Daiva vs Purushartha -what is more important Luck or hard work!

Daiva(luck) or hard work? This is age old question asked time and again. When somebody succeeds people say oh he is lucky ! when someone does not make it then usual consolation is you never get anything more than destined , before destined time! This puts us into the delusion of what is our success finally due to luck or hard work? if former is responsible then why at all work.  if later is true then why despite so much efforts i am getting peanuts as rewards. worst still some complain ,

“i try to do good but end up getting hit hard . look at this man he is full of sins yet is enjoying life , what good is my spiritual efforts?” in both cases what is the use of Astrology? if there is luck ,then even if astrologer do not point it out to me i am going to reap ; if it is not there what is the use even if it is pointed to me. if it is my hard work that brings success even then Astrology is of no use to me let me put efforts instead of bemoaning with soothsayers.

So what is more important daiva or purushartha? Yudhisthira  asks thus to Bhishma in Mahabharata.

Bhishma replies. what is luck today is the merits earned in the previous life. it was prushartha of previous life. Our success, pleasures,wife,sons.diseases all are due to previous merits.however presnt actions do counteract this. Extent of our pleasures wealth longevity all undergo reduction or increase due to present action.

 In karma vipaka Yama says man reaps his fruits of action every half day , 1 1/2 days  3 days 3 weeks 3 months 3 years and 3 lifes. repeatedly till he undergoes prayaschitta or donates his good merits.

there are instances such as that of markandeya,indrasena ,chandrahasa ,savitri etc of having changed there destinies due to penace . in all goodness it is purushartha that is going to help you in this birth or other and hence always yearn for purushartha.”

these words of bheeshma are supported by a story of two wise bramhins from vishnu rahasya we shall see this in next post

krishnarpana