Talk:Fate Versus Effort (Prārabdha/Daiva and Purushārtha):What is ‘Fate’

By Vishal Agarwal

When some people encounter the apparent paradoxes of life, they may attribute them to luck, chance, or fate and feel helpless in the face of experiences that seem undeserved. Hindu thought, however, generally maintains that what is often described as luck or fate is ultimately connected to the results of past actions.

The results of one’s actions arise from both one’s fate as well as from the efforts of actions performed currently. Of these, fate is nothing but a manifestation of the fruit of actions performed in a previous embodied existence. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.349.

Some people believe that fruits are a result of fate, some attribute them to luck or chance, some think that time or circumstance is the cause, whereas others believe that they arise from one’s deeds. Some wise men think that a combination of all these factors is responsible for one’s present situation. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.350.

But just as a chariot cannot move with just one wheel, likewise fate cannot result without a prior action. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.351.

Several Sanskrit terms are used in traditional literature to denote fate or destiny. The Amarakośa (1.4.28; 3.5.155) lists terms such as diṣṭa, bhāgya, niyati, vidhi, vidhāna, and bhāgadheya. The term prārabdha is also used in related contexts.

One’s own karm accumulated in previous bodily existences is called daiva. Matsya Purāṇa 221.2.