[Advaita-l] Self-effort or Fate?

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri Aditya Kumar Prabhuji
Hare Krishna

Perhaps the oldest philosophical question. If everything is predetermined by fate, why put any effort? However, if self-effort can change our fate, why do we often hit a dead-end in our pursuits? Lastly, is Moksha gained by self-effort or fate?
I know there is a correct answer somewhere but not sure about it. Any thoughts?

>  IMHO, if everything is pre-destined Upanishad would not have asked us to do brahma jignAsa :-) It would have said : wait when the time comes it would hit you :-) As you know that is not the case, in sAdhana chatushtaya, approaching a right guru (shrOtreeya brahmansishata etc.), guru seva, shravaNAdi sAdhana etc.  there will be an insistence on self-effort.  So, we can conclude that to get the mind set to put self-effort, we need some samskAra (pUrvajanma saMskAra) and that saMskAra is nothing but  that fate which is the driving force behind our self-effort :-)   

>  There is a beautiful and meaningful dialogue between HH Sri Chandrashekhara bhArati and a disciple with regard to fate and free will.  I reckon it is available somewhere in the web.  Pls. go through it. 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar