1404
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 29]
TEXT 32
दुःखेऽवेकतरेणापि दैवभूतात्महेतुषु । 
  जीवस्य न व्यवञ्छेदः स्याच्चेत्तत्प्रतिक्रिया ॥३२॥
duḥkheṣu ekatareṇāpi 
  daiva-bhūtātma-hetuṣu 
  jīvasya na vyavacchedaḥ 
  syāc cet tat-tat-pratikriyā
duḥkheṣu —in the matter of distresses;  ekatareṇa —from one kind;  api —even;  daiva —providence;  bhūta —other living entities;  ātma —the body and mind;  hetuṣu —on account of;  jīvasya —of the living entity;  na —never;  vyavacchedaḥ —stopping;  syāt —is possible;  cet —although;  tat-tat —of those miseries;  pratikriyā —counteraction.
TRANSLATION
The living entities are trying to counteract different miserable conditions pertaining to providence, other living entities, or the body and mind. Still, they must remain conditioned by the laws of nature, despite all attempts to counter these laws.
PURPORT
Just as a dog wanders here and there for a piece of bread or punishment, the living entity perpetually wanders about trying to be happy and planning in so many ways to counteract material misery. This is called the struggle for existence. We can actually see in our daily lives how we are forced to make plans to drive away miserable conditions. To get rid of one miserable condition, we have to put ourselves in another kind of miserable condition. A poor man suffers for want of money, but if he wants to become rich, he has to struggle in so many ways. Actually that is not a valid counteracting process but a snare of the illusory energy. If one does not endeavor to counteract his situation but is satisfied with his position, knowing that he has obtained his position through past activities, he can instead engage his energy to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is recommended in all Vedic literature.
tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido 
  na labhyate yad-bhramatām upary adhaḥ 
  tal-labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ 
  kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā