What Is Karma? Know About The Significance Of Complete Surrender To God

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It is one's deeds and actions that boomerang on us as our fate or destiny and our merits do not have anything to do with the way our lives shape up. Being proud about your merits would not help during difficult circumstances. It is you intrinsic faith that rushes to you to help. All we need to do is to surrender to him with a prayer to relieve you of your karma. It would then be difficult for your karmas to make a full impact on your life.
In Mahabharata, Arjuna was not as fit for battle as Karna and, he represents human effort whereas Karna represents the result of human karma. He could not protect himself from his karmic consequences as he did not have the helping hand of the divine.
Here Are Two instances from Mahabharata illustrating the meaning of Karma and the significance of complete surrender to God beautifully.

1. Encounter Of Pandavas With Ashwathama

When Dronacharya, the guru to both Pandavas and Kauravas succumbed to death during the war, the person who could not bear with the loss was his son Ashwathama. Overpowered by rage, Ashwathama decides to release Narayanasthra against Pandavas to kill them to avenge his father's death. Narayanasthra, launched by Ashwathama, forged ahead, without a bother, in the direction of Pandavas, roaring, and spitting fire as it advanced along. Lord Krishna, very merciful to his devotees, decided to save his devotees from ruin.
He advised the Pandavas to step down, stand with bent head and show respect to the Asthra, and not act against it, as it would not spare anyone. Pandavas followed his advice and escaped the wrath of Ashwathama
Bhima, had still, a few traces of ego, that came out of his being a warrior. He flashed his sword high in the air, but Lord Krishna who knew that Bhima would be no match for the asthra, in valor, at first pleaded with him to give it all up but forcibly caught him and floored him on the ground, when he was unable to listen to reason.
Narayanasthra can be compared to outcomes or consequences of our actions which even Bhima the mightiest warrior could not break through. Krishna made him surrender to it and only then Bhima was protected and out of danger. All his pride and confidence could not rescue him out of his fear. Implicit faith and obedience to God can save any person from impending karmic consequences.

2. Encounter Between Arjuna And Karna

When a fierce battle was ensuing between Arjuna and Karna, there was one moment when Karna had an upper hand over Arjuna. Karna flung his shakti Asthra at Arjuna with a view to decapitate him. Lord Krishna, who had noticed it beforehand, pressed the footboard of the chariot or Ratha with his toe as a result of which the chariot sank in to the ground a bit and hence the Asthra that was to pierce Arjunas head, just scraped through his crown, damaging it fully.
God was Arjunas charioteer all due to Arjunas implicit faith in the Lord. It is a known fact that God serves his truest devotees in any way he likes. Arjuna also had surrendered to Lord in all possible ways. Lord Krishna therefore did not take Kauravas side when asked to choose between Kaurava army and Pandava army. Arjuna chose Lord Krishna to be on his side and not the million people army that Krishna had originally offered to both. It was his trust and his conviction to be on the side of the truth and conscience that saved Arjuna in the nick of time and God rushed to his help when he was attacked by shaktyastra. Gods grace saves anyone as long as he remains devoted to him.