गृहे स्थितं तद्विहतं विनश्यति ।
जीवत्यनाथोऽपि तदीक्षितो वने
गृहेऽभिगुप्तोऽस्य हतो न जीवति ॥४०॥
pathi cyutaá¹ tiá¹£á¹hati diá¹£á¹a-raká¹£itaá¹
gṛhe sthitaṠtad-vihataṠvinaśyati
jÄ«vaty anÄtho 'pi tad-Ä«ká¹£ito vane
gṛhe 'bhigupto 'sya hato na jīvati
pathi - on the public road; cyutam - some possession dropped; tiá¹£á¹hati - it remains; diá¹£á¹a-raká¹£itam - protected by destiny; gá¹›he - at home; sthitam - although situated; tat-vihatam - struck by the will of the Supreme; vinaÅ›yati - it is lost; jÄ«vati - remains alive; anÄthaḥ api - although without a protector; tat-Ä«ká¹£itaḥ - being protected by the Lord; vane - in the forest; gá¹›he - at home; abhiguptaḥ - well hidden and protected; asya - of this one; hataḥ - struck; na - not; jÄ«vati - lives.
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.
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, PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja 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.
