Q - Is it the grace of the Lord or effort of the devotees?

[Guest guest]

Jai Srimannarayana Swamiji,

 

Much thanks to the reply on Maharishi Vishwamitra. I was longing to ask this

question for quite some time now. We all know that Lord Sri Krishna in Gita told

to Arjuna that he (Arjuna) should just put his best efforts in doing the job and

then leave the rest to him (Lord Krishna). Now how much of this success is

really attributed to the grace that the lord sanctions on the devotees? We

always keep telling "...it is his grace and it is his krupa..."

 

[1] Why then should a person even put any effort if the grace is definite? Does

that mean grace is not definite?

 

[2] What are the proportions of effort from the person to the the grace of the

lord for the success of an event?

 

[3] How does God decide who should get the grace? Is it based on past karma -

paapa and Punya? If then grace is already decided when the body is born. Then

does God change his grace according to the effort of the devotees after the body

is born?

 

[4] Does grace change in the present birth based on the present accumalated

paapa and punya?

 

[5] Ultimately is it the grace AND the effort put together that results in the

success Or the failure of an event? Many people tell that it is their efforts

for the success and then blame it on the grace of the lord not being there if it

is a failure, which is wrong.

 

I'm totally confused about this grace and effort conflicts, Swamiji. Also, many

people take the grace of the lord for granted and then just sit lazy and do not

put in any effort, telling that if it is in my destiny to get it, I will get it

anyways, so why bother to put in any effort. Co-incidentally some do get the

success for the job for which they do not put in any efforts.

 

Can HH please clarify this?

Jai Srimannarayana!

Karthik