Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.17.8
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyProtection Belongs to Humans and Animals
“Now for the first time in a kingdom well protected by the arms of the kings of the Kuru dynasty, I see you grieving with tears in your eyes. Up till now no one on earth has ever shed tears because of royal negligence.”
What the purport teaches
- Protecting the lives of both human beings and animals is the first and foremost duty of government. The purport says there should be no discrimination in this protection.
- Mahārāja Parīkṣit lamented the tears in the bull's eyes. Such suffering through royal negligence was unprecedented in his well-protected kingdom.
- In God's kingdom, humans and animals are equally protected as far as life is concerned. Organized animal killing is therefore horrible to a purehearted soul.
Try this today
Take one small step to make your surroundings safer for an animal, such as removing dangerous litter.
Ask yourself
Does my concern for safety extend to animals as well as people?
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.