Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.7.56
Ūti· What drives us to actPunished Yet Left Alive
“He [Aśvatthāmā] had already lost his bodily luster due to infanticide, and now, moreover, having lost the jewel from his head, he lost even more strength. Thus he was unbound and driven out of the camp.”
What the purport teaches
- Aśvatthāmā had already lost his bodily luster because he had killed children.
- Losing the jewel from his head further reduced his strength. He was then released from his bonds and driven out of the camp.
- The purport explains that, through the intelligence of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, the humiliated Aśvatthāmā was simultaneously killed and not killed.
Try this today
Write one sentence explaining how Aśvatthāmā was punished without losing his life.
Ask yourself
How does this outcome show that sparing someone’s life need not remove the consequences of wrongdoing?
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.