Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.8.52
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyServe the Lord Without Excusing Harm
“As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.”
What the purport teaches
- Just as mud cannot cleanse muddy water, sacrificing animals cannot counteract the killing of men. The prescribed animal sacrifices were intended to give animals renewed life, not simply to kill them.
- Such sacrifices cannot be performed perfectly in this age because expert brāhmaṇas are lacking. The only sacrifice recommended in Kali-yuga is hari-nāma-yajña, inaugurated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- One must not kill animals and then use hari-nāma-yajña to counteract it. Devotees do not kill animals for self-interest or neglect their prescribed duty; their purpose is to do everything for the Lord’s will.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today to chant the Lord’s holy names as devotional service, not as an excuse to continue harmful actions.
Ask yourself
Am I using a devotional practice to excuse harm, or allowing it to guide me toward serving the Lord’s will?
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.