The plight of the jivatma seems to be strange. He is a mix of good and bad traits and his very existence is the effect of his prarabdha karma which is responsible for his inherent tendencies to good and evil and for the joy and sorrow he faces. If this implies that not only his fate is predetermined in this life but also his samskaras or propensities towards good and evil, how is it possible to be redeemed from the evil effects of karma already accumulated through his past births? Sastras also reiterate that the jivatma has a free will to choose the path of righteousness and change his inherent tendency to commit evil, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a lecture. Hence one has to act with care and caution to exercise the free will in the right path.
By the timely grace of God and of great preceptors it is possible for the jivatma to transcend the evil tendencies.
The case of Valmiki illustrates this truth. Though initially Valmiki leads the life of a hunter, he is able to come out of it through the guidance of sage Narada when his latent good samskaras are brought to the fore. Through God’s grace there will be moments in each one’s life which offer good direction for spiritual advantage.
Vedanta Desika says God goes out of the way to help the jivatma who remains unaware of the goal of human existence and continues in this helpless plight. Out of His boundless compassion He looks out for the good samskaras in an individual. If He does not find any trace of goodness in his present life, He looks for it in the jivatma’s antecedents and ancestors and helps to nurture it for his welfare.
