Patanjali lists the types of results in the form of birth, lifespan and experiences,
Te hlaadaparitaapaphalaah punyaapunyahetutvaat
Te: They (janm, ayu & bhog)
Hlaad: Pleasure
Paritaap: Pain
Phalaah: Results (fruits)
Punya: Virtue
Apunya: Vice
Hetu: Cause
Tvaat: Their
They (janm, ayu and bhog) translate into pleasures and pains, because they stem from virtuous as well non-virtuous deeds.
There are so many who empty their pockets going to astrologers and fortune tellers and resort to all kinds of mantras, yantras and solutions to alter the course of their life. But how many have been helped by such solutions?
Truth is and Patanjali confirms, there is nothing called a solution or ‘upaya’. A problem or pain is just a manifestation of your negative karmas and the solution lies in improving them through service and charity under Guru’s sanidhya.
In the previous sutra, we had left the discussion at a situation where a person had a very strong desire for being looked after and leading a life of luxury. If he has a backing of strong karmas, he might be born to the royal family in his next birth. If, however, his desire is strong but his karmas do not allow, he will still be given what he wants…but at a lower level of existence – maybe as an exotic pet. Your desires determine what you get but your karmas decide how you get it.
There is a simple law of economics, resources are limited, wants are unlimited. So whenever you take more than you need, you are doing it by depriving someone else and hence, adding to your negative karmas. So if you have been born to a good family and still you are busy collecting for yourself, be rest assured your next birth will be a much lower form with similar desires, but with lesser means to attain them. And it will become a vicious circle of births and deaths, your desires and problems remaining unchanged and your state deteriorating constantly.
