If Everything Happens for a Reason, Why Doesn’t It Feel Fair? – The Gita’s Answer
Nidhi | Apr 10, 2025, 13:04 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Many wonder: If everything happens for a reason, why do we suffer? This article dives deep into the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to decode the spiritual and philosophical logic of karma, destiny, and perceived injustice in life. Drawing from timeless Sanskrit verses and the Gita’s view on duty (dharma), this piece explores why pain doesn’t always feel purposeful, how fairness is not immediate but eventual, and what spiritual clarity truly means. Whether you're questioning fate, exploring Hindu philosophy, or looking for emotional balance, this is your guide to seeing life through a wiser lens.
Why is it that when life brings us to our knees, the phrase "everything happens for a reason" feels more like a bandage than a balm?
There exists a peculiar irony in human suffering—we seek meaning in chaos, yet reject the idea that our pain might serve a higher purpose when it stings the most. The intellect desires logic, the heart desires fairness, but existence, it seems, dances to neither. When we face rejection after dedication, betrayal after loyalty, loss after love, we question the moral architecture of the universe. Is there a grand design behind this web of joy and sorrow, or is it merely the randomness of a cruel fate?
Ancient Indian philosophy does not shy away from this confrontation with life’s injustices. The Bhagavad Gita, nestled within the epic Mahabharata, is a timeless dialogue that addresses this very existential dilemma. Delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, it is not a poetic musing from the safety of retreat but a gritty, soul-wrenching counsel delivered in the throes of moral crisis.
Here, we explore the core answers the Gita offers to the age-old question: If everything happens for a reason, why does it feel so painfully unfair?
1. You Are Not the Body, You Are the Soul
Our first mistake, says Krishna, is in thinking we are merely this body, these experiences, these emotions. The Gita makes a profound distinction between the Atman (eternal soul) and the Deha (temporary body).
श्लोक: "न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो'यं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे"
(Chapter 2, Verse 20)
Unfairness hurts so deeply because we think this life is all we have. But zoom out. If you’ve been here before (and you have), and you’ll be here again (you will), then everything starts making more sense. Every heartbreak? A lesson. Every delay? A preparation. Every unfair moment? A checkpoint in your soul’s syllabus.
You’re not losing — you’re learning.
2. Karma is not Judgment, It is Continuity
We often confuse karma with cosmic punishment. The Gita, however, presents karma as a mechanism of continuity, not revenge. Every action sets in motion a chain of consequences, some visible, some unfolding across lifetimes.
श्लोक: "कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा मा ते संगो'स्त्वकर्मणि"
(Chapter 2, Verse 47)
Life may feel unfair when we expect direct returns. But karma doesn’t deal in transactions; it operates through transformation. What we receive is not always proportionate to what we do—at least not visibly so. Some effects may take years or lifetimes to unfold.
3. Dharma: Doing the Right Thing, Even When It Hurts
Injustice often feels most brutal when it punishes righteousness. But Krishna reminds Arjuna that one must perform their Dharma regardless of the personal cost. Dharma isn’t about reward, but alignment with truth.
श्लोक: "श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणाः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः"
(Chapter 3, Verse 35)
Fulfilling our unique role, even if it leads to personal suffering, is nobler and more fulfilling in the larger scheme of existence.
One of the Gita’s most radical ideas is detachment—not from life, but from outcomes. We suffer not because life changes, but because we resist that change.
We think fairness is about getting what we want. But what if fairness is about getting what we need for the next level of our soul’s growth?
Detachment isn’t indifference. It’s maturity—the kind that says, “Even if I don’t understand this now, I trust it has meaning.”
Life isn’t a one-act play. The Gita sees existence as cyclical—birth, death, rebirth. So what feels unfair today may just be an unfinished lesson. The problem is, we’re trying to judge a book by a single paragraph.
That’s not toxic positivity—it’s radical trust.
The person who betrayed you? A mirror showing your boundaries. The job you lost? A nudge towards your real calling. The illness? A wake-up call to reclaim your health and presence.
From the soul’s point of view, everything is unfolding with intention.
When we ask why life isn’t fair, what we really want is comfort. The Gita offers something better: clarity.
Purpose isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes, it’s gritty. Arjuna’s purpose was to fight a war, not give a TED Talk. But it was his dharma. And walking that path gave him strength, wisdom, and liberation.
“श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः॥”
(Chapter 3, Verse 35)
We may not understand the purpose of every hardship now. But the Gita assures us: when we act with truth, detach from outcomes, and stay grounded in our essence—we align with a deeper rhythm of life, beyond temporary notions of fairness.
Stop Asking “Why Me?” and Start Asking “What Now?”
The Gita doesn’t sugarcoat life. It admits that pain exists. Injustice exists. People will wrong you. Good people will suffer. But none of it is random. And none of it is wasted.
So, if everything happens for a reason, why doesn’t it feel fair?
Because we are viewing a cosmic script through the lens of a single scene. Life feels unfair because we mistake the temporary for the eternal. But the Gita gently reminds us: you are not a victim of fate, but a soul on a journey—guided, challenged, tested, and always evolving.
Maybe fairness isn’t the absence of pain, but the presence of purpose behind it.
And maybe, just maybe, your suffering today is the seed of your wisdom tomorrow.
So sit with it. Breathe through it. And remember, even when it doesn’t feel fair, it might just be right—for your growth, your truth, and your becoming.
There exists a peculiar irony in human suffering—we seek meaning in chaos, yet reject the idea that our pain might serve a higher purpose when it stings the most. The intellect desires logic, the heart desires fairness, but existence, it seems, dances to neither. When we face rejection after dedication, betrayal after loyalty, loss after love, we question the moral architecture of the universe. Is there a grand design behind this web of joy and sorrow, or is it merely the randomness of a cruel fate?
Ancient Indian philosophy does not shy away from this confrontation with life’s injustices. The Bhagavad Gita, nestled within the epic Mahabharata, is a timeless dialogue that addresses this very existential dilemma. Delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, it is not a poetic musing from the safety of retreat but a gritty, soul-wrenching counsel delivered in the throes of moral crisis.
Here, we explore the core answers the Gita offers to the age-old question: If everything happens for a reason, why does it feel so painfully unfair?
1. You Are Not the Body, You Are the Soul
Mahabharata
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Our first mistake, says Krishna, is in thinking we are merely this body, these experiences, these emotions. The Gita makes a profound distinction between the Atman (eternal soul) and the Deha (temporary body).
श्लोक: "न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो'यं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे"
(Chapter 2, Verse 20)
Unfairness hurts so deeply because we think this life is all we have. But zoom out. If you’ve been here before (and you have), and you’ll be here again (you will), then everything starts making more sense. Every heartbreak? A lesson. Every delay? A preparation. Every unfair moment? A checkpoint in your soul’s syllabus.
You’re not losing — you’re learning.
2. Karma is not Judgment, It is Continuity
Radha Krishna
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
We often confuse karma with cosmic punishment. The Gita, however, presents karma as a mechanism of continuity, not revenge. Every action sets in motion a chain of consequences, some visible, some unfolding across lifetimes.
श्लोक: "कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा मा ते संगो'स्त्वकर्मणि"
(Chapter 2, Verse 47)
Life may feel unfair when we expect direct returns. But karma doesn’t deal in transactions; it operates through transformation. What we receive is not always proportionate to what we do—at least not visibly so. Some effects may take years or lifetimes to unfold.
3. Dharma: Doing the Right Thing, Even When It Hurts
Hurt
( Image credit : Pexels )
Injustice often feels most brutal when it punishes righteousness. But Krishna reminds Arjuna that one must perform their Dharma regardless of the personal cost. Dharma isn’t about reward, but alignment with truth.
श्लोक: "श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणाः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः"
(Chapter 3, Verse 35)
Fulfilling our unique role, even if it leads to personal suffering, is nobler and more fulfilling in the larger scheme of existence.
4. Attachment Breeds Suffering, Detachment Frees You
Attachment
( Image credit : Freepik )
We think fairness is about getting what we want. But what if fairness is about getting what we need for the next level of our soul’s growth?
Detachment isn’t indifference. It’s maturity—the kind that says, “Even if I don’t understand this now, I trust it has meaning.”
5. Your Story Isn’t Over—This Is Just a Chapter
Life
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
That’s not toxic positivity—it’s radical trust.
The person who betrayed you? A mirror showing your boundaries. The job you lost? A nudge towards your real calling. The illness? A wake-up call to reclaim your health and presence.
From the soul’s point of view, everything is unfolding with intention.
6. Purpose Doesn’t Always Mean Comfort—Sometimes It Means Clarity
Struggle
( Image credit : Pexels )
Purpose isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes, it’s gritty. Arjuna’s purpose was to fight a war, not give a TED Talk. But it was his dharma. And walking that path gave him strength, wisdom, and liberation.
“श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः॥”
(Chapter 3, Verse 35)
We may not understand the purpose of every hardship now. But the Gita assures us: when we act with truth, detach from outcomes, and stay grounded in our essence—we align with a deeper rhythm of life, beyond temporary notions of fairness.
Stop Asking “Why Me?” and Start Asking “What Now?”
So, if everything happens for a reason, why doesn’t it feel fair?
Because we are viewing a cosmic script through the lens of a single scene. Life feels unfair because we mistake the temporary for the eternal. But the Gita gently reminds us: you are not a victim of fate, but a soul on a journey—guided, challenged, tested, and always evolving.
Maybe fairness isn’t the absence of pain, but the presence of purpose behind it.
And maybe, just maybe, your suffering today is the seed of your wisdom tomorrow.
So sit with it. Breathe through it. And remember, even when it doesn’t feel fair, it might just be right—for your growth, your truth, and your becoming.