In the path of wisdom, the Karma theory becomes a great obstacle in realizing the truth.+

Karma (Action) will not dispel ignorance itself. Karma itself is based on ignorance Only Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana will destroy ignorance.

The Karma theory is meant for those who are immersed in worldly life thinking the individual life within the particle world as a reality. In the path of wisdom, the Karma theory becomes a great obstacle to realizing the truth. 

When Sage Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking/duality/mind) is unreal the formless is real (Soul/spirit/consciousness). Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing other than Atman.

Individuality is a reality within the illusory world. Therefore, all the theories created within the illusion on the base of the false self (ego), within the false experience(waking), have to be the part and parcel of the illusion. Thus, it is necessary to realize the fact that Atman is the innermost Self and all else is an illusion, to overcome the illusory concept of the cycle of birth, life, and death. Thus, to understand and assimilate Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom the seeker has to do his own homework through deeper self-search, without mixing the religion, the scriptures, the theories, the concept of God, and the yoga. 

The Karma theory is a reality only for those who believe their present physical identity (ego) as real, and the world as reality. When the Sage Sankara declares the world itself is an illusion, and Brahman is real, then what value the karma theory has when the world is an illusion, because man is part and parcel of the illusory world. Therefore, one has to view and judge the three states from the standpoint of the formless Soul, the innermost Self to overcome the duality, which he is experiencing as a reality. 

The rituals mentioned in the karmakanda of the Vedas are sought to be negated in the jnanakanda which is also part of the same scripture. While the karmakanda enjoins upon you the worship of various deities and lays down rules for the same, the jnanakanda constituted by the Upanishads ridicules the worshipper of deities as a dim-witted person no better than a beast.

 This seems strange, the latter part of the Vedas contradicting the former part. The first part deals with karma, while the second or concluding part is all about Jnana. Owing to this difference, people have gone so far as to divide our Scripture into two sections: the Vedas (that is the first part) to mean the karmakanda and the Upanishads (Vedanta) to mean the jnanakanda.

Sage Sankara says in Aparoksh Anubhuti: ~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

89. O enlightened one, pass your time always contemplating on Atman while you are experiencing all the results of Prarabdha; for it ill becomes you to feel distressed.

90. The theory, one hears of from the scripture, that Prarabdha does not lose its hold upon one even after the origination of the knowledge of Atman, is now being refuted.

91. After the origination of the knowledge of Reality, Prarabdha verily ceases to exist, since the body and the like become non-existent; just as a dream does not exist on waking.

92. That Karma which is done in a previous life is known as Prarabdha (which produces the present life). But such Karma cannot take the place of Prarabdha (for a man of knowledge), as he has no other birth (being free from ego).

93. Just as the body in a dream is superimposed (and therefore illusory), so is also this body. How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body), and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (i.e., Prarabdha) at all?

94. The Vedanta texts declare ignorance to be verily the material (cause) of the phenomenal world just as the earth is of a jar. That (ignorance) being destroyed, where can the universe subsist?

95. Just as a person out of confusion perceives only the snake leaving aside the rope, so does an ignorant person see only the phenomenal world without knowing the reality?

96. The real nature of the rope being known, the appearance of the snake no longer persists; so the substratum being known, the phenomenal world disappears completely.

97. The body also being within the phenomenal world (and, therefore, unreal), how could Prarabdha exist? It is, therefore, for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the Shruti speaks of Prarabdha.

98. “And all the actions of a man perish when he realizes that (Atman) which is both the higher and the lower”. Here the clear use of the plural by the Shruti is to negate Prarabdha as well.

99. If the ignorant still arbitrarily maintain this, they will not only involve themselves into two absurdities but will also run the risk of forgoing the Vedantic conclusion. So one should accept those Shrutis alone from which proceeds true knowledge.

The above proves that karma is a reality only on the base of the false Self, where one thinks body and the universe as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the true Self is the Soul, then the karma becomes part and parcel of illusion. 

My point is that, if one accepts the karma theory as reality, he will never be able to come out of ignorance. And ignorance makes him believe the cycle of birth, life, and death as a reality. Thus the freedom which one is seeking will remain a distant dream. For the one who accepts birth, life, and death as a reality, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is impossible.

The path of religion, the theory of karma, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have an inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires. 

Remember: 

Sage Sankara: ~ Action (karma) cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. -Atma Bodha

The karma theory is meant for those who are immersed in worldly life thinking the individual life within the particle world as a reality. In the path of Wisdom, the karma theory becomes a great obstacle to realizing the truth.

When the Self is neither the body nor the ego, neither the waking entity, not the dream entity, then how the karma based on the false self within the false experience can yield fruits. Therefore, karma is a religious fable.

The karma theory is a reality only for those who believe their present physical identity (ego) as real, and the world as reality.

When Sage Sankara declares the world itself is an illusion, and Brahman is real, then what value the karma theory has when the world is an illusion, because man is part and parcel of the illusory world. Therefore, one has to view and judge the worldview from the standpoint of Brahman (Atman) to overcome the duality, which he is experiencing as a reality.

 Individuality is a reality within the illusory world.

Therefore, all the theories created within the illusion on the base of the false entity, within the false experience, have to be the part and parcel of the illusion.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the fact that, the Soul, the Self is real and eternal and all else is an illusion, to overcome the illusory experience of birth, life, death, and the world. Thus to understand and assimilate Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic truth, the seeker has to do his own homework through inquiry, analysis, and reasoning on the true base, without mixing religion, scriptures, theories concept of God, and yoga.

Sage Goudpada says: ~ The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

It means the people who follow the religion and the worship of the Guru and the conceptual Gods and believe in karma theory are lower and middling intellect. But in this modern world, people are sharp enough to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Thus, it is high time to discard the lower knowledge and move ahead to realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman or God in truth.

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom and are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Therefore, if one is seeking the truth, he has to know his true Self is not physical but is the formless Soul, which is in the form of consciousness. : ~Santthosh Kumaar