Karma OR Destiny?

What is the connection between Karma and our Destiny?

I am often muddled this question: If our destiny is prewritten, how can Karmas influence our destiny or future? 

Before we take this discussion forward, let me flip a few questions at everyone: 

• Why do we take birth in a particular setting or a family or a country? 
• Why didn’t we take birth in house of our affluent neighbour? 
• Why one sibling is enjoying his life and the other one is floundering to make his ends meet?

The list of questions is endless. Many astrologers talk about the concept of ‘free will’ and claim that the bandwidth of freewill is less than 10% in reforming our destiny. I somehow dissent with this dispensing logic of 10% freewill in our hands. If you go and see an astrologer and if you tell him that you are highly spiritual and a believer of Karmas, he/she will refuse to read your chart and will simply tell you that Karmas are formidable and for someone who believes it the juggernaut of Karmas and spirituality, does not need any reading. Isn’t this contradictory?

I read it somewhere that ‘Destiny is an opportunity but  KARMA decides the fate.’ Destiny puts us on a certain path leading towards a certain outcome but without a wilful participation or Karmic intent, we will never see the fructification and actualisation of that outcome. To elucidate this further, let’s take Napoleon’s reference. It is believed that when Napoleon was a young soldier, he visited a renowned palm reader to ask if he would ever become an emperor? The palm reader told him dismissively that he did not have a fate line. To this, Napoleon drew his sword and etched a deep line - and so a fate line on his palm and turned his bloodied hand towards and palm reader and asked: How about this? And the rest is history about glorified and populist character of Napoleon. If he had gone by the words of that Palm reader, he would have never become Napoleon. I do not doubt the predictive ability of that famous Palm reader, but it’s  a conspicuous case of sheer perseverance and sternness in actions which made him Napoleon. Karma is an intent behind our actions. Hence, if the intent is not righteous, it will lead to erroneous actions resulting in fateful denouement. 

“Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.” - Bhagwad Gita. This quote further illuminates the fact that our intent has to be altruistic.

None has the ability to predict anyone’s future with accuracy and basis a few calculations, principles, permutations and combinations, speculations are being made. The rationale behind pursuing astrology and palmistry should aim at course correcting the present and sculpting a better future out of it through altruistic and resolute actions. If we focus at reforming our intent behind every action we take, we will certainly be more conscious about our actions and this shall result in a purposeful present and a consequential future. 

“The very person you are destined to become is the person you intend to become.” - Prince Dhawan