From Riches to Rags - the Law of Karma and Science of Karma

My father was a successful entrepreneur and then his business collapsed. Competition from cheap China made electronics killed his Audio equipment business called Priyadhwani Electronics, based on expensive Japanese kits.

When I was studying mechanical engineering in Pune, India, I sometimes skipped dinner because there was not enough money to buy groceries. Today I live in the United states in a good home. Some could say this is a riches to rags to riches story. This rebound can be mostly attributed to my giving up sinful activity such as meat eating, alcohol, etc. Most importantly I attribute this to chanting Hare Krishna mantra.

But people don't always become rich there are countless stories in my relatives and friends' circle where people became poor from being very rich. This is how Karma administers justice to the soul - Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (sometimes happiness and sometimes distress).

Bavaguthu Raghuram (B.R.) Shetty's story is a dramatic tale of riches to rags:

Rise to wealth:

• Started with just Rs 665 in 1973 when he moved from India to the UAE
• Founded New Medical Centre (NMC) in 1975, which grew to become the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE
• Established UAE Exchange in 1980, expanding to over 31 countries
• Built a fortune estimated at Rs 18,000 crore (approximately $2.6 billion)

Lavish lifestyle:

• Owned two floors in Burj Khalifa, valued at Rs 207 crore
• Possessed a private jet, high-end cars including Rolls-Royce and Maybach
• Held properties in prestigious locations like Dubai World Trade Centre and Palm Jumeirah

Downfall:

• In 2019, Carson Block of Muddy Waters Research accused NMC Health of inflating cash flows to conceal debts
• NMC Health's stock value plummeted, leading to Shetty's ouster from the board in February 2020
• NMC Health went into administration in April 2020 due to insolvency
• Finablr, Shetty's financial services company, also faced financial troubles

Financial ruin:

• Shetty's net worth, once $2.6 billion, has significantly diminished
• He was forced to sell his business empire, valued at Rs 12,478 crore, for a mere Rs 74
• Faces mounting legal costs and outstanding debts

Legal troubles:

• Banned from returning to the UAE, where he made his fortune
• Accounts seized by the Central Bank of UAE
• Facing lawsuits and probes by Indian authorities

Law of Karma:

Bavaguthu Raghuram (B.R.) Shetty's story, viewed through the lens of karma as explained by Prabhupada, serves as a powerful reminder of the transient nature of material success and the importance of ethical actions in both business and personal life

The law of karma, as explained by Srila Prabhupada, provides an intriguing lens through which to view the dramatic fall of Bavaguthu Raghuram (B.R.) Shetty:

1. Karmic reactions: According to Prabhupada, karma determines one's health, wealth, intelligence, and social status
2. Temporary nature of material success: Prabhupada emphasizes that material existence is a struggle against impediments put forth by material nature
3. Consequences of actions: The law of karma states that one is awarded the result of one's own actions
4. Cycle of action and reaction: Karma creates a cycle of action and subsequent reaction
5. Transcending karma: Prabhupada teaches that one can break free from karmic bonds through spiritual acts in service to Krishna

Completely burn their karma through pure devotional service to Krishna

According to Srila Prabhupada, one can completely burn their karma through pure devotional service to Krishna:

1. Bhakti transcends karma: Pure devotional service (bhakti) is transcendental and beyond the three modes of material nature, placing it outside the realm of karmic reactions
2. Krishna burns devotees' karma: The Brahma-samhita verse "karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām" states that Lord Krishna burns away the karmic reactions of His devotees
3. Complete purification: Through bhakti, Krishna shows special mercy by burning not only the devotee's karma related to dharma and adharma, but also the root cause of karma, its impressions, and ignorance
4. Dovetailing activities: By performing all actions as an offering to Krishna (karma-yoga), one can transcend karmic reactions. As Prabhupada states, "Unless you do it for Kṛṣṇa, everything is material and sinful"
5. Freedom from material bondage: Devotional service frees the soul (jiva) from the subtle body of material desires and the cycle of rebirth, ultimately leading to liberation
6. Immediate transcendence: Prabhupada emphasizes that one who acts in Krishna consciousness becomes immediately transcendental, free from karmic reactions

The Brahma-samhita offers profound insights into transcending karma through bhakti (devotional service):

1. Bhakti's power over karma: The verse "karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām" (Brahma samhita 5.54) states that Lord Kṛṣṇa burns away the karmic reactions of His devotees
2. Transcendental nature of bhakti: Pure devotional service is described as "aprākṛta" or transcendental, beyond the three modes of material nature (sattva, rajas, tamas)
3. Direct spiritual cognition: The Brahma-samhita teaches that ultimate reality can only be apprehended through divine revelation, which is achieved through pure, selfless love of God (bhakti)
4. Purification through practice: The text explains that Kṛṣṇa's form becomes visible to devotees in proportion to their purification through the practice of devotion
5. Liberation from material bondage: Through bhakti, the jiva (soul) can be freed from the subtle body of wicked desires and the cycle of rebirth, ultimately reaching the abode of Hari
6. Transcendence of dharma and adharma: The Lord shows special mercy to devotees by burning not only their karma related to dharma and adharma but also the root cause of karma, its impressions, and ignorance
7. Bhakti is considered the most powerful method to transcend karma, as it directly connects the devotee to the Divine
8. Pure devotional service (bhakti) is transcendental and beyond the three modes of material nature, placing it outside the realm of karmic reactions
9. Through sincere bhakti, the Supreme Lord burns away the karmic reactions of His devotees, including past accumulated karma and its root causes
10. Bhakti integrates with other spiritual paths (karma yoga and jnana yoga) to lead to complete spiritual realization and liberation from karmic bondage
11. Regular meditation and communion with God through bhakti practices help develop soul-consciousness, which frees one from karmic slavery
12. By identifying oneself with God through bhakti, one can rise above the laws of karma and attain a state of divine consciousness
13. The practice of bhakti yoga, when done with pure devotion and without selfish motives, can gradually foster spiritual growth and lead to transcendence of karma

Conclusion:

Bhakti yoga offers a path to transcend karma by cultivating a deep, loving relationship with the Divine, leading to spiritual purification and liberation from the cycle of action and reaction. Else you are on your own in this unforgiving material world!