From The Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva

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In olden times the adorable Vasishtha inquired of Brahma as to which among these

two , viz., the Karma of a creature acquired in this life, or that acquired in

previous lives (and called Destiny), is the more potent in shaping his life.

Then, the great god Brahma, who had sprung from the primeval lotus, answered

him in these exquisite and well reasoned words, full of meaning.

Brahma said: Nothing comes into existence without seed. Without seed, fruits do

not grow. From seeds spring other seeds. Hence are fruits known to be generated

from seeds. Good or bad as the seed is that the farmer sows in his field, good

or bad are the fruits that he reaps.As, unsown with seed, the soil, though

tilled, becomes fruitless, so, without individual Exertion, Destiny is of no

avail.

One's own acts are like the soil, and Destiny (or the sum of one's acts in

previous births) is compared to the seed. From the union of the soil and the

seed does the harvest grow. It is observed every day in the world that the doer

reaps the fruit of his good and evil deeds; that happiness results from good

deeds, and pain from evil ones; that acts when done, always fructify; and that

if not done, no fruit arises. A man of good acts acquires merits with good

fortunes, while an idler falls away from his estate, and reaps evil like the

infusion of alkaline matter into a wound. By devoted application, one acquires

beauty, fortune, and riches of various kinds.

Everything can be secured by Exertion; but nothing can be gained through Destiny

alone, by a man that is wanting in personal Exertion. Even so does one attain to

heaven, and all the objects of enjoyments, as also the fulfilment of one's

heart's desires by well directed individual Exertion. Riches, friends,

prosperity descending from generation to generation, as also the graces of

life, are difficult of attainment by those that are wanting in Exertion.The

Brahman attains to prosperity by holy living, the Kshatriya by prowess, the

Vaisya by manly exertion, and the Sudra by service.

Riches and other objects of enjoyment do not follow the stingy, nor the

impotent, nor the idler. Nor are these ever attained by the man that is not

active or manly or devoted to the exercise of religious austerities. If one's

Karma bore no fruit, then all actions would become fruitless, and relying on

Destiny, men would become idlers. He who, without pursuing the human modes of

action, follows Destiny only, acts in vain, like unto the woman that has an

impotent husband. If Destiny be unfavourable, there need not be much fear with

respect to this world. But if one be wanting in Exertion, great must his fear

be with respect to the next world, for happiness can never be obtained in the

next world unless one acts righteously while here. Man's powers, if properly

exerted, only follow his Destiny, but Destiny alone is incapable of conferring

any good where Exertion is wanting.

There is a constant rivalry between the deities and the Rishis, and if they all

have to go through their Karmas, still it can never be averted that there is no

such thing as Destiny, for it is Destiny that initiates all Karma. How does

Karma originate, if Destiny form the prime spring of human action?(The answer

is) that by this means, an accretion of many virtues is made even in the

celestial regions. One's own self is one's friend and one's enemy too, as also

the witness of one's good and evil deeds. Good and evil manifest themselves

through Karma. Good and evil acts do not give adequate results. Righteousness

is the refuge of the gods, and by righteousness is everything attained. Destiny

thwarts not the man that has attained to virtue and righteousness.

All the good which is attained with difficulty in this world is possessed by the

wicked, is soon lost to them. Destiny does not help the man that is steeped in

spiritual ignorance.

Even as a fire of small proportions, when fanned by the wind, becomes the mighty

power, so does Destiny, when joined with individual Exertion, increase greatly

in potentiality. As with the diminution of oil in the lamp its light is

extinguished so does the influence of Destiny is lost if one's acts stop.

Having obtained vast wealth, and women and all the enjoyments of this world,

the man without action is unable to enjoy them long, but the high -souled man,

who is ever diligent, is able to find riches buried deep in the earth and

watched over by the fates.

The good man who is prodigal (in religious charities and sacrifices), is sought

by the gods for his good conduct, the celestial world being better than the

world of men, but the house of the miser though abounding in wealth is looked

upon by the gods as the house of dead. The man who does not exert himself is

never contented in this world nor can Destiny alter the course of a man that

has gone wrong. So there is no authority inherent in Destiny. as the pupil

follows one's own individual perception, so the Destiny follows Exertion. The

affairs in which one's own Exertion is put forth, there only Destiny shows its

hand.

O best of Munis, I have thus described all the merits of individual Exertion,

after having always known them in their true significance with the aid of my

yogic insight. By the influence of Destiny, and by putting forth individual

Exertion, do men attain to heaven. The combined aid of Destiny and Exertion,

becomes efficacious.

 

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