Karmic Echo

A visit to the echo point is often one of the highlights of travelling to hill stations. Here, when we call out our name loudly, the mountain range responds with the distinct echo of our name. Echoes are based on the sound-reflection principle. There is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the source sound and the echo received.

Karmic philosophy is also based on the cause-and-effect principle. Our physical actions, speech and thinking are karms we perform every moment. These actions cause ripples in the field of consciousness, from where we get a lawful response of either happiness or sorrow, abundance or misfortune, in our lives.

In the Mahabharat, there is a story in which Raja Parikshit insults the sage Samika by draping a dead snake around his neck while he is in samadhi. This was a sacrilegious act. The sage's son, Rishi Shrungi, was furious and cursed Parikshit that he would die from snakebite within seven days. Parikshit took all precautions to prevent the snakebite. However, on the seventh day, serpent Takshak concealed himself inside a large fruit offered to Parikshit. The moment the king cut the fruit, Takshak emerged and bit him, causing his death.


The story teaches us that the 'ways of karm' are inscrutable, and one cannot escape the consequences of their karms. Thus, we should perform all our actions with the karmic-echo principle in mind.