5 - Human Life And Its Purpose - Merit And Sin Flashcards
What is “merit” and “sin” called in Sanskrit?
Describe Punya and its advanatages and disadvantages.
Pun-ya is the result of good actions, words and thoughts, and it is important for a number of reasons.
First, the person who practices pun-ya becomes civilized and help to civilise society.
Second, if someone practices pun-ya, they gain a better embodiment in their next round of reincarnation.
This can take the form of a fortunate human embodiment in the material world or a godly body in svarga, heaven.
It is even possible, through long-term and faultless cultivation of good actions, to earn the position of a brahmaa, or a Creator.
However, the merit acquired from living a good life eventually runs out, and the being has to return to Earth in order to work out
their liberation.
What does the Laws Of Manu tell about punya?
What does Bhagavad Gita tell about punya
Describe the features of paapa (sin)?
As we all know, however, the world is a mixture of merit and sin, and pun-ya is not the only factor.
Paapa, or sin, is the result of evil actions, words and thought. If
someone primarily practices paapa, they gain a lower embodiment during their next round of reincarnation.
This can take the form of an unfortunate human embodiment,
or an animal, plant, worm, etc.
Extremely evil actions can cause someone to be born into a body that gets tortured in hell, or naraka.
After the being’s sentence is served, it returns to Earth and is born in lowly embodiments, slowly working its way up to being a human being.
Paapa destabilizes individuals and leads to chaos in society.
What does the Bhagavad Gita say about paapa?
What does the Sanskrit epics highlight about punya and paapa?
The Sanskrit epics highlight the fact that human beings are a mixture of virtue and vice.
Many characters are complex and are not clichéd ‘good guys’ or ‘bad
guys.’
Good tends to prevail, but its victory is bittersweet.
In the end, the epics indicate this important point – reality is beyond merit and sin.
