क्रिया यत्साधिका तत्कर्म ।
kriyā yat-sādhikā tat karma |
(Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 936)
“That which the kriyā is accomplishing of is [called] the karma.”
Commentary
kriyā yasya sādhanārthaṁ pravartate tat kārakaṁ karmocyate | sādhiketi kriyāyāḥ svātantryābhāve’pi svātantryāropāt kartṛtva-prayogaḥ … | tena bhramād viṣaṁ bhakṣayatīty atra kartur anīpsitatamasyāpi viṣasya karmatvaṁ syāt | “yat kriyate tat karma” iti kālāpāḥ | tatra sādhanaṁ tayaiva kriyayā prakāra-viśeṣeṇa sampādanam—utpādyatayā vikāryatayā saṁskāryatayā prāpyatayā tyājyatayā ceti |
(Vṛtti on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 936)
“The kāraka for the sake of accomplishing which the kriyā proceeds is called the karma. In the case of [the word] sādhikā [in the sūtra], usage [of the kriyā] as a kartā occurs [figuratively] because of a superimposition of independence [onto it] even in the absence of the kriyā’s independence [i.e., even when the kriyā actually has no such independence]. … Thus, in the case of [the example,] ‘He drinks poison by mistake,’ the poison shall be the karma even though it is most undesired by the kartā. The Kalāpas (Catuṣṭaya-vṛtti: 219) [define the karma as], ‘The karma is that which is done.’ In that regard [i.e., in regard to how the karma kāraka was defined above here in HNV], sādhana [“accomplishing”] is the accomplishing (sampādanam) [of the karma] that occurs specifically through the kriyā in a particular way [which will invariably be one of the following five categories:] (1) by being produced (utpādya) [e.g., as a garland is made], (2) by being transformed (vikārya) [e.g., as a piece of wood is burnt, or, as an earring is formulated], (3) by being enhanced (saṁskārya) [e.g., as water is scented], (4) by being attained (prāpya) [e.g., as a place is reached], or (5) by being abandoned (tyājya) [e.g., as a place is left].”
tatra ca sādhikā-padaṁ sādhana-pravṛtti-paraṁ na tu sādhana-samāpti-param | anyathā kāśīṁ gacchan durgā-dāsaḥ pathi visūcikayā mṛta ity atra gamana-kriyayā kartuḥ kāśī-saṁyogābhāvāt kāśyāḥ karmatvaṁ na syāt | tata eva vṛttau pariṣkaroti sādhanārthaṁ pravartata iti | … tādṛśy ārope kim uddeśyam ity āha, teneti | kartur anīpsitatamasyāpīti, prāṇa-ghātitvād viṣaṁ khalu na kasyāpīpsitam, varaṁ sarveṣāṁ dveṣyam eva | evaṁ-sati karma-sādhana-viṣaye yadi kartuḥ sarvatra niyāmakatvaṁ vivakṣyate tarhi viṣasya na jātu karmatvam upajāyate, viṣatvena jānato na kasyāpi tatra bhojana-pravṛtteḥ | tasmāt kriyāyā hi kartṛtvāropa iha yukta iti bhāvaḥ | … yat-sādhikety atra yat-śabdena sādhyaṁ gamyate; sādhyate yat tat sādhyaṁ karmety arthaḥ | tatrākṣepāt sādhanaṁ ca labhyate, tad evāha, kriyā yasya sādhanārtham iti | … tathā kriyāpi, utpādikā vikārikā saṁskārikā prāpikā tyājiketi sutarāṁ pañcadhā jñeyā |
(Excerpt from the Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 936)
“The word sādhikā [“accomplishing”] refers to the commencement of accomplishment [of the karma], and not rather to the completion of the accomplishment, since otherwise, in the case of, ‘Durgā Dāsa died of cholera on the path while going to Kāśī,’ Kāśī would not be a karma because the kartā through the action of going never had any direct connection with Kāśī [i.e., he never actually reached there]. Thus in the vṛtti, he [i.e., the author] clarifies that [the kriyā] proceeds for the sake of accomplishing [a karma, and thus a karma remains such whether or not it is actually ever fully accomplished or not]. … [A question is raised:] ‘Well, in, ‘One who is independent [i.e., who performs an action independently] and one who engages him [i.e., an independent agent, in action] is [called] a kartā (agent) [svatantraṁ tat prayojakaṁ ca kartṛ, HNV: 930],’ the kartā alone is understood to be independent, so how does the kriyā also have independence here [in this case]?’ If this [is asked,] then the author says, ‘Even in the absence of the kriyā’s independence ….’ In this regard, the kriyā’s being a kartā is because of figurative usage. … What is the purpose of such superimposition? He says, ‘Thus … [i.e., he gives the example of someone drinking poison].’ ‘Most undesired by the kartā’ means that poison is certainly not desired by anyone because of its being destructive of life, and rather is indeed odious to everyone. As such, in regard to the object of accomplishment of a karma, if it were intended to be restrictive to [an object desired to be accomplished by] the kartā in all cases, then poison would never become a karma because no one’s inclination to drink it would ever come about after knowing it to be poison. Therefore, the superimposition of being a kartā onto the kriyā is in this case appropriate. This is the purport. … In the [compound] word yat-sādhikā, the sādhya [i.e., the object to be accomplished] is understood through the word yat. That which is accomplished is [called] the sādhya, the karma. This is the meaning. By allusion, sādhana [“accomplishment”] is also understood, and thus he said, ‘for the sake of accomplishing which the kriyā ….’ … [As a karma is one of five types, viz., those which are (1) produced, (2) transformed, (3) enhanced, (4) attained, or (5) abandoned,] So a kriyā too is to known thus as being of five types: (1) producing (utpādikā), (2) transforming (vikārikā), (3) enhancing (saṁskārikā), (4) acquiring (prāptikā), or (5) abandoning (tyājikā).”