kAmya karmas (was Re: [Advaita-l] Animal sacrifice)

[Shrisha Rao]

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:

> I was only replying to Sri Sanjays observation that kaamya karmas
> *intrinsically create bondage*. The point is they do NOT. The
> intention of the kartaa is what matters. This is a big difference from
> the bhedaabheda schools, and even some advaitins like maNDana mishra.

Actually, Kumarila Bhatta also, in the shloka-vArtika, seems to hold the 
position that desire-based action is forbidden for seekers of moksha: 
moxArthI na pravarteta tatra kAmyakarma nishhiddhayoH.  His commentator 
Parthasarathi Misra quotes the Bhagavad Gita in his explanation of the 
remark.  This is somewhat at odds with the "classical" mImAMsA perspective 
that nitya-karma such as sandhyA is useless, i.e., brings no specific new
reward (though failure to perform it brings harm), whilst kAmya-karma such 
as the jyotishhToma or putreshhTi is what brings all purushhArtha-s 
including wealth, sons, svarga, moksha, etc., vide `jyotishhTomena 
svargakAmo yajeta', `putrakAmo putreshhTyA yajeta', etc.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

> Rama