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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: detroit-rudhram@googlegroups.com; detroit_gita@yahoogroups.com

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

Page 10 of 19

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 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

Page 16 of 19

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

Page 17 of 19

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.