Despite the many occasions when its characters feel frustrated before the weight of circumstances, and despite blaming their feeling of impotence on diva, 'fate', moral autonomy shines through in the epic. Because they have some freedom to choose they can be praised when they follow dharma or blamed when they follow dharma. At the moment of making a decision they become conscious of their freedom, and it is this perception of autonomy that gives them the ability to lead authentic moral lives.

The Difficulty of Being Good : On the Subtle Art of Dharma