Listen, O noble one, to the teaching that unfolded between the wise and earnest seekers of truth. There were those who, in their confusion, devoted themselves single-mindedly to actions that only brought misfortune upon themselves. Such activity, born of delusion, yielded nothing of value. True action, that which is purposeful and fruitful, arises when one’s capacity for effort is guided by sharp intellect, the company of the virtuous, and the study of true scriptures. Those rare souls who have realized their own highest reality as infinite, equal, and blissful—these, by their own effort, attain that supreme state. Such teachers, who embody the scriptures, are worthy of reverent service. For, as the intellect is refined by scripture and scripture is illumined by intellect, the two mutually enhance each other through diligent practice, like a lake and the rain nourishing one another over time. From childhood, if one earnestly practices the scriptures, keeps the company of the wise, and cultivates noble qualities, one attains one’s highest good by one’s own effort. Indeed, it is by human effort that demons have been conquered, the workings of the worlds established, and the realms created here by Vishnu—not by fate. In this world, where effort is the true cause of achievement, O Raghunatha, strive long and diligently. By doing so, you will not fall to the condition of trees or reptiles, nor need you fear such a fate. Now, some speak endlessly of fate, but what is this so-called fate? It is neither form, nor action, nor place, nor valor. Fate, as commonly spoken of, is rooted in misunderstanding. When people experience the results of their own actions and say, “It happened this way,” such statements have gained popularity under the name of fate. Those of dull intellect, unable to discern the truth, cling to this belief in fate, just as one mistakes a rope for a snake in dim light. But just as yesterday’s misdeeds can be adorned and transformed by today’s good actions, so too are past actions shaped by present effort. Therefore, one should strive always to perform good deeds. If a misguided person insists on fate, let him, when a fire breaks out, simply say, “Let it burn or not burn by fate,” and do nothing—such is the folly of his belief. If destiny alone were the cause of all action, what need would there be for personal effort? Destiny itself would bathe, give, eat, and perform all conduct. What use would there be for scriptural instruction, if a person were like one mute, moved only by fate? In this world, stillness is seen only among the dead; it is movement, born of effort, that brings about results. Thus, destiny is without meaning. Destiny, being formless, does not act as a helper for the embodied. Actions of the hands and body arise from effort, never from fate. Mind and intellect are experienced directly, but destiny is not perceived. The wise say that destiny is like a cowherd—always imagined, never real. If, perchance, there is some entity apart from the intellect that assigns functions to beings, what difference would it make? If imagination is the authority, why not imagine human effort as well? The formless has no connection with the embodied, just as the sky has none with the corporeal. The embodied are seen to be attached to their actions—therefore, destiny does not exist. If there is truly another who assigns all functions in the three worlds, let destiny make all beings sleep, let destiny do everything! When people say, “I am compelled by fate; what can I do?”—this is merely a speech of consolation, not true fate in the highest sense. Fate is imagined by the foolish, and those devoted to it have perished. But the wise, through their own effort, have attained the highest state. Tell me, O Rama, do the brave, the valiant, the wise, and the learned ever speak of fate as the cause? If a person whose lifespan has been determined by those who know time still lives after his head is severed, that alone would be the highest fate. If one becomes learned without study, that too would be true fate. But consider the sage Vishvamitra—he cast aside fate and, through effort alone, attained Brahminhood, not otherwise. So too, other men who became sages reached the path to the heavens through their own striving. The lords of the demons, by destroying the hosts of gods, gained sovereignty in the three worlds solely through effort. The lords of the gods, in turn, seized back the world from the demons by their own vigor and striving. Even in simple matters, Rama, water is held in a vessel by effort and method, not by fate; it remains in a pitcher for a long time due to technique, not destiny. In all acts of taking, giving, striving, confusion, and wandering, ability is seen—not fate, just as with medicine. All causes and effects are absent; what is imagined arises from your own thought. Without considering fate, which is unreal, O you of auspicious intent, rely on supreme human effort. Then, the seeker asked, “O Lord, knower of all dharmas, the foundation has been well established. Tell me, O Brahman, what is called fate in this world?” And the answer came: “Raghava, human effort is the agent of all actions, not anything else. Everywhere, it is the enjoyer of results, not fate as the cause. Fate does nothing, nor does it enjoy, nor does it even exist; it is not seen, not respected—only an imagination. For those who experience the results of their actions, the accomplishment of results is always through human effort. Whether the outcome is auspicious or inauspicious, people speak of it as ‘fate.’ The attainment of desirable or undesirable things is always brought about by human effort; this is what is referred to by the word ‘fate.’ Whatever result is bound to happen, as the sole outcome of human endeavor, that alone is called ‘fate’ in the world. But in truth, O Raghava, fate does not do anything at all for anyone; it is like space—whether it acts or not, it makes no difference. When the result, auspicious or inauspicious, of accomplished human effort arises, the reasoning that ‘this is how things stand’ is what is called fate.” Thus was the teaching made clear: it is not fate, but human effort, guided by wisdom and noble company, that shapes destiny and brings about the highest good.