9th Manthram:
andham thamaha pravisanthi
ye:vidya:mupa:sathe: |
thatho: bhu:ya ivathe: thamo
ye u vidya:ya:m ratha:ha ||
So far it has been established that if man realizes God and performs his deeds in the name of God, he can attain a divine state of existence and lives for ever with divine knowledge. A related question is: Why are all people who perform their duties or deeds not able to attain this state? The ninth manthram resolves this problem.
Some people wrongly differentiate performance of deeds (duties) from intelligence because they do not know the real meaning of intelligence. Real intelligence is of not the worldly intelligence that enables us procure food, provide shelter and a mass wealth. This kind of intelligence is found in the animals also. Real intelligence is the power of attaining knowledge and the ability to live according to knowledge. If a person has knowledge but is not willing to put his knowledge into practice, it is wrong to say that he is intelligent. Intelligence is the ability to achieve a complete correspondence between thoughts and actions, words and deeds. This ability is described as 'vidya', 'upa:sana', 'dhya:na' and 'bhakthi' which are synonymous terms. But we have to attain the knowledge which is superior to this worldly knowledge. What is it? It is 'karma:charana' (or performance of deeds or duties). Our deeds or 'Karmas' are of three kinds: nithya, naimiththika and kamya karmas. Those deeds which we perform daily, like oblution, sandhya vandanam and agnikarya are nithya karmas: those deeds (rituals) which we perform occassionally (for example when there is an eclipse) for propitiation are known as naimiththika karmas because these rituals or deeds are performed because of a particular cause.
Thirdly, the deeds we perform to fulfil our desires or needs like good health, children or wealth are known as kamya karmas or deeds. If we perform these deeds without expecting any profit or result, they lead to moksha or eternal liberation. But if we perform them with an ulterior motive or desire, they give us results which are only temporary and keep the performer under obligation or bondage. Therefore, wise men say that we should have this intelligence while doing any karmas. Many people think wrongly that karma (deed) is different from vidya (knowledge). But moksha is attainable only when one performs karmas with this awareness and intelligence. Karma and vidya are inseparable for a mumukshu (seeker of moksha).
But many are not able to attain moksha or oneness with God because they are not aware of this truth. This manthram further states that those who believe that vidya (knowledge) alone enables them to attain divinity or those who consider that: 'karma' (performance of deeds or duties) alone can lead them to the divinity - both fall into the bottomless darkness of ignorance. This is the purport of this manthram.