Text 34] Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest
309
enjoy life in so-called material happiness, it is to be understood that we are diminishing the resultant actions of our pious activities. And when we are put into suffering, it is to be understood that we are diminishing the resultant action of our impious activities. Instead of being attached to the circumstantial happiness and distress resulting from pious or impious activities, if we want to get out of the clutches of this nescience, then whatever position we are put in by the will of the Lord we should accept. Thus if we simply surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we get out of the clutches of this material existence.
TEXT 34
गुणाधिकान्मुदं लिप्सेदनुक्रोशं गुणाधमात् । मैत्रीं समानादन्विच्छेन तापैरमिभूयते ॥३४॥
guṇādhikān mudam lipsed anukrośam guṇādhamāt maitrīm samānād anvicchen na tāpair abhibhūyate
guṇa-adhikāt —one who is more qualified;  mudam —pleasure;  lipset —one should feel;  anukrośam —compassion;  guṇa-adhamāt —one who is less qualified;  maitrīm —friendship;  samānāt —with an equal;  anvicchet —one should desire;  na —not;  tāpaiḥ —by tribulation;  abhibhūyate —becomes affected.
TRANSLATION
Every man should act like this: when he meets a person more qualified than himself, he should be very pleased; when he meets someone less qualified than himself, he should be compassionate toward him; and when he meets someone equal to himself, he should make friendship with him. In this way one is never affected by the threefold miseries of this material world.
PURPORT
Generally when we find someone more qualified than ourselves, we become envious of him; when we find someone less qualified, we deride him; and when we find someone equal we become very proud of our