Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.45.7
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyResponsibility Means Supporting Those in Our Care
“A man who, though able to do so, fails to support his elderly parents, chaste wife, young child or spiritual master, or who neglects a brāhmaṇa or anyone who comes to him for shelter, is considered dead, though breathing.”
What the purport teaches
- A person who is able should support elderly parents, a chaste wife and a young child.
- The verse also names the spiritual master, a brāhmaṇa and anyone who comes seeking shelter. Responsibility extends beyond the immediate family.
- One who can provide support but neglects these duties is considered dead, though breathing. Merely remaining alive does not fulfill these responsibilities.
Try this today
Offer one concrete form of help to someone who depends on your care.
Ask yourself
Is there someone depending on me whose needs I am able to meet but have overlooked?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.