Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.17.16
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyEmergency Exceptions Are Not Everyday Rules
“The supreme duty of the ruling king is to give all protection to law-abiding persons and to chastise those who stray from the ordinances of the scriptures in ordinary times, when there is no emergency.”
What the purport teaches
- Āpad-dharma means occupational duty during extraordinary emergencies. An allowance made for survival does not justify regular animal slaughter or eating flesh merely for taste.
- A person faithful to prescribed duties is called sva-dharma-stha. One should not abandon such duties simply because they are not always flawless.
- In ordinary times, rulers must protect those who follow their prescribed duties. They must address violations according to the scriptures.
Try this today
Choose one duty you are tempted to avoid and carry it out today without using an ordinary difficulty as an excuse.
Ask yourself
Do I sometimes treat convenience or desire as though it were an emergency?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.