Hindu Religious Studies 51
Harvest of Deeds
This world is full of varieties. And vast is its working places. Here
every one has to do some work. The word 'deed' refers to some
activity. Deeds are of different kinds. For example, study, games and
sports, trade and commerce, cultivation etc.
There is some purpose or other behind these deeds of ours. And that
purpose is to gain something in return.
But at times we do such works, for which we desire nothing. We do
such works out of our sense of duty.Deeds or works are of two kinds: desireful deeds and desireless deeds.
Desireful deeds mean the works for which we want something in
return and desireless deeds mean the works for which we want nothing
in return. Of these two types, desireless deeds are mentioned as the
better deeds in the Holy Books.We know that Ishwara is the Master of creation, nourishment and
destruction of this world. Everything of this world is being done at His
command. So, all the deeds are the deeds of Ishwara. Deeds are of
Ishwara, so are the harvests of deeds. He is making us do all what we
do. We are doing as He wants us to do. So the responsibility of win or
defeat, gain or loss, for that reason the harvests of all our deeds does
not lie with us. If we do our works thinking in this way, we shall do
desireless deeds. Desireless deeds set us free. It brings welfare for the
world as a whole. It makes men happy and cheerful.
There is a relation between harvests of deeds and rebirth. Men have to
reap the harvests of his desireful deeds. For this purpose he has to be
born again and again. He gets a good birth for good deeds and a bad
birth for bad deeds. The created beings move in a circular manner
based on their good or bad harvests. Death after birth and birth after
death.