Destiny or Self-Effort: What Truly Determines Our Fate?
We often look around and ponder why some people are more successful, famous, or wealthy than others. Some say it is sheer luck. Others believe that successful people are born with a golden spoon and their fortunes stem from their favourable destiny. On the other hand, those who struggle to make ends meet often blame it on a hostile destiny.
Understanding the Role of Destiny in Our Lives
What, then, is the importance of destiny in our lives? Are we born with certain circumstances that cannot be changed? And, if so, what lies within our control? These are timeless questions that have long intrigued humankind. Hindu scriptures address them with profound insight. A verse from the Skanda Purāṇa states:
āyuḥ karma ca vittaṁ ca vidyā nidhanaṁ eva ca ।
pañcaitāni hi sṛjyante garbhasthasyaiva dehinaḥ ॥
(Nāgara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 239, Verse 31).
This means that five aspects of a person’s life are determined at birth — āyuḥ (lifespan), karma (actions or tendencies), dhana (wealth), vidyā (knowledge), and mṛtyu (death). In other words, certain parameters are written in our destiny even before we take our first breath.
Hence, what is destined to come our way will reach us effortlessly, and no amount of struggle can bring us what is not ordained.
The Sukti Sudhakar beautifully illustrates this truth through an analogy:
Just as a pot immersed in a bathtub, a tank, a river, or even the ocean fills only according to its size — not by the vastness of the water body — so too, the amount of wealth or fortune we receive is limited to what destiny allots. Even if one lives amidst gold on Mount Sumeru, one will not gain beyond one’s fate. This leads many to conclude that any amount of effort is futile.
Avoiding Fatalism: The Balance Between Fate and Effort
While some scriptural verses highlight the inevitability of destiny, they should not lead us to a fatalistic mindset. Believing that effort is meaningless can lead to complacency and a lack of motivation. Instead, Hindu philosophy teaches a balance between acceptance of destiny and the power of self-effort.
As Swami Mukundananda explains in Spiritual Secrets from Hinduism, life is like a game of cards. The hand of cards you receive represents your destiny. But how you play your hand — the actions you take in the present represent your free will. A skilled player can win even with poor cards, while an unskilled player may lose despite good ones. Similarly, through sincere effort, discipline, and spiritual growth, we can rise above difficult destinies. Our current choices hold the power to transform our path and elevate our consciousness. Conversely, laziness and apathy can ruin even favorable circumstances.
Therefore, destiny is real, but it does not entirely define our future. To prevent falling into the fatalistic trap, let us understand the different kinds of karmas outlined in Hindu philosophy that determine the course of our lives.
The Three Kinds of Karmas
The three kinds of karmas are: Sanchit Karma, Prārabdh Karma, Kriyāmān Karma. Let’s delve into their natures from the table below:
The Three Kinds of Karmas
Swamiji clarifies: Our current life circumstances are largely a result of prārabdh, but how we respond — with wisdom, perseverance, devotion, and determination—shapes our present life situations as well as future sanchit and kriyāmāna karmas in subsequent lifetimes.
Hence, Swamiji advises: “Latch on to your kriyāmāna karma — what lies in your hands — and make the best out of it.”
The Story of King Sumit and Satyamati: Overcoming Destiny Through Devotion
The Nārad Purāṇa tells a tender and uplifting story of King Sumit and his queen, Satyamati—a story that shines light on how sincere devotion and self-effort can transform even the darkest destiny.
King Sumit, a noble ruler of the lunar dynasty, reigned over the seven regions of the earth. His kingdom flourished in peace, prosperity, and righteousness. When the celestial sage Vibhaṇḍaka, son of the great Kaśyapa Muni, visited his realm, he was struck by the divine harmony that prevailed there. Curious, he asked the king, “O Sumit, what is the secret behind such abundance and joy in your life and kingdom?”
The king and his queen, who were jāti-smaras—blessed with the memory of their past lives—smiled gently and began to narrate their story.
“In our previous birth,” said King Sumit, “I was a sinful man named Mātuli. I lived a life steeped in vice—stealing from the innocent, deceiving all, and even plundering offerings meant for the temple deities. My actions brought shame and sorrow to my family, and in despair, my parents cast me out.
Wandering aimlessly in a forest, I came upon a lonely, dilapidated temple. Something stirred within me that day. I swept the floor, cleaned the deity, lit a lamp, and began serving the Lord with whatever little sincerity I had.
Each month, I observed a vrata—the ritual of Dhwajarohan—hoisting a flag upon the temple spire, offering whatever humble bhog(food offering) I could prepare. Slowly, devotion began to cleanse my heart and repentance for my past sins started setting in.
One day, a woman named Avakokilā arrived—clothed in rags, her spirit weary. She confessed that she, too, had lived in sin—cheating and beguiling others, enslaved by intoxicants and desires—until her own parents had driven her away.
Moved by compassion, I welcomed her into the temple. Together, we began serving our Lord—she would dance in loving abandon before the deity, and I would offer food and worship with heartfelt prayers. The temple became our world, our refuge, and our redemption.”
Years passed. One day, while dancing before the Lord, Avakokilā collapsed and breathed her last.
Overwhelmed with grief, Mātuli too fell lifeless beside her. At that moment, the messengers of Yama arrived to claim their souls—but before they could do so, the radiant messengers of Lord Viṣṇu descended.
“The power of their devotion,” they declared, “has burned away their sins of countless births—just as a single spark can consume a heap of dry hay.”
Thus, by the grace of the Lord, they were reborn as King Sumit and Queen Satyamati—wise, virtuous, and devoted from birth.
Their story stands as a radiant reminder: destiny may shape the circumstances we are born into, but through self-effort and the purifying flame of bhakti, we can reshape our destiny and illuminate our path toward divine grace.
Effort in the Face of Adversity
Swamiji further explicates that life, like cycling, brings both hills that go upwards and hills that go down. When the road turns steep, we must not stop; rather, we should pedal harder. Similarly, when bad prārabdha manifests, we must intensify our efforts — our purusharth — and persevere. Eventually, the hill will level out, and ease will return.
Thus, the fruits of destiny unfold on their own; our focus should remain steadfast on effort and self-development.
The Futility of Obsessing Over Destiny
In modern times, many people run to astrologers to uncover their destiny. But Swami Mukundananda cautions that in the current age of Kali, few astrologers possess genuine insight. Their predictions are often partial or inaccurate, and even if they were accurate, such knowledge would be of no real benefit.
If told something unfavorable, we would live in fear. If told something favorable, we would become complacent. Either way, we would lose focus from where it truly belongs — on our present actions. Chanakya Pandit wisely said:
Utsāhavatām shatravo’pi vaśīṃ haranti,
nirutsāhād daivam api patitam.
Even enemies yield before the enthusiastic, while the lazy cannot benefit even from a favorable destiny.
The Power of Self-Effort: The Story of A Prisoner Turned Mathematician
Chris Havens was serving a 25-year prison sentence in Seattle for murder. Despite his confinement, Chris realized that although his body was imprisoned, his mind was still free. He decided to use this freedom wisely and took up mathematics to uplift his thoughts.
He reached out to the Mathematical Society of Princeton for journals and began solving problems from their publications. Whenever he got stuck, he studied the necessary knowledge until he mastered it. Over time, he became a skilled mathematician.
When prison authorities asked him to teach other inmates in exchange for more books, he agreed — which further deepened his understanding. His dedication caught the attention of mathematicians worldwide, and he eventually became the lead contributor to an international mathematical discovery.
Even from within prison walls, Chris Havens founded a non-profit to teach mathematics to prisoners across America — transforming his punishment into a purpose.
His story is a living testimony of how self-effort can transcend even the darkest fate.
Conclusion: Self-Effort, the Secret to Attracting Divine Grace
Destiny shapes the conditions of our lives, but self-effort determines our response. It is through determined effort, guided by wisdom and devotion, that we invite divine grace into our lives.
As Swami Mukundananda emphasizes, “The way to eternal welfare is to put forth your best self-effort — the kind that uplifts your consciousness and draws you closer to God.” Swamiji explains that in the spiritual journey, self-effort brings the highest grace, leading one to God-realization and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Call to Action:
1. Subscribe and share the Swami Mukundananda YouTube channel: Clear Your Bad Karma in ONE Life Itself - The Way to Rewrite your Destiny | Swami Mukundananda
2. Deepen your Devotion with Spiritual Secrets From Hinduism. Order you copy now at: https://www.jkyog.org/giftshop/product-details/7899136655405
Resources
- Mukundananda, S. (2024).Spiritual Secrets From Hinduism. Rupa Publications Pvt Ltd: New Delhi, India.
- Clear Your Bad Karma in ONE Life Itself - The Way to Rewrite your Destiny | Swami Mukundananda