Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.31
Ūti· What drives us to actRepentance and the Lord’s Higher Purpose
“Upon returning, he began to contemplate and argue within himself whether the sage had actually been in meditation, with senses concentrated and eyes closed, or whether he had just been feigning trance just to avoid receiving a lower kṣatriya.”
What the purport teaches
- As a devotee of the Lord, the King did not approve of his own action. Repentance comes to a good soul as soon as something wrong is done.
- The Lord arranged this situation to bring the King back home, back to Godhead. His meeting with Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī would enable the presentation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the book incarnation of the Lord.
- The pure devotee’s worldly frustration is meant to raise the devotee to a higher transcendental position. Properly learning about the Lord’s rāsa-līlā turns one away from mundane sex desire toward sublime devotional service.
Try this today
Read a short passage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam today with the intention of deepening your devotional service.
Ask yourself
Does regret lead me to examine my actions and turn toward devotional 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.