Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.5.2
Mukti· LiberationThe Self Is Beyond Body and Mind
“Addressing Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara, Nārada inquired: Are you satisfied by identifying with the body or the mind as objects of self-realization?”
What the purport teaches
- Nārada asked whether identifying with the body or mind had satisfied Vyāsadeva. His question hinted at the cause of Vyāsadeva’s despondency.
- Despite his great parentage, Vyāsadeva should not have identified the self with the body or mind.
- One cannot be cheerful by nature without being factually situated in self-realization. This realization is transcendental to the material body and mind.
Try this today
Pause once today and reflect: “Self-realization is beyond my material body and mind.”
Ask yourself
When do I most readily identify myself with my body or mind?
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.