Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.52
Ūti· What drives us to actAn Angry Vow Brings Misery
“Because he had promised “I will not reenter Kuṇḍina until I have killed wicked Kṛṣṇa and brought back my younger sister,” in a mood of angry frustration Rukmī took up residence at that very place.”
What the purport teaches
- Rukmī had vowed not to reenter Kuṇḍina until he had killed Kṛṣṇa and brought back his younger sister.
- Unable to fulfill his vow, Rukmī remained at that very place in angry frustration.
- Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that bhoja means “experience” and kaṭaḥ means “vow.” Bhojakaṭa is the place where Rukmī experienced misery as a result of his vow.
Try this today
Before making a promise today, pause and check whether anger is shaping it.
Ask yourself
Have I made a promise in anger that now keeps me frustrated?
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.