Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.73.14
Mukti· LiberationSeek Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Not Temporary Rewards
“Never again will we hanker for a miragelike kingdom — a kingdom that must be slavishly served by this mortal body, which is simply a source of disease and suffering and which is declining at every moment. Nor, O almighty Lord, will we hanker to enjoy the heavenly fruits of pious work in the next life, since the promise of such rewards is simply an empty enticement for the ears.”
What the purport teaches
- Maintaining political power demands hard work from a body that is itself declining toward death and subject to painful diseases. Such mundane power wastes the pure soul’s time.
- Promises of prosperity and heavenly enjoyment may please the ears. Yet material enjoyment remains an illusion for the pure soul.
- The soul needs to revive dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Through Lord Kṛṣṇa’s personal association, the kings realized the higher spiritual reality beyond material appearances.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes otherwise spent pursuing a temporary reward and use them to reflect on Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Which temporary reward takes attention away from reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
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.