Karana
In Indian philosophy, the name for an
instrumental cause, or the cause by
which another thing is accomplished.
An example often given by the Nyaya
philosophical school states that when
a potter connects two pot-halves using
a stick, the stick is the instrumental
cause for the creation of the pot. In
Sanskritgrammar, the word karana has
a parallel sense; it designates the word
in a sentence that shows how the
action is accomplished.
Karandamakuta
(“basket-crown”) A small crown in the
shape of a basket, notable for its lack of
ornamentation. In Hindu art, the karan-
damakuta is the head covering worn by
a lesser deity. In contrast, the kirita-
makuta worn by the god Vishnu is
much larger and more elaborately deco-
rated, in keeping with his status as one
of the predominant deities in Hindu
religious life.
Karka Sankranti
Date on the Indian calendarmarking
the sun’s transition into the zodiacal
sign of Cancer, and thus, the beginning
of the dakshinayana, the six months in
which the sun is traveling toward the
south. In Western astrology this happens
during the summer solstice (around
June 21), but in Indian reckoning it
occurs around July 14. The discrepancy
arises due to the different ways in which
the two systems mark the beginning of
the astrological year. In Western astrology
the beginning of the year is based on the
sun’s position in relation to the earth
and occurs during the vernal equinox
(around March 21). In Indian reckoning
the starting point of the zodiaccomes
when the sun intersects the midpoint of
a group of stars named Ashvini, and is
based on the position of the sun with
regard to fixed stars. Karka Sankranti is
not marked by significant observances,
unlike Makara Sankranti,which occurs
six months earlier, marking the
beginning of the sun’s northward
journey (uttarayana). The southern
direction is associated with the god
Yama, who is death personified. Thus,
this southward movement is considered
less auspicious than its northward
counterpart.Karma
(“action”) The notion of karma and its
connection with reincarnation (sam-
sara) are perhaps the most fundamental
concepts in Indian thought and are
ideas shared by all Indian religions:
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh.
Although the literal meaning of karma is
“action,” it is believed to encompass
words and thoughts as well as deeds.
The basic assumption behind the
notion of karma is that of a dynamic
universe, in which any action that one
takes will have consequences that will
eventually affect oneself. In the simplest
explanation, good actions will have
good consequences, and evil actions
will have evil consequences, in an
extended chain of cause and effect.
Since thoughts are considered actions,
this determination of “good” and “evil”
actions also takes into account one’s
motives—a laudable action performed
for an ignoble motive is still a laudable
action, but will not generate as much
merit as the same action performed for
a pure motive.
Karma is seen as a purely physical
process, much like the law of gravity. It
does not require a divine overseer,
although in devotional Hinduism, God
is generally seen as having the power to
nullify one’s past karma. The effects of
one’s actions may come either in this life
or in future lives. The former case is easy
to believe, since most people accept that
their actions have consequences, but
the latter case is much more difficult to
support with concrete evidence. Since
the general tone of one’s life is seen as
more important than a few isolated acts,
one might compare the idea of karma
with the notion of a person’s “character.”
Both are determined by one’s habitualKarma