Acharya Prashant explains the concepts of the consequences of action (Karmaphal) and rebirth (Punarjanm) by referencing verses from the Paramhansa Gita. The verses narrate the story of Rishi Jadbharat, who, in a previous life as King Bharat, was devoted to God but became attached to a deer. This attachment led to his rebirth as a deer. However, due to his worship of Shri Krishna, he retained the memory of his past life, which made him fear association with people and live in detachment. The speaker clarifies that the principle of the consequences of action and the Indian concept of rebirth are fundamentally based on responsibility. Responsibility can only belong to one who is free to choose. Therefore, the concept of Karmaphal is a reminder that we are fundamentally free. We are not puppets of destiny (prarabdha); if we were, the doer would be someone else, and they would bear the consequences. But since we are the ones who suffer or enjoy, it proves that we have freedom and, thus, the responsibility for our actions and their results. Acharya Prashant points out the great paradox of human existence: we are free to choose, yet we often use this freedom to choose bondage. The desire to choose stems from our inherent nature of freedom. When given a choice between freedom and bondage, we often choose bondage. Whatever we choose, we must bear its consequences. The one who chooses and experiences freedom is also freed from the cycle of experience, while the one who chooses bondage remains trapped in it. Addressing the idea of becoming what one is attached to, the speaker explains that one doesn't become it in the end; one is that thing in the very moment of attachment. The ego (aham) has no independent identity; it is defined by its attachments. The ego is always seeking a companion because it fears its own empty nature, which is the Atman. When the ego is free from objects, it is the Atman itself. Finally, he discusses the fear of association with people, stating it is a natural and necessary characteristic of a spiritual mind. This fear is the fear that one's current state of bondage might continue indefinitely. This fear is a form of honesty and the starting point of spirituality. Before one can love God, one must have a healthy fear or aversion to one's current, suffering state. This fear is the touchstone for the soul.