Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.10.18
Ūti· What drives us to actPerfect Happiness Requires Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
“It is observed within the material world that sometimes even an intelligent person is not happy. Similarly, sometimes even a great fool is happy. The concept of becoming happy through expertly performing material activities is simply a useless exhibition of false egotism.”
What the purport teaches
- Even pious, intelligent people sometimes suffer because they fail in their duties or knowingly or unknowingly perform forbidden activities.
- Even foolish or sinful people sometimes perform pious acts and experience happiness. Material piety and sin give relative happiness and unhappiness, not lasting satisfaction.
- Material skill alone cannot secure perfect happiness. Absolute happiness is experienced in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love of God.
Try this today
Notice one expectation of happiness from material success, and pause to remember that perfect happiness lies in love of Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Where am I expecting material skill or good conduct alone to guarantee happiness?
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.