The highest end of action is purification; but this applies to deliberate and not accidental action. The idea of purification of material objects is part of the idea of sacrifice. The Vedas enjoin action, and not their fruit; but we need to understand their language correctly to grasp their idea. This may be illustrated by the idea of Heaven. Purpose, action and result are connected together like the limbs of
the body; and that is the subject matter of the Angas, “limbs” or parts of the mantras of the Vedas.
The result of an action is achieved more by skill than Time; but if we have done our best and yet failed, we can attribute the failure to Time. The decay of the body may be caused by Time; but, apart from this, the result of an action is due to the character of the impelling force.