Why Do Good People Suffer and Bad People Seem Happy? Vishnu’s Answer Will Surprise You

Why Do Good People Suffer and Bad People

🧘‍♀️ Introduction: A Question That Haunts the Virtuous

Why do good people often die early, and why does it seem that only the virtuous suffer, while the wicked live happy lives? Why do people who pray and worship daily sometimes have to face the harshest trials?

🕉️ A Heavenly Concern: Lakshmi’s Question to Vishnu

Once, Lord Vishnu was resting in heaven when Goddess Lakshmi returned from a visit to earth. She expressed her concern to Vishnu, noting that good people often face hardships and premature death, while sinners seem to live happy lives. She asked, “O Lord, why is that? Please answer these troubling questions and calm our minds.”

🌺 Journey to Earth: Vishnu’s Way of Unveiling the Truth. Lord

Vishnu welcomed her questions and explained that answering them would lead to the welfare of the world. To reveal the truth, he brought Lakshmi down to Earth. They entered a beautiful garden filled with fragrant flowers and fruits, and while resting, Vishnu decided to answer through a story that would explain everything.

📜 The Story of Shyam and Sohan

👨‍💼 Shyam: The Devotee and Kind Merchant
In ancient times, there was a beautiful town where two men lived: Shyam and Sohan. Shyam was a wealthy and generous merchant who prayed daily and was kind to the needy.

🕵️‍♂️ Sohan: The Thief Who Mocked Dharma
Sohan, however, was a dishonest man who entered the temple not for devotion, but to commit theft.

🌩️ The Temple Theft and Shyam’s Suffering

Years passed. One stormy day, Sohan discovered the temple deserted, with only the priest present inside. He took advantage of the opportunity and stole all the gold and jewels in the temple. While leaving, Shyam arrived for his daily prayer. The priest, seeing the theft, loudly accused Shyam, and the crowd gathered there assumed that he was the culprit. Humiliated and distressed, Shyam tried to flee but was hit by a passing vehicle and severely injured.

💰 Sohan’s Short-lived Joy

Meanwhile, Sohan was rejoicing over his theft and bragging about his sudden wealth. Disheartened by his misfortune despite his devotion, Shyam threw away his religious materials and stopped praying out of bitterness and despair.

🔁 Fate Turns: Sohan’s Fall

A few years later, Sohan tried to rob another temple but was caught. He was severely beaten by the villagers, and he too died in an accident shortly after.

⚖️ Yama’s Divine Judgment

The two men reached the court of Yama, the god of death. Shyam complained bitterly that he had followed dharma and suffered only misery, while Sohan, despite his bad deeds, was leading a happy life. Yama explained:

Shyam was destined to die the day he was injured, but his good deeds had limited his suffering to just the injury.

Sohan, though destined for prosperity, lost everything because of his bad deeds and eventually met his deserved end.

🧪 Why Good People Suffer: God’s Test, Not Punishment

Yama concluded: Sometimes, even good people go through great trials because God tests those he loves and wants to keep close to him. The suffering of good people is not a punishment but a test, and their difficulties often save them from great harm. Bad people may seem happy temporarily, but eventually, fate pursues everyone. Why Do Good People Suffer and Bad People

🙏 Moral Message: The Power and Reward of Goodness

It is wrong to think that God ignores good deeds or leaves bad deeds unpunished.
Every act of virtue is acknowledged, and true goodness always receives its due reward.
For the virtuous, hardships are often a sign of being chosen or tested by God, not of renunciation.
Regardless of how things appear, we should never stop doing what is right.

💡 Final Thought: Let No Trial Shake Your Goodness

This story reminds us: Don’t let trials change your character, because ultimately goodness is seen, counted, and rewarded beyond human understanding. Why Do Good People Suffer and Bad People

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