A Devotee had asked the following questions related to the Karma involved in serving family & using the service of others!
(1) If we pay to any service provider for their services as per “mutually agreed rates”, do we face the karma for the utilization of paid money as we have earned and used for the services? e.g. he uses the money for drinking, meat eating, gambling etc. (Here the services he has rendered in not a question as its very clear if we take a service for undharmic purpose, we shall be liable)
In this case, you have compensated his services received by you. Once you give the right fee for his service, you have compensated his service. Taking service and giving the charges asked by him nullifies everything. So, No karma for you though he uses that money for sinful acts.If you offer money freely as alms without getting any of his service, but he uses that money for wrong doings, that karma will come to you. But in this case, you paid his wages/ charges. So, he has earned from you, not got alms. Once you gave suitable compensation, your role ended. So, no worries.
REPLY:
When you accepted her as wife, you took charge of protecting her throughout her life irrespective of whatever problem she gives.
You should try your best to advise her to follow stri dharma. If she does not correct her even after your efforts, you are not responsible for her mistakes and you won’t add any karma.
In case you had supported her acts, you and she will add karma.
If you warn her not to spend for something, but she spends, it will not add to your karma. Or, if she does without your knowledge, then too, it will not add karma to you.
If you don’t warn her though you knew it was sinful or wrong and she does that, it will add to the karma of both you and her. For her for doing it; For you for having been careless without educating the wife atleast once.
(3) Does the same logic apply if a husband gets divorced or moves away from wife & pays the ex-wife/ wife, some maintenance as per agreed terms?
The husband pays compensation. Once she receives it, it becomes her money. You can’t apply your influence on that.
Though that wife is legally divorced, she is still the wife because she has lost her body and mind to him. Sastras do not support divorce. They expect us to face the tortures of spouse and clear that karma by facing. Not escaping thru divorce.
Divorce may physically separate two persons, but the impact of body and mind will always exist in the karma account of both. So, it is good to bear tortures in life to clear that karma, instead of divorcing or escaping.
(4) If wife/ husband is the main & consistent impediment to one’s path of bhakti, is divorce justified? I know due to one’s accrued karma one gets the type of life partner, husband/ wife and situation etc, but if the purpose is very crystal clear i.e. for devotional service and there is no hope of improvement, is divorce justified or continue as everything is as per Krishna’s will? Whether free will has a role in this decision.
The scriptures do not mention anything officially about divorce. However, if one divorces wife or husband, he/ she should seriously involve in devotional services and live for the society like done by Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu and Srila Prabhupada.
If one divorces his spouse but leads a luxurious life for his own pleasure, he will take rebirth and get a similar torturing spouse.
As per Mahabharatha, one person can sacrifice for the welfare of a family; A family can sacrifice for the welfare of the whole town. And a town can sacrifice for the welfare of a country.
So, divorce should be to dedicate ourselves for the service of the Lord and/ or society. In such cases, divorce is allowed for the benefit of society.
Hope you are clear about the Karma involved in serving family & using the service of others! Best wishes.
(Does freely using Pirated Softwares & Games add karma to us? READ HERE!)