12. Vasishtha answered saying:—Well said O Ráma! you know every thing; but hear me tell you the whole of it, whereby you will have a firm belief in the nullity of destiny.
13. All the various desires which men may have entertained in their minds before, even those come to be accounted as his deeds (or mental actions) at last.
14. All animals are seen also to act according to their desires, and to do nothing to which an inclination was wanting in their natures.
15. As the villager goes to his village and the townsman comes to the town: so it is the nature of the desire that leads men to their particular acts.
16. The keen and firm resolution with which an act was done in the former state of life, that verily is termed destiny in the successive births, or generations of living beings.
17. Thus are the acts of all active beings conformable with their natures, and the actions of men are in accordance to their desires, the desire is no other than the mind itself, and the mind is self-same with the human soul.
18. The mind is the soul and cause of all acts which they call the doings of destiny, certainly there is no other thing as destiny beside the mind.
19. This mind is verily the living soul, which acts as it desires, and enjoys accordingly the fruits thereof, and is same with destiny.
20. Know Ráma that the mind, the heart, desire, action and destiny are synonymous terms, and applied by the virtuous to the unascertainable soul (evolved in these forms).
21. Now whatever the so named soul undertakes to do continually and with a firm resolution, it obtains the fruit thereof accordingly.