free will

[Chandrasekaran Venkatraman (NET/MtView)]

Dear members,
    I have an unclarity about the definition of free-will and its
repurcussions on
one leading a dharmic or adharmic life.
    If we see Jaya, Vijaya episode: the brothers were given a choice by
the Lord.
One choice was to take 1000 (?) good births before returning to
vaikuNTam. Another
choice was to take 10 (?) bad births and get killed by the Lord Himself
before
returning. The brothers accepted the second choice in order to be able
to return to
the Lord soon.
   But does this mean that a person taking birth and leading a
dharmic/adharmic
life is predestined. How does free-will come into play here?
   It's often said (or that's the way I understood), that every human
has a fair 
share for his free-will to exercise due to which he accrues karma. But
going by
the above episode, it's confusing how one could be let to lead a life by
his free-will 
against the pre-destiny.

   I appreciate if scholars can enlighten.

   Thanks and regards,
   chandrasekaran.