Karma is often misunderstood as fatalism, but Hindu philosophy presents it as a complex interaction of fate and free will. The Bhagavad Gita [3.33] explains that even wise people act according to their nature, but emphasizes our freedom to choose our responses.
The concept combines previous actions' consequences (prarabdha karma) with present free will (kriyamana karma). The Yoga Vasishtha [2.6.3] teaches that while past karma influences current circumstances, our present choices shape future outcomes. Modern Hindu scholars compare it to physics' cause-and-effect relationship rather than predetermined destiny.
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