Karma Vs Destiny

In the epic Mahabarata, Draupadhi explains the doctrines of Karma to Yudhishthira with a simple example of a man trying to cross a river(which wasn’t simple after-all). She interprets that, the man trying to reach to the other side of the river is his ‘Life’s Purpose’, the directions he chooses to cross the river as his ‘own actions’ (karma), the effort he puts in as his ‘prayatna’ and the river’s current as ‘The God’ cause only He/She/They can control it. So the result of the man is decided by his effort(prayatna), his actions(karma — past, present & future), the river’s current(God’s plan) and sometimes a little bit of luck. She starts breaking down every scenario the man deals with and justifies it. For instance, if he trusts just in his own strength and not on the speed and directions of the river(not believing in God) and starts crossing, he might drown and the other way around as well and also sometimes if the river’s current is steady/calm/still he might reach the other end a bit fast and easily than he expected.(luck)

She further relates this to everyone’s life and summarises that our life basically depends/decided on — our ‘Prayatna’, ‘God’s will’, our ‘Karma’(our actions in all past, present & Future lives) and sometimes ‘luck’.

But does this really relate to everyone? let’s take a couple of scenarios:

Scene 1 : So let’s take a man, who is born with some physical disability or with some mental illness- where he can’t even make a decision. So in this case, if being born like that is his Karma(say results of his previous life sins) and if the current of the river is still — which can be interpreted as God’s will - to want him to cross the river and live his life happily and if by a bit of luck if he survives and crosses then everyone’s happy and all is good in his beautiful sad life.

But, what if he fails and dies in the middle way through? In this, his ‘prayatna’ didn’t help him to successfully cross and neither it did when he failed to cross. He can’t even make a proper decision due to his mental illness nor he can swim cause of his disability. So he’s not given his ‘Prayatna’, like the other’s were given. That’s not fair! How can this be justified??

Scene 2 : Now, let’s take a rich and healthy man, who wants to cross the river. So, if he decides(karma) to build(prayatna) a big boat and neglects the river’s current (God) and just starts crossing. Even if the current is still or strong, slow or fast, high or low, he will make it to the other end. It might take him several boats or several hours or a few days or a few years or a couple of lifetimes but he will cross sometime. This solely just can’t be his luck as well. So in this, neither God nor his plans (river’s currents) helped him. They might have effected his journey utmost but not his Destination.

Some say Destiny (God) just puts you in some situations and the response/action to that situations are your choices — karma.

But,

• What if there aren’t any other choices and only a choice available at that particular moment? (When you face a Bear, the only choice you have is to be still and think of the ones you loved and failed. You just can’t outrun it and neither you can dance with its claws and molars with yours. Life gives you so many bears at so many times and sometimes with a salmon in your hands and all you can do is try not to dance along.)
• Why can’t it just be good situations and good choices? (I know Life isn’t interesting and fun with only one flavour of an ice cream but what if there is only one? I know you’ll be missing the flavours of life. But, just think about it for once, you don’t have to drain your brain every-time to choose one out of the 250 on the menu and it also makes kids life much much easier. In the wild, a deer can graze anywhere and anytime but the Lion can’t, first it needs to decide its menu for the day and then start hunting. Life just strikes you with some situations where good or bad doesn’t matter anymore and only surviving does.)
• What if people are not sure about the choices they make? (Someone said, you need to try and try till you succeed but what if the right choices cost you a lifetime or a half? and Does it matter right or wrong then? Can you enjoy the perfect ice cream flavour, you newly found at 60? Forget about 60 years, how about 25 nowadays? When Life sets out two roads to you and if you choose the road less taken, what if it’s a dead end?)
• What if the situations are out of control? (Some say everything can be controlled if we put our 100% effort into it. Can someone please ask them to change the direction the Sun rises and sets or stop a Cat’s paw from scratching your face or at least stop the growth of their fingernails? Yes, when Life just slaps you with some thunders, all you can do is crouch down to a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears!)
• Why do some make good choices and others can’t? ( A bird called Killdeer builds it’s nests and lays eggs in the middle of the road, whereas a Cuckoo just lays it eggs in a Crow’s nest and the Crow, which is the smartest of all birds just raises the Cuckoo’s chicks. Life’s just unfair!)
• What if people don’t even have the strength/ability to make a choice? (It takes one minute to move 30cm and 30 days to digest a leaf for a Sloth and some few 30 seconds for a Jaguar to tear it apart. Sometimes, Life’s a Santa that showers you with ample gifts, maybe you just don’t have the strength to open every gift.)

And Yes!.. every choice has a consequence that shadows it and No!.. you don’t get to change your set when you’re playing cards, you just have to play to win.