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wavePhalawave

Definition: Fruit, result, or effect; the outcome or consequence that arises from actions, thoughts, or causes.

Insights: Phala represents the principle of consequence in yoga philosophy. It appears in contexts explaining how actions bear fruit (both positive and negative), the results of ethical practices like truthfulness, and the interdependent nature of phenomena. Understanding phala helps practitioners recognize that all actions have inevitable consequences, encouraging mindful conduct and the cultivation of positive karma. The concept emphasizes the law of cause and effect that governs both spiritual and material experiences.

Related Sutras

2.14

te hlādaparitāpaphalāḥ puṇyāpuṇyahetutvāt

Importance: 8/10

They bear fruits of pleasure or pain, caused by virtue or vice.

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2.34

vitarkā hiṁsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam

Importance: 8/10

Negative thoughts such as violence—whether done, caused, or approved; whether preceded by greed, anger, or delusion; whether mild, moderate, or intense—result in infinite pain and ignorance. Therefore, cultivate their opposites.

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2.36

satyapratiṣṭhāyāṁ kriyāphalāśrayatvam

Importance: 8/10

When firmly established in truthfulness (satya), actions bear fruit unfailingly.

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4.11

hetuphalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṅgṛhītatvādeṣāmabhāve tadabhāvaḥ

Importance: 8/10

Since they (vasanas) are held together by cause, effect, support, and object, they disappear when these (four) disappear.

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