Tattva Bodhaतत्त्वबोधः
Tattva Bodha · passage 46
The begun action
प्रारब्धं कर्म किमिति चेत् । इदं शरीरमुत्पाद्य इह लोके एवं सुखदुःखादिप्रदं यत्कर्म तत्प्रारब्धं भोगेन नष्टं भवति प्रारब्धकर्मणां भोगादेव क्षय इति ।
prārabdhaṃ karma kimiti cet | idaṃ śarīramutpādya iha loke evaṃ sukhaduḥkhādipradaṃ yatkarma tatprārabdhaṃ bhogena naṣṭaṃ bhavati prārabdhakarmaṇāṃ bhogādeva kṣaya iti |
And the begun action, if you ask? The action that, having brought this body forth, gives pleasure and pain here in this world, is the begun action, prārabdha. It is worn away by being lived through; the begun actions are spent only in the undergoing.
In plain words
What is prārabdha (begun karma)? The karma that has produced this present body and now gives pleasure and pain in this world is prārabdha. It is exhausted only by being experienced; for prārabdha karma there is no end except through living it out.
The terms set down here
- prārabdha-karma