Why does God sometimes give people the experience of narrowly escaping a serious accident?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on May 01, 2021, in which several devotees participated. Given below are Swami’s answers to devotees’ questions.]

[Śrī Bharath Krishna asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swāmi! I would like to tell You about a recent incident that happened in my father’s life and then ask a question.

My father was returning home on a bike. As he entered into the town, a bus came his way, all of a sudden. My father tried to stop the bike, but could not because there was sand over the road and bike skidded. At that moment, my father thought that he is going to get into a serious accident for sure. So, he closed his eyes and prayed to Lord Pāṇḍuraṅga. He fell under the bus, but fortunately the bus came to a halt, just in time. My father told me that Lord Pāṇḍuraṅga had saved him and that he only got a few minor scratches on his foot.

After hearing this incident, a question came to my mind, Swāmiji. It is clear that God saved him. But why in the first place did God have to give such an experience to my father? I remember reading from one of Your discourses that there is no such thing as coincidence in God’s creation and that everything happens by God’s grace. I would like to know if God is trying to teach any lesson to people by giving them such experiences of narrowly missing serious accidents. I know that my father has a long life, based on his horoscope. Also, can You please explain what is meant by maraṇa gaṇḍam? If a person has a maraṇa gaṇḍam, is there any chance that he or she might actually die during that time? At Your feet, Bharath Krishna.]

Swāmi replied: The punishment received by a soul describes exactly the nature of the sin committed by it. If the soul plans and implements a scheme by which another soul is hit only and not killed, the punishment of such sin will be like this only. The scheme planned by the soul was not having the intention to kill the other soul, but, the intention was only to give a shock to the other soul and in such case only such accident takes place, which also gives a shock and not harm the life. Maraṇagaṇḍam means actual process of killing only and not the process of escaping death as in the above mentioned incident.

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