Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.37
Ūti· What drives us to actMisused Power Corrupts Social Order
“The brāhmaṇa’s son cursed the King thus: On the seventh day from today a snake-bird will bite the most wretched one of that dynasty [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] because of his having broken the laws of etiquette by insulting my father.”
What the purport teaches
- The boy cursed Mahārāja Parīkṣit to be bitten by a snake-bird on the seventh day for insulting his father.
- He called the King the disgrace of his dynasty, but the purport places the disgrace on the boy himself. His misuse of brahminical power marked the beginning of its decline.
- Kali first conquered the brāhmaṇa boy and gradually the other social orders. The purport asks us to examine the root cause of corruption rather than condemn the system without understanding its value.
Try this today
Before criticizing a whole group today, identify the specific action or misuse of power that concerns you.
Ask yourself
When I see misuse of authority, do I look carefully for its root cause?
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.