How can we explain our lack of vengeance to others, when a person is wronged before you?

[Shri Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swamiji! With regard to Your discourse dated February 25, 2020, on retaliatory sins, I present a case before You for Your kind advice: Person A harms Person B. Suppose this is a case of retaliation in which A harmed B in return for a previous harm done by B to A, in the previous birth. How can one console B after the incident, if B does not believe in the concept of previous birth? B expects B’s relatives to take some action against A since A harmed B in front of B’s relatives. But B’s relatives might not be taking action against A, as per Your advice, thinking that it might be a case of retaliation. At Your Divine Feet. Anil.]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! In the case of harm done by a person to you in retaliation to a previous harm done by you to that person, the circumstances will be such that you cannot take any action against your opponent. Even the relatives of you and your opponent will keep silent due to some misunderstanding. From such practical circumstances, you have to infer whether the case is of retaliation or of a fresh sin committed by the person against you. If it is a case of retaliation, there is no other way but to pacify your desire for revenge. The desire for revenge arises in your mind because you misunderstand a case of retaliation to be a fresh case of harm done to you by the person. When the desire for revenge arises, surrender to God is the only thing advised. With it, your desire for revenge will be pacified to a great extent since you will be hoping that God will punish your opponent some day or the other in the future. This is like the first-aid treatment for your revenge-wound. When the opponent does not face any punishment even after a long time, you might think that either God does not exist or that even if God exists, the opponent might have flattered and pacified God with his worship. However, if you know the concept in the background that retaliatory sins are not punished, you will finally understand that the case was not fresh, but that it was retaliatory.

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