“Yadaacharathi kalyani Shubham Va yadi Vaashubham
Thadeva labhathe Bhadre Kartha Karmajamaathmanaha.”
Every jeevathma has to enjoy/suffer the fruit of his actions
either in this janma or in the next. Sometimes a very good man is born blind or
lame and suffers his entire lifetime. The vice versa also happens. A very rude
culprit enjoys happily all his life. All these are the result of ones
merit/demerits in his previous births. The other religions do not accept
rebirth. Thus it will only mean that all the sufferings are a result of the
Supreme Almighty. This will in return refer to the Lord as a prejudiced person.
However the fact is different. God has no likes or dislikes. He is beyond
everything. He loves all. Our sufferings are as a result of our own deeds
either in the present life or past. The Lord is not a reason for it. Srimad
Ramayan gives an example.
King Dasaratha goes for a hunt.
He had a missile by name Shabdavedi. It could strike the target without aiming
at it. It would attack the target just by following its sound. Dasaratha heard
a rumble. He thought it was of an animal. He directed the shabdavedi towards
it. Alas it was the noise of a 16 year old boy named Shravanakumara. He had
come to a pond to fetch water for his blind parents. The missile attaked him
and killed him. Dasaratha did it unknowingly. His parents mourned bitterly for
his death. “ You too will die of puthrashoka( separation from your son)” , thus
they cursed Dasaratha. Dasaratha felt miserable but then after the birth of
Rama he was pacified. Now Dasaratha tells Kousalya of this incident after his
separation from Rama. “ One begets what he does previously. As you sow so do
you reap”, says Dasaratha as he now feels the pangs of separation from Rama
after the latter’s exile.