Sat-darshana Bhashya (translation)

Verse 21.

विधेः प्रयत्नस्य च कोऽपि वाद
स्तयोर्द्वयोर्मूलमजानतां स्यात् ।
विधेः प्रयत्नस्य च मूलवस्तु
सञ्जानतां नैव विधिन यत्नः।।

Of Fate and Effort They are given to talk, that know not whence come forth the two. Those that know the source of both, Beyond the twin are they, by Fate untouched and by Effort too.

The momentum of an unseen force, adrsta, working out certain results, the fruit of action karma commenced in previous states or lives prarabdha is called Fate vidhi, daiva. And purusakara is human exertion. Effort and fate are commonly considered as cause and effect, but really there is a First Cause, a Final Effect which is neither karma nor effort; and that is beyond the two. Whoever realises the source of these two is not subject to their influence.

The theory of Karma is a puzzle to many. All that is done and experienced by me now, is the result of past action, the working of Karma, fate, and the effort that I now make, moved and sustained by a sense of freedom is also the working of fate, of an unseen Force that gives the momentum for my present exertion. Again Fate or Karma itself is the effect of a past effort, and present effort is an effect of past Karma. Effort as an effect is traced to its cause in fate and fate again is pushed back to its cause in an antecedent effort. This kind of viewing fate and effort as cause and effect leads to a regressus ad infinitum. Therefore one must look for something behind the two, behind this movement of vidhi and prayatna of Fate and human exertion. And once that something is known, these two change their colour, present an utterly different aspect and that is the only right solution of the problem of fate and freewill.

This much may be stated here. Neither vidhi fate nor effort is free or independent. vidhi depends on effort as it is always considered the result of one’s own past exertion. And one’s exertion depends upon his desire and his tendency to do a particular act. Desire is natural to or co-exists with the ego-self called the jiva that poses or considers itself free. But real freedom of the jiva, the individual, is in the Self, the Lord that supports the individual existence. Thus both fate and effort are found to depend upon the free Self, the Lord who alone gives the momentum for action that inevitably yields its fruit. Therefore it is urged that the source of Fate and Freewill must be looked for in the Self which alone is really free and independent.

Here reference may be made with profit to the discussion of human effort and Divine Grace in the Bhoomika.

Then we find it stated in the next verse that knowledge of the Self is of the nature of a supreme poise of the Self.