You’re Not Unlucky, You’re Ignoring These 7 Laws of Karma from Shiva
Riya Kumari | May 20, 2025, 22:51 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau, Timeslife )
We love to blame everything on "bad luck," don’t we? Missed a job opportunity? “Ugh, I just have the worst luck.” Stuck in yet another confusing situationship that looks like a relationship, sounds like a friendship, but feels like therapy with no closure? “It’s the universe testing me.” Honey. It’s not a test. It’s a mirror. And Shiva—the guy who literally destroys things to rebuild better ones—has been trying to send you the syllabus this whole time.
Ever feel like life’s out to get you? Like the universe skipped you on the “good things happen to good people” list? Maybe you’ve been working hard, doing your best, trying to stay kind even when things suck—and yet, it’s the same old cycle. Same heartbreak. Same financial stress. Same overthinking at 2am. Let me tell you something uncomfortable that might just change everything: you’re not unlucky. You’re just out of alignment with the laws that govern this whole existence. Not laws like taxes or traffic lights—laws of karma. Real ones. And who better to learn them from than Shiva?
1. What you judge is a reflection, not a revelation
Shiva didn’t judge people for their roles. He walked with outcasts. He danced with ghosts. He accepted both gods and demons because he saw them for what they were, not what they appeared to be. That’s the first law of karma—life mirrors you back. So when you’re constantly annoyed by the same type of person or stuck in the same situation, that’s not a coincidence. That’s your energy on display.
It's easy to say “they’re toxic” or “I just attract drama,” but the truth is, you attract what you haven’t resolved. Karma doesn’t send you problems. It sends you patterns. And those patterns keep repeating until you stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror.
2. Taking responsibility doesn’t mean taking the blame
When the poison rose during the churning of the cosmic ocean, Shiva didn’t say, “Well, not my circus, not my monkeys.” He stepped in. He drank it. Held it in his throat. Not because he caused it, but because he could hold it. That’s the second law—ownership. You don’t have to be the cause of every problem in your life to be the one who transforms it.
We spend so much time waiting for apologies, clarity, or fairness. But karma doesn’t wait. It moves with the one who owns their life, no matter how unfair it feels. You heal not because someone deserved your forgiveness, but because you deserved your peace. That’s your power.
3. Detachment isn’t giving up. It’s trusting more
Shiva loved Sati. And then he lost her. And yes, he grieved—he disappeared into the mountains and stopped engaging with the world. But eventually, he returned. Not because he moved on. But because he understood that love isn’t meant to imprison. That’s the third law. When you attach too tightly to people, outcomes, or even pain, you stop life from flowing.
Detachment doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means you stop clinging. It means you allow things to evolve, end, or change without needing to control the timeline. Ironically, that’s when you start receiving what’s truly meant for you—because you’ve finally created space for it.
4. Your actions echo louder than your intentions
Remember when Shiva beheaded Brahma in a moment of fury? Even he wasn’t above karma. He had to carry the skull as a reminder. Not because he wasn’t divine, but because divinity doesn’t exempt you from the consequences of your choices. That’s the fourth law—every action has weight.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being aware. You don’t get karmic credit for thinking kind thoughts while speaking harsh words. Or meaning well while making excuses. Karma doesn’t care about image. It responds to impact. What you put out is what you plant. And what you plant is what grows.
5. Destruction is not punishment. It’s preparation
When Shiva dances his Tandava, the world trembles. Not because he’s throwing a tantrum, but because something false needs to break. That’s the fifth law. Loss isn’t cruelty. It’s clarity in disguise. The people who left, the jobs that failed, the plans that collapsed—they didn’t ruin you. They revealed you.
We cry over endings because we assume permanence is safety. But Shiva shows us: real safety is in truth, not in comfort. Sometimes things fall apart because you’ve outgrown them. Sometimes the breakdown is the breakthrough. Don’t mourn the ashes too long—you’re not meant to live in what burned.
6. The present moment is where karma breathes
Shiva meditates, yes. But he’s not detached from the world. He’s fully in it. Watching. Listening. Choosing. That’s the sixth law—karma isn’t stacking up somewhere in the future. It’s right now. It’s how you answer the phone when you’re annoyed. How you talk to someone who can’t offer you anything. How you act when no one’s watching.
We keep looking for big karmic moments, thinking they come in the form of “fate” or “tests.” But mostly, karma whispers. In tiny choices. In your tone. In how quickly you abandon yourself to please someone else. The now is sacred. Treat it that way.
7. Separation is the biggest illusion
Shiva is Ardhanarishvara—half-man, half-woman. He is the union of opposites. Why? Because that’s the final law. What you do to others, you do to yourself. The illusion of separation is what keeps us in cycles of harm, revenge, and ego.
We forget that the person we envy is also struggling. That the one who hurt us is also hurting. That even in conflict, we’re not really against each other—we’re just playing out old wounds. Karma sees through all that. It balances not just what you do, but why you do it. Compassion isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
So, what now?
You can keep calling it bad luck. Or you can recognize it as feedback. Karma isn’t punishing you. It’s showing you where you're asleep to yourself. It’s not some cosmic scorekeeper waiting to smack you for every misstep. It’s just a mirror. And Shiva? He’s the silence behind it all, reminding you gently: life doesn’t change until you do.
These laws don’t require belief. They require awareness. They’re not here to impress you. They’re here to wake you. And if something in you stirred while reading this… then maybe, just maybe, you’re already waking up.
1. What you judge is a reflection, not a revelation
Gossip
( Image credit : Pexels )
Shiva didn’t judge people for their roles. He walked with outcasts. He danced with ghosts. He accepted both gods and demons because he saw them for what they were, not what they appeared to be. That’s the first law of karma—life mirrors you back. So when you’re constantly annoyed by the same type of person or stuck in the same situation, that’s not a coincidence. That’s your energy on display.
It's easy to say “they’re toxic” or “I just attract drama,” but the truth is, you attract what you haven’t resolved. Karma doesn’t send you problems. It sends you patterns. And those patterns keep repeating until you stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror.
2. Taking responsibility doesn’t mean taking the blame
Blame
( Image credit : Pexels )
When the poison rose during the churning of the cosmic ocean, Shiva didn’t say, “Well, not my circus, not my monkeys.” He stepped in. He drank it. Held it in his throat. Not because he caused it, but because he could hold it. That’s the second law—ownership. You don’t have to be the cause of every problem in your life to be the one who transforms it.
We spend so much time waiting for apologies, clarity, or fairness. But karma doesn’t wait. It moves with the one who owns their life, no matter how unfair it feels. You heal not because someone deserved your forgiveness, but because you deserved your peace. That’s your power.
3. Detachment isn’t giving up. It’s trusting more
Riding bicycle first time
( Image credit : Pexels )
Shiva loved Sati. And then he lost her. And yes, he grieved—he disappeared into the mountains and stopped engaging with the world. But eventually, he returned. Not because he moved on. But because he understood that love isn’t meant to imprison. That’s the third law. When you attach too tightly to people, outcomes, or even pain, you stop life from flowing.
Detachment doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means you stop clinging. It means you allow things to evolve, end, or change without needing to control the timeline. Ironically, that’s when you start receiving what’s truly meant for you—because you’ve finally created space for it.
4. Your actions echo louder than your intentions
Kind
( Image credit : Pexels )
Remember when Shiva beheaded Brahma in a moment of fury? Even he wasn’t above karma. He had to carry the skull as a reminder. Not because he wasn’t divine, but because divinity doesn’t exempt you from the consequences of your choices. That’s the fourth law—every action has weight.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being aware. You don’t get karmic credit for thinking kind thoughts while speaking harsh words. Or meaning well while making excuses. Karma doesn’t care about image. It responds to impact. What you put out is what you plant. And what you plant is what grows.
5. Destruction is not punishment. It’s preparation
Graduation
( Image credit : Pexels )
When Shiva dances his Tandava, the world trembles. Not because he’s throwing a tantrum, but because something false needs to break. That’s the fifth law. Loss isn’t cruelty. It’s clarity in disguise. The people who left, the jobs that failed, the plans that collapsed—they didn’t ruin you. They revealed you.
We cry over endings because we assume permanence is safety. But Shiva shows us: real safety is in truth, not in comfort. Sometimes things fall apart because you’ve outgrown them. Sometimes the breakdown is the breakthrough. Don’t mourn the ashes too long—you’re not meant to live in what burned.
6. The present moment is where karma breathes
Falling
( Image credit : Pexels )
Shiva meditates, yes. But he’s not detached from the world. He’s fully in it. Watching. Listening. Choosing. That’s the sixth law—karma isn’t stacking up somewhere in the future. It’s right now. It’s how you answer the phone when you’re annoyed. How you talk to someone who can’t offer you anything. How you act when no one’s watching.
We keep looking for big karmic moments, thinking they come in the form of “fate” or “tests.” But mostly, karma whispers. In tiny choices. In your tone. In how quickly you abandon yourself to please someone else. The now is sacred. Treat it that way.
7. Separation is the biggest illusion
Crying
( Image credit : Pexels )
Shiva is Ardhanarishvara—half-man, half-woman. He is the union of opposites. Why? Because that’s the final law. What you do to others, you do to yourself. The illusion of separation is what keeps us in cycles of harm, revenge, and ego.
We forget that the person we envy is also struggling. That the one who hurt us is also hurting. That even in conflict, we’re not really against each other—we’re just playing out old wounds. Karma sees through all that. It balances not just what you do, but why you do it. Compassion isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
So, what now?
These laws don’t require belief. They require awareness. They’re not here to impress you. They’re here to wake you. And if something in you stirred while reading this… then maybe, just maybe, you’re already waking up.