Text 33
alabdhvā na viṣīdeta
kāle kāle ’śanaṁ kvacit
labdhvā na hṛṣyed dhṛtimān
ubhayaṁ daiva-tantritam
alabdhvā — not obtaining; na — not; viṣīdeta — he should be depressed; kāle kāle — at different times; aśanam — food; kvacit — whatever; labdhvā — obtaining; na — not; hṛṣyet — should rejoice; dhṛti-mān — fixed in determination; ubhayam — both (obtaining and not obtaining good food); daiva — of the supreme power of God; tantritam — under the control.
If at times one does not obtain proper food one should not be depressed, and when one obtains sumptuous food one should not rejoice. Being fixed in determination, one should understand both situations to be under the control of God.
Because we desire to enjoy the material body, the varieties of material experience bring us flickering happiness and inevitable suffering. We foolishly consider ourselves to be controllers and doers, and thus through false egotism we are subjected to the volatile feelings of the material body and mind.