Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.3.34-35
Mukti· LiberationChanting Is Accessible Transcendental Austerity
“My dear father and mother, you endured rain, wind, strong sun, scorching heat and severe cold, suffering all sorts of inconvenience according to different seasons. By practicing prāṇāyāma to control the air within the body through yoga, and by eating only air and dry leaves fallen from the trees, you cleansed from your minds all dirty things. In this way, desiring a benediction from Me, you worshiped Me with peaceful minds.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord’s parents endured severe seasonal hardships and practiced austerity until their minds became clean and peaceful. Obtaining the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their son was not easy.
- Human life is meant for transcendental austerity and a spiritually controlled life. Such a life also prepares parents to raise good sons and daughters for society’s benefit.
- Although we cannot perform austerities like Pṛśni and Sutapā, we can chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This accessible austerity purifies us of material contamination and leads us back home, back to Godhead.
Try this today
Spend two minutes today chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
Ask yourself
How can I make room for the simple austerity of chanting in my daily life?
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.