Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.64.16
Ūti· What drives us to actCheck Ownership Before Giving
“Once a cow belonging to a certain first-class brāhmaṇa wandered away and entered my herd. Unaware of this, I gave that cow in charity to a different brāhmaṇa.”
What the purport teaches
- A cow belonging to a first-class brāhmaṇa wandered into Nṛga’s herd.
- Unaware that the cow belonged to someone else, Nṛga gave her in charity to another brāhmaṇa.
- Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that this first-class brāhmaṇa had stopped accepting charity. He would refuse even one hundred thousand cows in exchange for his cow.
Try this today
Before lending or giving an item today, check that it is truly yours to give.
Ask yourself
What should I verify before giving something away?
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.