Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.87.39
Ūti· What drives us to actTrue Renunciation Means Pure Devotion
“Members of the renounced order who fail to uproot the last traces of material desire in their hearts remain impure, and thus You do not allow them to understand You. Although You are present within their hearts, for them You are like a jewel worn around the neck of a man who has totally forgotten it is there. O Lord, those who practice yoga only for sense gratification must suffer punishment both in this life and the next: from death, who will not release them, and from You, whose kingdom they cannot reach.”
What the purport teaches
- A show of renunciation is not enough; a thorough change of heart is needed. This includes giving up both harmful sense gratification and subtle desires for reputation and position.
- Meditation without devotion falls short of the perfection of renunciation—pure love of God. First-class devotional service means serving Kṛṣṇa favorably, as He desires, without material motives.
- Yoga practiced only for sense enjoyment cannot free one from suffering and death. The greatest pain is forgetting one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service today, pause and ask to serve Kṛṣṇa for His pleasure rather than for praise.
Ask yourself
Is my spiritual effort aimed at pleasing Kṛṣṇa, or at gaining comfort and recognition?
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.