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“When Good People Suffer: A Question Karma Alone Can’t Answer”
By Dr Sunil Singh Rana
(I write this blog with a heavy heart, having just heard from a friend about the tragic and untimely loss of his only son- a bright 19-year-old IIT student- in a heartbreaking and unclear road accident.)
There are moments in life when no logic works. No philosophy comforts. No words suffice. You can be the kindest soul, walk the cleanest path, live with integrity, compassion, faith- and yet, life brings you down in the most brutal and baffling ways.
And all that echoes inside and outside is just one aching question:
“Why me?”
I’ve seen this storm hit the best among us. Recently, a dear friend of mine- humble, god-fearing, clean in every sense of life- lost his 19-year-old son. A brilliant IIT engineering student, full of life and dreams. He wasn’t racing down a highway. He wasn’t drunk-driving. He wasn’t even driving.
He was simply going to meet his sister on Bhai Dooj. Midday. In a cab. In Gurgaon’s busy traffic.
And that was it. Life snatched him away.
What do you say to a father whose world ends in a moment- without reason, without warning, without a fault?
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Beyond Logic, Beyond Justice
We often talk of Karma- as if it’s a straight ledger where good is always rewarded and evil is instantly punished. But life isn’t a courtroom. It’s a cosmic web, much larger and far more mysterious than our limited minds can grasp.
As Lord Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita:
“Gahana karmano gatih” - The path of karma is unfathomable.
And truly, it is. Because bad things happen to the best of people. Saints have been exiled. Devotees have been tested. Honest people have lost all.
And yet, we continue to ask, “If I’ve never harmed anyone, why does harm come to me?”
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The Unseen Threads of Destiny
There are layers to karma we do not see.
Some say it travels from a past life. Some say it’s part of a divine plan that will make sense in another time, another dimension.
But while we can philosophize endlessly, the pain remains real. A child lost. A life broken. A wound that no logic can heal.
In Hindu thought, there’s the concept of Prarabdha Karma- the portion of karma that has already begun to bear fruit in this life, and must be lived through. Even the avatars of God- like Rama and Krishna- did not escape suffering. Why should we expect an exception?
As Khalil Gibran once said:
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
But at what cost?
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When Faith Gets Tested
What shakes me most is this: when tragedy visits the pious.
Those who never touch alcohol, never raise their voice, never look at another with jealousy or hatred. The ones who fold their hands in prayer even when the world mocks their simplicity.
My friend was one such man. He lived like a saint amidst the chaos of modern life. He earned honestly, loved deeply, prayed daily, and raised his children with dignity and discipline.
And yet, fate didn’t spare him.
It makes you wonder- what’s the meaning of being good if goodness doesn’t guarantee protection?
But here’s a thought:
Perhaps the reward of goodness isn’t safety, but strength.
The strength to endure the storm. To carry grief with grace. To not let bitterness rot your soul.
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Suffering Doesn’t Always Mean Punishment
In the West, Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist, once wrote:
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Maybe that’s what suffering does. It shatters you- but also remakes you. It cleanses you of illusions. It introduces you to a deeper silence, where the noise of “why” fades, and only surrender remains.
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Keep Doing Good- Not for Return, but for Resonance
Yes, the world is unfair. And yes, bad things happen to good people.
But what would happen if the good people gave up on their goodness?
If you are someone who still lights a diya every morning, who speaks gently to strangers, who offers help without being asked, who believes in God even in silence- please don’t stop.
Because in a world governed by uncertainty, your goodness is not a guarantee for safety- but it is a guarantee for sanity.
As Mahatma Gandhi said:
“You may never know what results come of your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
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In the End
Maybe we don’t suffer because we did something wrong.
Maybe we suffer because we are chosen to bear the unbearable with grace- so others watching us can gather strength from our resilience.
And maybe- just maybe-there’s a realm beyond this life where justice isn’t delayed or denied, and all unspoken prayers are finally answered.
Until then, we walk on. With tears in our eyes and faith in our hearts.
Not asking “Why me?” anymore.
But saying- “Let me still walk in light.”
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