SB 7.2.40 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पथि च्युतं तिष्ठति दिष्टरक्षितं गृहे स्थितं तद्विहतं विनश्यति । जीवत्यनाथोऽपि तदीक्षितो वने गृहेऽभिगुप्तोऽस्य हतो न जीवति ॥ ४० ॥

Verse text

pathi cyutaṁ tiṣṭhati diṣṭa-rakṣitaṁ gṛhe sthitaṁ tad-vihataṁ vinaśyati jīvaty anātho ’pi tad-īkṣito vane gṛhe ’bhigupto ’sya hato na jīvati

Synonyms

pathi — on the public road ; cyutam — some possession dropped ; tiṣṭhati — it remains ; diṣṭa — rakṣitam — protected by destiny ; gṛhe — at home ; sthitam — although situated ; tat — vihatam — struck by the will of the Supreme ; vinaśyati — it is lost ; jīvati — remains alive ; anāthaḥ api — although without a protector ; tat — īkṣitaḥ — being protected by the Lord ; vane — in the forest ; gṛhe — at home ; abhiguptaḥ — well hidden and protected ; asya — of this one ; hataḥ — struck ; na — not ; jīvati — lives .

Translation

Sometimes one loses his money on a public street, where everyone can see it, and yet his money is protected by destiny and not seen by others. Thus the man who lost it gets it back. On the other hand, if the Lord does not give protection, even money maintained very securely at home is lost. If the Supreme Lord gives one protection, even though one has no protector and is in the jungle, one remains alive, whereas a person well protected at home by relatives and others sometimes dies, no one being able to protect him.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

What is dropped on the road is protected by the Lord. What remains in a house, but is rejected by the Lord, is destroyed. An unsheltered person lives in the forest by the mercy of the Lord. A person protected in his house, disregarded by the Lord, does not live. The Lord’s power is illustrated by positive and negative examples. Diṣṭa-rakṣitam means “protected by the Lord.” What is neglected by the Lord is destroyed. What is glanced upon by the Lord is protected. A person overlooked by the Lord is destroyed by others.

Purport

These are examples of the supremacy of the Lord. Our plans to protect or annihilate do not act, but whatever He thinks of doing actually happens. The examples given in this regard are practical. Everyone has had such practical experiences, and there are also many other clear examples. For instance, Prahlāda Mahārāja said that a child is certainly dependent on his father and mother, but in spite of their presence, the child is harassed in many ways. Sometimes, in spite of a supply of good medicine and an experienced physician, a patient does not survive. Therefore, since everything is dependent on the free will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our only duty is to surrender unto Him and seek His protection.