Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.22
Mukti· LiberationSelf-Control Through Devotional Service
“Self-controlled persons who are attached to the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa can all of a sudden give up the world of material attachment, including the gross body and subtle mind, and go away to attain the highest perfection of the renounced order of life, by which nonviolence and renunciation are consequential.”
What the purport teaches
- Self-control means not indulging in sense enjoyment beyond what is necessary. It is achieved by properly engaging the senses in the Lord’s service, not by forcibly stopping them.
- This purified engagement of the senses is bhakti-yoga. Those fully attached to serving the Lord can give up bodily and worldly attachments and naturally develop good qualities.
- Real nonviolence means freedom from envy and love for every living being in relation to the Lord. Real renunciation means complete dependence on His mercy.
Try this today
Use your voice today to offer a short prayer of service to the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
Which of my senses could I engage more deliberately in the Lord’s service?
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.