Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.73.11
Ūti· What drives us to actDo Not Mistake a Mirage for Substance
“Just as men of childish intelligence consider a mirage in the desert to be a pond of water, so those who are irrational look upon the illusory transformations of Māyā as substantial.”
What the purport teaches
- People of childish intelligence mistake a desert mirage for a pond of water.
- In the same way, those who lack sound judgment regard the illusory transformations of Māyā as substantial.
- The comparison warns against trusting appearances without discrimination. What looks substantial may be as deceptive as water in a mirage.
Try this today
Choose one thing you strongly desire and briefly consider whether its promise is substantial or miragelike.
Ask yourself
What attractive appearance are you accepting without thoughtful examination?
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.