नमस्यामो देवान्ननु हतविधेस्तेऽपि वशगा
    विधिर्वन्द्यः सोऽपि प्रतिनियतकर्मैकफलदः ।
फलं कर्मायत्त किममरगणैः किं च विधिना
    नमस्तत्कर्मभ्यो विधिरपि न येभ्यः प्रभवति ॥

namasyAmo devAnnanu hatavidheste&pi vaSagA
    vidhirvandyaH so&pi pratiniyatakarmaikaPaladaH ।
PalaM karmAyatta kimamaragaNaiH kiM ca vidhinA
    namastatkarmaByo vidhirapi na yeByaH praBavati ॥

We worship the gods thinking them to be omnipotent. But they are also subject to miseries at the hands of Fate. So, you may think we must worship Fate. But Fate also is not independent. They have to act in accordance to the karma of a person. So all glories are fruits of ‘karma’ (deeds) of a person. Hence we must worship that. Why should we worship either the Gods or the Fate? I salute to those honest actions (of a person) on whom event he fate does not have any influence.

ब्रह्मा येन कुलालवन्नियमितो ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डोदरे
    विष्णुर्येन दशावत्रगहने क्षिप्तो महासङ्कटे ।
रुद्रो येन कपालपाणिपुटके भिक्षाटनं कारितः
    सूर्यो भ्राम्यति नित्यमेव गगने तस्मै नमः कर्मणे ॥

brahmA yena kulAlavanniyamito brahmANDaBANDodare
    viShNuryena daSAvatragahane kShipto mahAsaNkaTe ।
rudro yena kapAlapANipuTake BikShATanaM kAritaH
    sUryo BrAmyati nityameva gagane tasmai namaH karmaNe ॥

I salute ‘karma’ (result of actions) because of whom Brahma has been appointed as a potter in the middle of this pot like universe, Vishnu had to undergo various hardships of incarnating ten times, Shiva was forced to beg with a skull in his hand and because of whom Sun wanders endlessly in the sky every day. All hardships of even the mighty are results of their own deeds (karma).

नैवाकृतिः फलति नैव कुलं न शीलं
    विद्यापि नैव न च यत्नकृतापि सेवा ।
भाग्यानि पूर्वतपसा खलु सञ्चितानि
    काले फलन्ति पुरुषस्य यथैव वृक्षः ॥

brahmA yena kulAlavanniyamito brahmANDaBANDodare
    viShNuryena daSAvatragahane kShipto mahAsaNkaTe ।
rudro yena kapAlapANipuTake BikShATanaM kAritaH
    sUryo BrAmyati nityameva gagane tasmai namaH karmaNe ॥

Your looks will not help you. Not your lineage, not your impeccable character, not even your education, not even the service you did to other people. It is the good deeds you would ahve done in the past that come to your rescue (when needed) and bear fruits just like a tree (you would have planted years ago).

वने रणे शत्रुजलाग्निमध्ये महार्णवे पर्वतमस्तके वा ।
सुप्तं प्रमत्तं विषमस्थितं वा रक्षन्ति पुण्यनि पुरा कृतानि ॥

vane raNe SatrujalAgnimadhye mahArNave parvatamastake vA ।
suptaM pramattaM viShamasthitaM vA rakShanti puNyani purA kRutAni ॥

The good karma you earned earlier in your life will protect you under all circumstances – in a forest, a battle, amongst enemies, in the middle of a fire, inside water, in a huge war, on top of a mountain, while you are sleeping, when you are unconscious, in great peril.

या साधूंश्च खलान्करोति, विदुषो मूर्खान्हितान्द्वेषिणः
    प्रत्यक्षं कुरुते परोक्षममृतं हालाहलं तत्क्षणात् ।
तामाराधय सत्क्रियां भगवतीं भोक्तुं फलं वाञ्छितं
    हे साधो ! व्यसनैर्गुणेषु विपुलेष्वास्थां वृथा म कृथाः ॥

yA sAdhUMSca KalAnkaroti, viduSho mUrKAnhitAndveShiNaH
    pratyakShaM kurute parokShamamRutaM hAlAhalaM tatkShaNAt ।
tAmArAdhaya satkriyAM BagavatIM BoktuM PalaM vA~jCitaM
    he sAdho ! vyasanairguNeShu vipuleShvAsthAM vRuthA ma kRuthAH ॥

A good action can turn instantly a wicked person into a good person, a fool into a wise one, an enemy into a well-wisher, invisible (unexplainable) into visible (cognizable), poison into elixir. Hence we must worship the diety of good actions which will bear every fruit you may want. There is no use being interested in material stuff that brings unwanted troubles.

शुभ्रं सद्य, सविभ्रमा युवतयः, श्वेतातपत्रोज्ज्वला
    लक्ष्मीरित्यनुभूयते चिरमनुस्यूते शुभे कर्मणि ।
विच्छिन्नं नितरामनङ्गकलहक्रीडात्रुटत्तन्तुकं
    मुक्ताजालमिव प्रयाति झटिति भ्रश्यद्दिशो दृश्यताम् ॥

SuBraM sadya, saviBramA yuvatayaH, SvetAtapatrojjvalA
    lakShmIrityanuBUyate ciramanusyUte SuBe karmaNi ।
vicCinnaM nitarAmanaNgakalahakrIDAtruTattantukaM
    muktAjAlamiva prayAti JaTiti BraSyaddiSo dRuSyatAm ॥

A beautiful mansion, resplendant damsels, shining white umbrella, lot of wealth – all these follow a person who has done good deeds (karma). But when good karma departs (due to his wicked actions) all these run away from him in all directions just like the pearls when the thread holding them together is broken during a fight.

गुणवदगुणवद्वा कुर्वता कार्यमादौ
    परिणतिरवधार्या यत्नतः पण्डितेन ।
अतिरभसकृतानां कर्मणामाविपत्ते -
    र्भवति हृदयदाही शल्यतुल्यो विपाकः ॥

guNavadaguNavadvA kurvatA kAryamAdau
    pariNatiravadhAryA yatnataH paNDitena ।
atiraBasakRutAnAM karmaNAmAvipatte -
    rBavati hRudayadAhI Salyatulyo vipAkaH ॥

A wise person has to fully understand the repercussions of his actions (karma), whether the deed itself is a noble one or not. Because results of an action performed in haste hurts the heart until death like a dart.

स्थाल्यां वैढूर्यमय्यां पचति तिलखलीं चान्दनैरिन्धनौघैः
    सौवर्णैर्लाङ्गलार्ग्रैर्विलिखति वसुधामर्कमूलस्य हेतोः ।
छित्वा कर्पूरखण्डान्वृतिमिह कुरुते कोद्रवाणां समन्ता -
    त्प्राप्येमां कर्मभूमिं न चरति मनुजो यस्तपो मन्दभाग्यः ॥

sthAlyAM vaiDhUryamayyAM pacati tilaKalIM cAndanairindhanauGaiH
    sauvarNairlANgalArgrairviliKati vasudhAmarkamUlasya hetoH ।
CitvA karpUraKaNDAnvRutimiha kurute kodravANAM samantA -
    tprApyemAM karmaBUmiM na carati manujo yastapo mandaBAgyaH ॥

If a person with bad karma comes to this karmabhumi (land where good deeds are rewarded) and does no penance (hard-work) then he is bound to fail. He starts doing the most illogical things like – cooking sesame seeds in a vessel studded with precious stones using sandal wood for fuel, he digs the earth using a plough made of gold in search of the roots ofarka plant (totally useless) and he protects his least expensive grains by building a fence of karpura plant (which is easily inflammable) around it.

मज्जत्वम्भसि, यातु मेरुशिखरं, शत्रुं जयत्वाहवे
    वाणिज्यं कृषिसेवानादि सकला विद्याः कलाः शिक्षताम् ।
आकाशं विपुलं प्रयातु खगवत्कृत्वा प्रयत्नं परं
    नाभाव्यं भवतीह कर्मवशतो भाव्यस्य नाशः कुतः ॥

majjatvamBasi, yAtu meruSiKaraM, SatruM jayatvAhave
    vANijyaM kRuShisevAnAdi sakalA vidyAH kalAH SikShatAm ।
AkASaM vipulaM prayAtu KagavatkRutvA prayatnaM paraM
    nABAvyaM BavatIha karmavaSato BAvyasya nASaH kutaH ॥

Any amount of Karma can not change fate. However, Fate also can not disregard karma. Fate has to award good fortune for good karma and vice versa. However, Fate still remains all powerful. This shloka brings out the power of Fate over karma. You may plunge into the deep waters and surrvive. You may climb up the Mount Sumeru. You may defeat all your enemies. You may master all skills like trade, agriculture and service. If you try hard, you may even fly in the sky like a bird. But what is not supposed to happen according to Fate will not happen. On the other hand, where is the question of stopping events that are bound to happen (according to Fate)?

भीमं वनं भवति तस्य पुरं प्रधानं
    सर्वो जनः सुजनतामुपयाति तस्य ।
कृत्स्ना च भूर्भवति सन्निधिरत्नपूर्णा
    यस्यास्ति पूर्वसुकृतं विपुलं नरस्य ॥

BImaM vanaM Bavati tasya puraM pradhAnaM
    sarvo janaH sujanatAmupayAti tasya ।
kRutsnA ca BUrBavati sannidhiratnapUrNA
    yasyAsti pUrvasukRutaM vipulaM narasya ॥

For a person with lot of good karma (past deeds) backing him, a dense forest feels as convinient as a metropolitan city. Everybody behave very nicely with him. The whole world seems to be a treasure of wealth.