Page 1 of 19
Effort, Fate, and Divine Will
Logo
Motto योगः कर्मसु कौशलर् ्
(Yogah Karmasu Kaushālam)
Motto in
English
Diligence leads to Excellence.
Excellence in work is (true) yoga.
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
Dear All:
I am forwarding here an interesting discussion about effort, fate, and free
will by Cho Ramaswamy, the famous Tamil writer, humorist, actor,
journalist, politician, (and many more hats over the last 30+ years) etc..
Unfortunately, it is entirely in Tamil. But, here is the gist for the non-Tamil
speaker.
Page 2 of 19
Cho, as they call him, is asked a question by the interviewer. "They say
everything is fate. No one can change fate. If that is the case, what is the
point of human effort? In fact, human effort is totally meaningless, since
fate will determine the outcome. So, one can be lazy, as long as one is
blessed with 'good fate'. Does not the 'fate' argument encourage laziness?"
Cho rebuts this strongly. "This is nonsense. You are completely
misunderstanding the meaning of fate." Then he goes on and explains
citing the Bhagavad Gita. "In the Gita, Krishna says that one must work
ceaseless. He even says that He is working ceaseless."
Cho is referring here to the discussion in chapter 3, verses 21 to 25, in
particular.
The interviewer then asks, "So, what is fate? How does it work?"
Cho explains nicely. He says, "Our elders have explained this beautifully.
Fate is like the rain. We need rain to grow crops. But, we know that there
can be no crops if the farmer does not work hard, till the land, and sow the
seeds. Only after this effort, there will be a bounty of crops, if it rains and
the sun shines. In the absence of effort, it will make no difference if it rains
and if the sun shines. In spite of the effort by the farmer, if there is a famine
and there is no rain, that is a different matter. Then you can say it is all
'fate'. But you cannot stop working and say there will be a bumper crop
because everything is due to 'fate'. Fate only rewards those who put in the
Page 3 of 19
effort. For those who put in no effort, there is no question of 'fate'. Success
or failure is due to 'fate'. But effort itself cannot be discontinued."
Krishna reveals to Arjuna His Vishwaroopam (with thousands of arms), then His
four-armed form, and finally appears again, as an ordinary human and Arjuna’s
dear friend, with two arms.
Page 4 of 19
Following this, Cho cites the story of Arjuna. After the Mahabharata war,
when the princes of the Yadu dynasty went into a mutual self-destructive
killing spree (due to the curse of a rishi), Arjuna was told to escort all the
children and women and elders of the Yadu clan safely away. As Arjuna
took them away from Dwaraka and was on the way to Hastinapura, a
bunch of thieves attacked them. Arjuna tried in vain and used all his
strength and power. But he was defeated. Arjuna could not understand how
this could happen. The mighty warrior was now defeated by a mere gang of
thieves who looted them.
Page 5 of 19
The defeated and dejected Arjuna proceeds to Hastinapura. On the way,
he meets the sage Vyasa. He narrates the whole incidence and asks the
sage why and how. Vyasa replies, "Your time has passed. There was a
time when your valor was needed. No more. And, so you were defeated."
In this context, we should also recall chapter 18, verses 13 and 14, where
Krishna mentions the five factors that determine success or failure of any
action or endeavor: The place of action (adhishttanam), the doer of the
action (kartaa), the various tools used to perform the action (karnam), the
various methodologies, implementation procedures (vividhaah chesttaah)
used in the action, and, finally, Divine will (daivam).
Divine will, or fate, daivam, is mentioned last in this list of five that are the
keys to success and failure in every endeavor.
Will Tiger Woods be holding the trophy or will he be runner-up or finish in
the top five (at least in days gone by)? Vijayalakshmi, Lady Luck, or the
Goddess of Fortune, has already decided that. Tiger does not know. He will
continue to strive until the 72nd hole to win. All golf fans have seen this
during Tiger's heyday. Now, it is a new winner each week, but the efforts of
that winner continue all the way to the 72nd hole, and, more recently, even
past the 72nd hole, since many tournaments now end in what is called a
"play off" where the two or three survivors have to keep "slogging it away"
until one exhausted golfer is finally declared the winner after may be 75
holes or even 76 or 77 holes.
The above story of Arjuna's defeat at the hands of petty thieves is only
alluded to in Srimad Bhagavatam by Yuddhishttira’s questions (see later) to
Arjuna when the latter returns from a trip to Dwaraka. (Cho refers to the
Mahabharata, I have not read that part of the epic.) When he returns to
Hastinapura, Arjuna is in tears and totally dejected and tells Yuddhishttira
that Krishna has left this world and returned to Vaikunta.
That chapter is also known as Arjuna Vishada chapter (Canto 1, chapters
14 and 15). It is indeed a very moving narration by Arjuna (just like in
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chapter 1 of the Gita and the first part of chapter 2) of his glorious days and
his intimate friendship with Krishna and their various divine pastimes. Many
years ago, I remember reading this chapter. It was one of my very first
readings of Srimad Bhagavatam. The story may be found in Canto I, Part
III, of Srila Prabhupada's work.
Time and fate do play a role. But we must also understand exactly what it
means and role of human effort. Nothing in Hinduism, or the teachings of
the Gita, or the Vedas, or any of our scriptures, negates the need for
sustained human effort, at the highest level, and with the greatest skills of
execution. Yogah karmasu kaushalam, says Krishna, chapter 2, verse 50.
"The real yoga, O Arjuna, is skillful discharge of all your duties." Indeed,
some leading Indian universities have this quote from the Gita "Yogah
karmasu kaushalam" in their logos and mottos!
Indian Institute of Management Indian Institute of Technology
Kozhikode Kharagpur
Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam
Diligence leads to Excellence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_educational_institutions_which_have_Sanskri
t_phrases_as_their_mottos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institute_of_Management_Kozhikode
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institute_of_Technology_Kharagpur
Very sincerely
V. Laxmanan
October 28, 2011
Page 7 of 19
Dear All:
Thanks, Jambunathan. Good discussion by Cho here.
Effort first, fate later. Rewards ultimately come due to divine blessing but we
cannot stop our efforts. To work or not to work (without expectation of rewards) is
what is our free will.
See this now happening practically every week on the golf course - in the post
Tiger-collapse era. Never know who is going to win, but someone does every
week! Effort - without knowing if you are going to make that birdie putt to win, or
get into a playoff!
One such putt resulted in a $10 million bonus - yes $10 million - for the winner
and he did not even know that at that time! It is called the FEDEX Cup.
Very sincerely
V. Laxmanan
Oct 27, 2011
******************************************************************
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:01:52 -0400
Subject: [detroit_gita] Many people get confused with fate, effort and free will.
Cho Ramaswamy has explained it well
Dear All,
Many people get confused with fate, effort and free will. Cho Ramaswamy has
explained it well below in his Yenga Braminan. The article is in tamil but the gist
of the matter is given below. ( Thanks to Dr.Venkatesan for the article)
The article states that for a success in any event a combination of human
endeavour along with a favorable destiny/time is required. Human effort by itself
does not guarantee success but is a pre-requisite for success.
Regards,
Jambunathan
Page 8 of 19
A well-known Subhashitam
Subhashitam, literally means well (su) said (bhashitam). These are
crystallized words of age old wisdom, some laced with humor, passed
down to us by many great gurus, poets, and scholars, all in an anonymous
fashion. Every student of Sanskrit is taught these Subhashitams as a part
of the study of this great language. One that is particularly appropriate, in
the context of the present discussion (and also the example of farmer and
rain used here) goes as follows.
l
ll
Udyamenahi siddhyanti kaaryaaNi na manorathaihee l
Na hi suptasya simhasya pravishanti mukhe mrugaahaa ll
Great missions, deeds (kaaryaaNi) are accomplished (siddhyanti) only (hi)
by sustained efforts (udyamena), not by simply building castles in the air,
i.e., by the mere wishes of the mind (manorathihee, literally means riding in
a chariot of desires with one’s mind). Well, just think about it. Certainly,
deer (mrugaahaa) do not enter (pravishanti) on their own into the mouth
(mukhe) of a sleeping (suptasya) lion (simhasya).
Page 9 of 19
The Maharaja of Mysore (Wadiyar) riding in a chariot
Here the poet is giving the example of a lion in the forest. A lion must put in
the effort and hunt if it wants a choice meal in the form of a tasty deer’s
flesh. Likewise, humans too must work hard to fulfill their desires. These
cannot be accomplished by merely riding in the chariot of one’s own mind.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles
Fatalism is NOT a part of the Hindu fabric and has been thoroughly
misunderstood. Yes, Hindu do believe in fate but they are not fatalistic. At
least, not those who understood the teachings of the scriptures, like the
Gita, well. There is not a moment that anyone can be idle, says Krishna, in
chapter 3, verse 5. Na hi kascit kshnamapi jaatu tishttatyakarma-krut
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The difference between democracy and lack of it
14 September 2009
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
Kings for a day? With the main Amba Vilas palace behind them, boys and girls,
men and women, enjoy a free ride in a chariot dragged by “Abhimanyu” (name of
the elephant) during a rehearsal for the Dasara procession in Mysore on Monday.
Is it pointless to ask today if such a pleasure would have been theirs aeons ago?
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Page 12 of 19
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Page 13 of 19
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Page 14 of 19
Appendix 2
Some extracts from Srimad Bhagavatam
Yuddhishttira’s questions to Arjuna
Regarding inauspicious happenings on the way home from Dwaraka
http://vedabase.net/sb/1/14/en
SB 1.14.39: My brother Arjuna, please tell me whether your health is all right. You
appear to have lost your bodily luster. Is this due to others disrespecting and
neglecting you because of your long stay at Dvārakā?
SB 1.14.40: Has someone addressed you with unfriendly words or threatened you?
Could you not give charity to one who asked, or could you not keep your promise
to someone?
SB 1.14.41: o are a way the rotector of the de erving iving being , ch a
brāhma a , chi dren, cow , women and the di ea ed. o d you not give them
protection when they approached you for shelter?
SB 1.14.42: Have you contacted a woman of impeachable character, or have you
not properly treated a deserving woman? Or have you been defeated on the way by
someone who is inferior or equal to you?
SB 1.14.43: Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine
with you? Have you left them and taken your meals alone? Have you committed
some unpardonable mistake which is considered to be abominable?
SB 1.14.44: Or is it that you are feeling empty for all time because you might have
lost your most intimate friend, Lord a? O my brother Arjuna, I can think of no
other reason for your becoming so dejected.
Verse 41 above contains the strongest suggestion of Arjuna being defeated by
petty thieves on the way back home from Dwaraka to Hastinapura. The full
verses and purports by Srila Prabhupada follow here.
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kaccit te 'nāmaya tāta
bhra a-tejā vibhā i me
alabdha-māno vaj āta
ki vā tāta ciro ita
SB 1.14.39
SYNONYMS
kaccit — whether; te — your; anāmayam — health is all right; tāta — my dear
brother; bhra a — bereft; tejā — luster; vibhā i — appear; me — to me; alabdha-
māna — without respect; avaj āta — neglected; kim — whether; vā — or; tāta
— my dear brother; ciro ita — because of long residence.
TRANSLATION
My brother Arjuna, please tell me whether your health is all right. You appear to
have lost your bodily luster. Is this due to others disrespecting and neglecting you
because of your long stay at Dvārakā?
PURPORT
From all angles of vision, the Mahārāja inquired from Arjuna about the welfare of
Dvārakā, but he concluded at last that as long as Lord Śrī a Himself was there,
nothing inauspicious could happen. But at the same time, Arjuna appeared to be
bereft of his bodily luster, and thus the King inquired of his personal welfare and
asked so many vital questions.
kaccin nābhihato bhāvai
śabdādibhir ama ga ai
na dattam uktam arthibhya
āśayā yat ratiśr tam
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SB 1.14.40
SYNONYMS
kaccit — whether; na — could not; abhihata — addressed by; abhāvai —
unfriendly; śabda-ādibhi — by sounds; ama ga ai — inauspicious; na — did
not; dattam — give in charity; uktam — is said; arthibhya — unto one who asked;
āśayā — with hope; yat — what; ratiśr tam — promised to be paid.
TRANSLATION
Has someone addressed you with unfriendly words or threatened you? Could you
not give charity to one who asked, or could you not keep your promise to
someone?
PURPORT
A k atriya or a rich man is sometimes visited by persons who are in need of
money. When they are asked for a donation, it is the duty of the possessor of
wealth to give in charity in consideration of the person, place and time. If a
k atriya or a rich man fails to comply with this obligation, he must be very sorry
for this discrepancy. Similarly, one should not fail to keep his promise to give in
charity. These discrepancies are sometimes causes of despondency, and thus
failing, a person becomes subjected to criticism, which might also be the cause of
Arjuna's plight.
kaccit tva brāhma a bā a
gā v ddha rogi a striyam
śara o a ta attva
nātyāk ī śara a- rada
SB 1.14.41
SYNONYMS
kaccit — whether; tvam — yourself; brāhma am — the brāhma a bā am — the
child; gām — the cow; v ddham — old; rogi am — the diseased; striyam — the
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woman; śara a- a tam — having approached for protection; sattvam — any
living being; na — whether; atyāk ī — not given shelter; śara a- rada —
deserving protection.
TRANSLATION
o are a way the rotector of the de erving iving being , ch a brāhma a ,
children, cows, women and the diseased. Could you not give them protection when
they approached you for shelter?
PURPORT
he brāhma a , who are always engaged in researching knowledge for the
society's welfare work, both materially and spiritually, deserve the protection of the
king in all respects. Similarly, the children of the state, the cow, the diseased
person, the woman and the old man specifically require the protection of the state
or a k atriya king. If such living beings do not get protection by the k atriya, or the
royal order, or by the state, it is certainly shameful for the k atriya or the state. If
such things had actually happened to Arjuna, Mahārāja dhi hira was anxious to
know about these discrepancies.
kaccit tva nāgamo gamyā
gamyā vā at-k tā striyam
arājito vātha bhavān
nottamair nā amai pathi
SB 1.14.42
SYNONYMS
kaccit — whether; tvam — yourself; na — not; agama — did contact; agamyām
— impeachable; gamyām — acceptable; vā — either; asat-k tām — improperly
treated; striyam — a woman; arājita — defeated by; vā — either; atha — after
all; bhavān — your good self; na — nor; ttamai — by superior power; na — not;
a amai — by equals; pathi — on the road.
Page 18 of 19
TRANSLATION
Have you contacted a woman of impeachable character, or have you not properly
treated a deserving woman? Or have you been defeated on the way by someone
who is inferior or equal to you?
PURPORT
t a ear from thi ver e that d ring the time of the ā ava free contact between
man and woman was allowed in certain conditions only. The higher-caste men,
name y the brāhma a and k atriya , co d acce t a woman of the vaiśya or the
śūdra community, but a man from the lower castes could not contact a woman of
the higher caste. Even a k atriya could not contact a woman of the brāhma a caste.
The wife of a brāhma a is considered one of the seven mothers (namely one's own
mother, the wife of the spiritual master or teacher, the wife of a brāhma a, the wife
of a king, the cow, the nurse, and the earth). Such contact between man and woman
was known as uttama and adhama. Contact of a brāhma a with a k atriya woman
is uttama, but the contact of a k atriya with a brāhma a woman is adhama and
therefore condemned. A woman approaching a man for contact should never be
refused, but at the same time the discretion as above mentioned may also be
considered. Bhīma wa a roached by i imbī from a comm nity ower than the
śūdra , and ayāti ref ed to marry the da ghter of Ś krācārya beca e of
Ś krācārya being a brāhma a. Vyā adeva, a brāhma a, was called to beget ā
and Dh tarā ra. Satyavatī belonged to a family of fishermen, but arāśara, a great
brāhma a, begot in her Vyā adeva. So there are o many exam e of contact with
woman, but in all cases the contacts were not abominable nor were the results of
such contacts bad. Contact between man and woman is natural, but that also must
be carried out under regulative principles so that social consecration may not be
disturbed or unwanted worthless population be increased for the unrest of the
world.
It is abominable for a k atriya to be defeated by one who is inferior in strength or
equal in strength. If one is defeated at all, he should be defeated by some superior
power. Arjuna was defeated by Bhī madeva, and ord a saved him from the
danger. This was not an insult for Arjuna beca e Bhī madeva wa far erior to
Arjuna in all ways, namely age, respect and strength. But ar a was equal to
Arjuna, and therefore Arjuna was in crisis when fighting with ar a. It was felt by
Arjuna, and therefore ar a was killed even by crooked means. S ch are the
engagement of the k atriya , and Mahārāja dhi hira inquired from his brother
whether anything undesirable happened on the way home from Dvārakā.
Page 19 of 19
api svit parya-bh kthā tva
ambhojyān v ddha-bā akān
j g ita karma kiñcit
k tavān na yad ak amam
SB 1.14.43
SYNONYMS
api svit — if it were so that; parya — by leaving aside; bh kthā — have dined;
tvam — yourself; sambhojyān — deserving to dine together; v ddha — the old
men; bā akān — boys; jugupsitam — abominable; karma — action; kiñcit —
something; k tavān — you must have done; na — not; yat — that which; ak amam
— unpardonable.
TRANSLATION
Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine with you? Have
you left them and taken your meals alone? Have you committed some
unpardonable mistake which is considered to be abominable?
PURPORT
It i the d ty of a ho eho der to feed fir t of a the chi dren, the o d member of
the fami y, the brāhma a and the inva id . Be ide that, an idea ho eho der i
required to call for any unknown hungry man to come and dine before he himself
goes to take his meals. He is required to call for such a hungry man thrice on the
road. The neglect of this prescribed duty of a householder, especially in the matter
of the old men and children, is unpardonable.