Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.14
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyLife’s Orders Belong to the Lord
“The married order of life appeared from the loins of My universal form, and the celibate students came from My heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life appeared from My chest, and the renounced order of life was situated within the head of My universal form.”
What the purport teaches
- The married order appeared from the loins of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s universal form, and celibate student life appeared from His heart.
- The naiṣṭhiki-brahmacārī remains celibate throughout life and is situated within Kṛṣṇa’s heart. The upakurvāṇa-brahmacārī eventually marries and is situated within the loins of His universal form.
- The forest-dwelling retired order, vānaprastha, is situated on the Lord’s chest. The renounced order is situated within His head.
Try this today
Recall the four orders of life described here and their connection with the Lord’s universal form.
Ask yourself
How does seeing the orders of life within Kṛṣṇa’s universal form change my view of them?
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.