Shloka 32
Nārada Explains the Allegory of King Purañjana
Deha–Indriya–Manaḥ Mapping and the Remedy of Bhakti
दु:खेष्वेकतरेणापि दैवभूतात्महेतुषु । जीवस्य न व्यवच्छेद: स्याच्चेत्तत्तत्प्रतिक्रिया ॥ ३२ ॥
duḥkheṣv ekatareṇāpi daiva-bhūtātma-hetuṣu jīvasya na vyavacchedaḥ syāc cet tat-tat-pratikriyā
Living beings strive to counter miseries arising from providence, other creatures, or their own body and mind; yet, despite all such measures, they remain bound by nature’s laws and cannot sever that conditioning.
Just as a dog wanders here and there for a piece of bread or punishment, the living entity perpetually wanders about trying to be happy and planning in so many ways to counteract material misery. This is called the struggle for existence. We can actually see in our daily lives how we are forced to make plans to drive away miserable conditions. To get rid of one miserable condition, we have to put ourselves in another kind of miserable condition. A poor man suffers for want of money, but if he wants to become rich, he has to struggle in so many ways. Actually that is not a valid counteracting process but a snare of the illusory energy. If one does not endeavor to counteract his situation but is satisfied with his position, knowing that he has obtained his position through past activities, he can instead engage his energy to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is recommended in all Vedic literature:
FAQs
This verse explains that misery can arise from providence (daiva), other living beings (bhuta), or one’s own body-mind (atma), and that recognizing only one cause is incomplete; each cause requires its fitting remedy.
Nārada was instructing the king away from narrow, ritual-only thinking and toward mature discernment—understanding karma and suffering correctly—so the king could progress toward liberation and devotion.
Don’t blame everything on “fate” or only on others or only on yourself; diagnose the source (circumstance, people, or inner patterns) and respond with the right remedy—along with steady devotional practice that purifies the heart.