow
Genitive plural present participle of anu + √vṛt. Beings 'follow along' the track of their own karma — the verb is one of automatic conformity, not of free choice in the moment.
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anīśena
—
by one who is not the controller
Instrumental of an-īśa — 'a non-controller.' Kṛṣṇa flatly says: Indra is an-īśa with respect to the destiny born of svabhāva. He is not 'a small lord'; in this domain he is no lord at all.
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svabhāva
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one's own nature
Compound: sva (own) + bhāva (nature). The conditioned nature shaped by previous karma. Gauḍīya frame: svabhāva is real but not ultimate; only bhakti can dissolve it (cf. Gītā 18.66, sarva-dharmān parityajya).
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vihitam
—
ordained
Past participle of vi + √dhā. What svabhāva has 'laid down' is unalterable by any third party. Kṛṣṇa's argument therefore: the indra-yāga is procedurally addressed to an office that cannot deliver.
Lord Kṛṣṇa’s argument here is not a negation of free will. If one accepts the existence of karma as a system of laws awarding reactions for our present activities, then we ourselves, according to our nature, will decide our future. Our happiness and distress in this life have already been adjudicated and fixed according to our previous activities, and not even the demigods can change that. They must award us the prosperity or poverty, sickness or health, happiness or distress due us by our previous work. However, we still retain the freedom to select a pious or impious mode of activity in this life, and the choice we make will determine our future suffering and enjoyment. For example, if I was pious in my last life, in this life the demigods may award me great material wealth. But I am free to spend my riches for good or for bad purposes, and my choice will determine my future life. Thus, although no one can change the karmic results due him in this life, everyone still retains his free will, by which he determines what his future situation will be. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s argument here is quite interesting; however, it neglects the overriding consideration that we are all eternal servants of God and must satisfy Him by all that we do.
The devatas have no function at all; they are like the nipples on the neck of a goat. Thus, he says that there is no need to worship Indra because people are simply reaping their inevitable karma. There may be an objection,"Action can not take place unless the supersoul instigates it. Thus, how can you say that the devatas have no function?" "The supersoul inspires the soul in order to perform actions dictated by his previous impressions (svabhava), and for no other purpose. As it is impossible to do anything except those actions decitated by previous impressions, what can worship of Indra do? It can have no effect."
What is the use of Indra for all living beings who follow their actions, who experience happiness and suffering according to previous actions? Action is the cause of their experiences. What can incapable Indra do to reverse the individual nature of people who have earned that position by action? Their nature is the cause of producing their actions.
Nābhuktaṁ kṣīyate karma: without experiencing it, karma cannot be destroyed. Because one must experience one’s prārabdha karmas, everyone follows karma. Though men can overcome their natures by discriminating knowledge, still they cannot change their karma. What to speak of others.
- Where am I bargaining with intermediate beings for outcomes only the supreme controller could alter?
- What current 'fate' might I accept as a previously written check?
A debt that comes due on the first of the month will come due whether or not the bank manager remembers your name. Indra cannot move the date forward; he cannot move it back. The collection happens by the contract you yourself signed in earlier lives.
My note
Source: vedabase.io