18.42 Why Success Is Better Than the Best Revenge

When someone hurts us knowingly,

we may naturally want to get even—

to show them our power,

to hurt them as they hurt us.

But trying to take revenge can consume us with bitterness.

And by letting ourselves become bitter,

we let those people hurt us that much more.

Time will expose them.

Karma will correct them.

God will humble them.

The Bhagavad Gita (18.42) recommends forgiveness.

This doesn’t mean we allow them to hurt us again

or let them continue to hold power over us.

It means we don’t let getting even become our purpose.

Instead, we make getting better our purpose.

When we try to get better—

by developing our God-given gifts

and using them in a mood of service—

our life becomes filled with meaning and fulfillment

that no revenge can ever provide.

Such spiritual success isn’t the best revenge—

it is best because it frees us

from the need for revenge.