Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.13.8
Ūti· What drives us to actWhy Pursue Pleasure That Brings Suffering?
“Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, generally human beings know that material life brings great future unhappiness, and still they try to enjoy material life. My dear Lord, how can one in knowledge act just like a dog, an ass or a goat?”
What the purport teaches
- Uddhava asks Kṛṣṇa why people pursue material enjoyment even when they know it brings future unhappiness.
- Sex, money and false prestige are obtained with great suffering and eventually lost. Knowing this does not necessarily stop a person from pursuing them.
- The animal comparisons show persistence in sense gratification despite obvious danger and pain. Uddhava asks why a human being would choose passion and ignorance when goodness offers happiness and enlightenment.
Try this today
Identify one pleasure you pursue despite its harmful consequences, and refrain from pursuing it once today.
Ask yourself
Where do I keep seeking enjoyment despite knowing its painful consequences?
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.