Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.64.43
Ūti· What drives us to actUnknowing Theft Still Has Consequences
“When a brāhmaṇa’s property is stolen, even unknowingly, it certainly causes the person who takes it to fall down, just as the brāhmaṇa’s cow did to Nṛga.”
What the purport teaches
- Taking a brāhmaṇa’s property causes the taker to fall down, even when it is done unknowingly.
- The brāhmaṇa’s cow brought this consequence upon Nṛga. His case gives a concrete example of the warning.
- The purport explains that the Lord’s instructions are practical, not merely theoretical. Their consequences can be seen in Nṛga Mahārāja’s experience.
Try this today
Check the ownership of one borrowed or shared item before using or giving it away.
Ask yourself
Where could greater care help me avoid unknowingly taking what belongs to someone else?
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.