bhūtair ākramyamāṇo 'pi
dhīro daiva-vaśānugaiḥ
tad vidvān na calen mārgād
anvaśikṣaḿ kṣiter vratam
bhutaih -- by various creatures; akramyamanah -- being harassed; api -- although; dhirah -- sober; daiva -- of fate; vasa -- the control; anugaih -- who are simply following; tat -- this fact; vidvan -- he who is in knowledge of; na calet -- should not deviate; margat -- from the path; anvasiksham -- I have learned; kshiteh -- from the earth; vratam -- this fixed practice.
A sober person, even when harassed by other living beings, should understand that his aggressors are acting helplessly under the control of God, and thus he should never be distracted from progress on his own path. This rule I have learned from the earth.
The earth is the symbol of tolerance. By deep oil-drilling, atomic explosions, pollution, and so on, the earth is constantly harassed by demoniac living entities. Sometimes lush forests are cut down by greedy men with commercial interests, and thus a wasteland is created. Sometimes the earth's surface is soaked by the blood of soldiers fighting in savage warfare. Yet, despite all these disturbances, the earth continues to provide all the necessities of the living beings. In this way one may learn the art of tolerance by studying the earth.
