Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.19.2
Ūti· What drives us to actA Responsible Devotee Accepts Consequences
“[King Parīkṣit thought:] Due to my neglecting the injunctions of the Supreme Lord I must certainly expect some difficulty to overcome me in the near future. I now desire without reservation that the calamity come now, for in this way I may be freed of the sinful action and not commit such an offense again.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord enjoins that brāhmaṇas and cows must be protected. Mahārāja Parīkṣit understood that insulting a brāhmaṇa violated the Lord’s orders.
- The King wanted the consequences to fall on him alone, not on his family. He wished to counteract his offense and be restrained from repeating it.
- Personal misconduct affects family members, but they also share the effects of a devotee’s service to the Lord. A devotee in the family is a great blessing.
Try this today
Identify one mistake for which you are responsible and write down one step to prevent repeating it.
Ask yourself
How do my choices affect the people closest to me?
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.