A Debate from 8th Century !

In a vibrant village lived Mandana Mishra, proud of his wealth, status, and pleasures—all justified in the name of "Karma" and "Gratitude." But his version of Karma? A clever excuse for indulging in power, wealth, and desire.

He twisted Karma-Marga—which is meant to be about Dharma and righteousness—into a slogan for satisfying cravings. “Karmeva Jayate,” he chanted, as if desire alone could lead to liberation.

He was even known to chant, "Karmeva Jayate, Karmeva Jayate," as if Karma alone could balance his drive for sex, wealth,  power and even liberation, you know that for Mandana, Karma equaled anything that could satisfy his desires for wealth, power, and sex. 

Then came Adi Shankara, challenging him with a simple truth: true freedom isn’t born from desire—it flows from selfless love, free from expectations and ego.

Love is like the early morning prayer in the darkness - rising in the quiet moments before survival takes over. Love thrives in the mystery of the early morning darkness, free from the demands of survival, pure and unbound by the expectations of the day equivalent to Dawn's morning prayer.

My dear friends, remember that Gratitude is a choice. Let’s not use Gratitude and Karma as a means to justify desires for sex, wealth, or power.