So long as you have not entered into any action (Karma) you will have no reaction. There cannot be any effect without a cause. But once you have entered into any action (Karma) you are bound to face its reaction.When you create any cause it is bound to have its effect.So, before doing any sort of action (Karma), you are free
to think about its possible reaction or outcome. But immediately after doing that Karma, you are not at all free to escape its consequences.

In this human birth, you are at a full liberty to do any good or bad action that you choose. You can be a good man, a noble man, an honest man etc. and that you should be. But even if you want to be mean, crooked or dishonest you are at liberty to be so, of course, at your own risk and cost and then you must be prepared for the
consequences. You cannot blame anybody nor can you escape from its effect. "As you sow, so shall you reap." As a human being you are totally independent to any action you choose. But mind well, independence implies responsibility also. The more the independence, the more the responsibility also. You and you alone are responsible
for your own actions and none else. Once you are caught in any Karma, do not try to escape by blaming any one else or even God (see pare 18 also).

Such unqualified independence is not given to animals, birds etc. which are of lower status because they possess only a functional mind - a lower intelligence but no wisdom. They, therefore, go about their activities only by intuition and instinct and they are controlled by nature, while you are the controller of nature. God has bestowed human beings with higher intelligence as well as wisdom. So if human beings misuse their intelligence and do not use their wisdom, they are liable to severe punishment according to the provisions of the Law of Karma.

A dog will not eat a loaf of bread without smelling it thrice to ascertain whether it is congenial to his health. And even by mistake, if he eats it, he will immediately vomit it out because he is controlled by nature. Therefore, the dogs, donkeys, birds etc. do not suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, heart attack, Aids, etc. While a man who
gets a hundred dollar currency note by corrupt, dishonest means he immediately puts it directly in his pocket without thinking that he will have to pay a thousand dollars to the doctor as a result of that sin.

Let me quote one concrete instance to illustrate this point.

A man committed two murders. In the case of the first murder, he could escape conviction by engaging a very intelligent and influential pleader. In the second case, he could escape by greasing the hands of the corrupt police officers with bribery. But in the third murder case in which, even though he was totally innocent of any crime, he was arrested by the police only on suspicion looking to his past antecedents and previous police records in which he was black-listed. Unfortunately for him the police could anyhow successfully secure most convincing evidence and witnesses to establish his guilt as a murderer without any shadow of doubt and consequently he was hanged. In such a case, we can say that his sins of the previous two murders
committed by him could not have at that. time attacked him, probably because he might have got in stock certain other pious deeds (Punya Karma) also at that time
which would have prevented the sins of those two murders from attacking him. But, thereafter, as soon as he might have exhausted his pious deeds, the sins of his two previous murder cases, remaining in balance in abeyance as Sanchit Karmas matured as luck, fate, destiny (Pra-rabdha) attacked him and entangled him in the third murder case even though he was totally innocent in it.

A man can cleverly and cunningly manipulate to escape from the court of this world, but in the court of God no influence or bribery is allowed and nobody can escape.
Sometimes when we find an apparently innocent person being punished, we naturally feel that there is no justice in the realm of God. But it is not so. In fact, he must
have escaped punishment in some previous offence cleverly or cunningly from the court of this world. But at the opportune time, his Sanchit Karma would ripen into Prarabdha from which he can never escape. No action is lost without reaction, no cause is lost without effect, no effort is lost without destiny, and no sin is lost without punishment in he Law of Karma.

Taking an example from Shrimad Bhagvatam, King Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna was a very pious and noble king and a staunch devotee of God and saints. Even
then unfortunately for him, one day he went very far into the forest and became very thirsty. In the interior of the forest, he went to the Ashram of the sage named Samik.The sage was at that time in deep meditation and therefore did not offer his solicitation to welcome the king. The king felt offended and in a momentary impulse of anger, he put dead serpent around the neck of the meditating sage and went away. Subsequently when the son of the sage saw this outrageous misconduct, he gave a curse that whoever was the wrong doer would die on the seventh day by a
serpent bite. When the sage came out of his meditation, he felt very sorry for the entire episode and he himself informed the king about this irrevocable curse. The king,instead of trying to escape the effect of this curse, boldly accepted the curse as the natural and deserved consequence of his own grievous misconduct. He nobly declared himself as guilty of the sin. He was all powerful monarch and hence even the supreme court of his kingdom was not competent to frame any charge against him for any of his wrong deeds. The king, therefore, himself charge-sheeted himself for the offence committed by him and also himself prescribed the quantum of deterrent punishment to be awarded to him, just to set an example for other kings to refrain from insulting a saint.

He did not offer any prayers to Lord Krishna for seeking relief from the effect of the curse just as we common people generally do only when we are in trouble. He did
not offer any such prayers to Lord Krishna reminding him of his close personal relations with him

(1) that the father of Lord Krishna was the maternal uncle of Arjuna, the grand father of Parikshita;

(2) or that Lord Krishna was himself the brother-in-law of Arjuna;

(3) or that Lord Krishna was also the chariot-driver of Arjuna in the battlefield and had also been his friend, philosopher and guide;

(4) or that Lord Krishna had with great compassion and mercy protected Parikshit against a dangerous weapon whiie the latter was in the womb of his mother; and
therefore, he should once again save him from this curse this time also.

Parikshit also did not pray Lord Krishna for protection like us saying that

(1) this was only his first transgression or offence committed in momentary impulse of rage;

(2) he was prepared to cast in concrete his solemn affirmation not to repeat such a grave offence ever again;

(3) he was also prepared to give a generous donation for constructing temples etc. if he were to be relieved from this fatal curse.

He had not tempted God, as we are often inclined to in dealing with corrupt officers and ministers. He fully accepted the blame for his offence and made no attempt to escape. He immediately renounced all worldly affairs, seated himself on the banks of the Ganges at the feet of the revered sage Shukdevji, determined to attain self-
realisation leading to Moksha i.e. emancipation from the cycle of birth and death.

After seven days, the serpent (cobra) named Takshak could only bite his body (which he had already renounced) but could not harm his eternal soul.

This is the correct method of facing the Prarabdha. Your own Kriyaman Karmas when they are matured-ripened and are ready to give fruits, they are known as Pr-arabdha
(Destiny-fate-luck-fortune). God has given you full liberty to do any Kriyaman Karma with the best of your knowledge and wisdom. But when they mature and their due
consequences come before you, you should face them and accept them boldly and cheerfully without asking God to interfere to save you.