Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
यथैकेन न हस्तेन तालिका संप्रपद्यते ।
तथोद्यमपरित्यक्तं कर्म नोत्पादयेत् फलं ॥
- पञ्चतन्त्रTransliteration:
yathaikena na hastena tālikā saṃprapadyate ।
tathodyamaparityaktaṃ karma notpādayet phalaṃ ॥
- pañcatantra
Meaning of the subhAShita:
Just as a clap cannot be generated with one hand, any action devoid of effort will not yield fruit.
Commentary:
It takes two to tango!
Effort and destiny—these are the partners in crime behind every result. Without them, no action bears fruit. This age-old debate between fate and free will persists, even in Vedāntic circles. Do our outcomes lie in the hands of destiny, or is it our own free will that shapes them? Which holds the greater sway?
A simple story sheds light:
An astrologer once told a man, "You will win the lottery soon." The man, with great anticipation, checked the lottery results every day for a year. Frustrated, he complained to a friend, "The astrologer was wrong—I never won!" His friend asked, "But did you buy a ticket?" The man replied, "Ticket? What ticket?! I never bought one!"
The moral is clear: just as sound cannot emerge from one clapping hand, destiny alone will not bring results without effort. One can’t expect to win a lottery without buying a ticket.
Fate—destiny—is a given. Free will is how we act. A person may toil endlessly, but if it is not in his destiny, success will remain elusive. Conversely, no matter how bright a person’s fate may seem, without effort, he will not reach his potential.
Actions plant the seeds of destiny; deeds cultivate them. Fate favors the fearless, and the fearless take action.
If we cannot change our fate, we must change our attitude. Even if destiny is on our side, it won’t unfold unless we choose to pursue it. So, life is a dance between fate and free will—rain is inevitable; whether we get wet is our choice.
So long as I am the doer—kartā—I wield free will. So long as I am the enjoyer—bhoktā—I surrender to fate. Without free will, there is no fate and without fate, there is no free will.
In conclusion, fate and free will are intricately intertwined, working in harmony to shape the outcomes of our actions. But, in the highest wisdom of Vedānta, one must transcend both. To release the attachment to both fate and free will one must surrender to the divine, dropping the ego!
pada vigrahaH:
यथा एकेन न हस्तेन तालिका संप्रपद्यते ।
yathā ekena na hastena tālikā saṃprapadyate ।
तथा उद्यम-परित्यक्तं कर्म न उत्पादयेत् फलं ॥
tathā udyama-parityaktaṃ karma na utpādayet phalaṃ ॥
yathaikena na hastena tAlikA saMprapadyate ।
tathodyamaparityaktaM karma notpAdayet phalaM ॥
- pa~nchatantra
yathaa ekena na hastena tAlikA saMprapadyate ।
tathaa udyama-parityaktaM karma na utpAdayet phalaM ॥
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