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the freedom of human will. The word niyati may be variously interpreted for it may also be used as a synonym of prāktana karma. We may refer the reader in this connection to the statement of Dullan in his commentary on the Suśruta Samhita' where it is said tohtförant 2 49H farafa:, ha appen farcure sfa fatalàatle: I
In this sense, niyativada and karmavāda are practically identical. In the same way, when the word "Daiva" is used as an unknown higher power working against humanity it is definitely in opposition to the spirit of the doctrine of karma but when Daiva is used as only a technical expression for the unseen forces generated by the past karma of a particular person, it is definitely against the spirit of karmavāda. The whole attitude depends on the view-point concerned with Kalavāda, Niyativāda, Svabhāvavāda, Yadệcchāvāda etc.-all these views are deterministic in their colour and they stand against the doctrine of personal initiative in the human will which the doctrine of karma presupposes. In the following pages we have tried to represent the doctrine of karma as it was presented in the authoritative Vedic, Tántric, and Buddhist and Jaina literature. The spirit of these religious systems is invariably in favour of the freedom of will. What looks like determinism is only the rigid and inflexible character of law which operates as an inviolate principle in the philosophy of karma. It must be remembered however that this determinism is not identical with so called fatalism which is a bar against the operation of a fresh initiative. The doctrine of karma implies that the so called daiva is not inflexible but can be adjusted and modified by the fresh initiative of the agent while freedom of will remains always unimpuned. The well known saying of the Hitopadeśa runs thus-si faena gif atau Bahalöret i fe angla कापुरुपाः वदन्ति । The doctrine of karma implies that although it appears on one hand as a rigid law, it appears on the other hand as a stern invincible will of the man which breaks the rigidity of daiva and guarantees a free human life.
