From the earliest days of life, everywhere and in every circumstance, it is evident that destiny is never truly seen; what prevails is always human effort. By their own striving, Bṛhaspati became the revered guru of the gods, and Śukra, through his diligence, attained the same stature among the lords of the demons. Even those noble souls who once suffered from misery, poverty, and hardship rose—by their own exertion—to a position equal to that of Indra himself. Conversely, those who were once wealthy and surrounded by wonders, through faults in their own actions, fell to the state of guests in hell. Across countless lives and in all conditions, the states beings find themselves in are determined solely by their own effort. Whether affirmed by scripture, a teacher, or one’s own understanding, everywhere it is human effort that is upheld—not some unseen destiny. When the mind is seized by unwholesome thoughts, one must quickly bring it back to wholesome pursuits through deliberate effort; this is the essence of all the scriptures. Whatever is truly beneficial, free from harm and not trivial, that alone should be practiced diligently, as declared by the wise teachers. As effort increases, so too does the result come swiftly; the fruit one receives is born of one’s own exertion, not the workings of fate. Success is always seen through effort—this is the path of the wise—while fate is merely a consolation for those with weak minds suffering hardship. The sequence of effort is established by direct perception and other means of knowledge; in the world, we see that results—such as traveling to distant lands—arise from effort alone. It is the one who eats who is satisfied, not the one who abstains; the one who journeys who arrives, not the one who stays; the one who speaks who is heard, not the silent. Thus, effort alone bears fruit for people. Those of clear understanding cross great difficulties by effort, not by remaining silent and inactive. Whoever makes effort in whatever way, it is he alone who receives the corresponding result; none attain anything by mere inaction. By virtuous human effort, a virtuous result is obtained; by non-virtuous effort, a non-virtuous result, O Rama—do as you wish. The attainment of the fruit of human effort depends on place and time; whether the result comes after a long period or quickly, that is what people call fate. But fate is not seen by perception, nor is it situated in some other world; what is called “fate” is, in truth, simply the result of one’s own actions. A person is born, grows, and declines in this world—at no stage, whether in childhood, youth, or old age, is fate ever seen. Traveling from place to place, holding objects, and the movement of limbs—all these occur through personal effort, not by fate. The wise describe as “personal effort” the single-minded pursuit of actions that bring about desired results; through this, everything is attained. But the single-minded pursuit of actions that bring misfortune is the activity of the deluded, and by this, nothing is gained. The capacity for action—characterized by movement and striving toward one’s own purpose—is elevated by sharp intellect, good company, and true scriptures. Those who realize their own supreme reality as infinite, equal, and blissful attain this realization through effort; such teachers of true scripture are to be served. The qualities of true scripture and the intellect mutually enhance each other through practice, just as a lake and rainwater nourish one another over time. From childhood, through diligent study of scriptures, association with the virtuous, and similar qualities, a person, by their own effort, attains their beneficial purpose. By human effort, demons have been conquered, the worlds established, and the realms created here by Vishnu—not by fate. In this world, where human effort is the cause, O Raghunatha, strive long and diligently; then, O fortunate one, you will not fall into the state of trees or reptiles, nor need you fear such a fate. Neither form, nor actions, nor place, nor valor—none of these are the so-called fate. What, then, is this fate, spoken of as if it were real but rooted in false understanding? When one receives the results of their own actions and says, “It happened this way,” such statements have gained widespread acceptance under the name of fate. Likewise, those of dull intellect, who struggle to understand, firmly believe in fate, just as one might mistake a rope for a snake. Just as yesterday’s misdeeds are adorned by today’s good actions, so too can past actions be transformed; therefore, strive to be a doer of good deeds. For the misguided person who believes in fate based on foolish inference, should a fire arise, he ought to say to the flames, “Let it burn or not burn by fate.” If destiny alone is the cause of action here, what purpose is served by a person’s effort? Destiny itself would perform bathing, giving, eating, and all conduct. What use is scriptural instruction if a person is like one mute, moved only by destiny? What is there to teach, and to whom? In this world, stillness is not seen except among the dead; movement alone brings about the attainment of results—therefore, destiny is meaningless. Nor does the formless destiny act as a helper for the embodied; actions of the hands and so on arise from effort, and are never done by destiny. Even as mind and intellect are experienced here, this destiny is not perceived; the wise say that destiny is like a cowherd—thus, destiny is always unreal. If there is some other entity apart from the intellect, and if it is that, what difference is there between the two? If imagination is the authority, why not imagine human effort as well? There is no connection of the formless with the embodied, just as the sky has none with the corporeal; and the embodied is seen to be attached—therefore, destiny does not exist. If there is indeed another who assigns functions to beings in the three worlds, then let destiny make all beings sleep—let destiny do everything. Thus, it is clear: what is spoken of as fate is but a misunderstanding. In truth, it is one’s own effort, guided by wisdom and virtue, that shapes the course of life.