Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 21
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul
भूतानामिह संवास: प्रपायामिव सुव्रते । दैवेनैकत्र नीतानामुन्नीतानां स्वकर्मभि: ॥ २१ ॥
bhūtānām iha saṁvāsaḥ prapāyām iva suvrate daivenaikatra nītānām unnītānāṁ sva-karmabhiḥ
Hỡi mẹ hiền đức hạnh, như những lữ khách do ý Trời tụ hội tại quán nước, uống xong rồi lại đi về mỗi ngả; cũng vậy, các chúng sinh gặp nhau trong một gia đình, rồi về sau do nghiệp riêng mà chia lìa, đi đến cảnh giới của mình.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
FAQs
Bhagavatam 7.2.21 says worldly association is temporary—like travelers meeting at a roadside water-shed—brought together by destiny and separated by their own karma, so one should not cling with false possessiveness.
Prahlāda consoled and instructed his mother while in the womb, teaching her that worldly unions and separations happen by destiny and karma, and that real shelter is devotion to the Lord rather than material attachment.
Treat meetings and partings—family changes, job moves, friendships—with gratitude but detachment, and focus on steady spiritual practice (bhakti) as the lasting relationship beyond shifting circumstances.