Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.19.4
Mukti· LiberationPrepare Now to Go Back to Godhead
“While the King was thus repenting, he received news of his imminent death, which would be due to the bite of a snake-bird, occasioned by the curse spoken by the sage’s son. The King accepted this as good news, for it would be the cause of his indifference toward worldly things.”
What the purport teaches
- Real happiness comes through spiritual existence, beyond repeated birth and death. Even the highest material planet cannot offer this freedom; one must go back to Godhead.
- Mahārāja Parīkṣit understood the curse as a blessing because it loosened his worldly attachments. Though the curse was unwarranted, he used the warning to prepare himself.
- Human life is a chance to prepare to go back to Godhead. Unlike the King, most people receive no definite notice of death, so this duty should not be neglected.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes from a worldly distraction to reflect on your spiritual goal.
Ask yourself
What worldly attachment distracts me from preparing to go back to Godhead?
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.