Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.17.20
Ūti· What drives us to actServe Sincerely Under the Lord’s Witness
“There are also some thinkers who believe that no one can ascertain the cause of distress by argumentation, nor know it by imagination, nor express it by words. O sage amongst kings, judge for yourself by thinking over all this with your own intelligence.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord as Paramātmā resides in everyone’s heart and witnesses every activity. We may forget our actions, but nothing is concealed from Him.
- Knowing this, devotees perform their duties sincerely without excessive anxiety for rewards. The liberated living being serves the Lord voluntarily with love.
- The Lord’s actions cannot be measured by speculation or scholarship. This situation tested Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s greatness in protecting cows and brāhmaṇas, the two pillars of spiritual advancement.
Try this today
Complete one duty carefully today, remembering the Lord as your witness and setting aside concern for praise or reward.
Ask yourself
How would remembering the Lord’s presence in my heart change the way I perform my duties?
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.