Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.42
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyUse the Body for Kṛṣṇa’s Service
“The body of a brāhmaṇa is not intended to enjoy insignificant material sense gratification; rather, by accepting difficult austerities in his life, a brāhmaṇa will enjoy unlimited happiness after death.”
What the purport teaches
- Advanced human life is meant for serious austerity, not insignificant sense gratification. A brāhmaṇa should remain detached from the temporary body and accept life’s necessities.
- Spiritual advancement leads beyond absorption in a body destined to grow old, become diseased and die. An advanced brāhmaṇa returns to Godhead and enjoys unlimited spiritual bliss.
- Pure devotees engage everything in Kṛṣṇa’s service, beyond both personal enjoyment and renunciation. They eat to gain strength for service, rather than choosing rich or meager food merely for the body’s sake.
Try this today
At one meal today, remember that eating is meant to give you strength for the Lord’s service.
Ask yourself
Do I care for my body mainly for enjoyment, or to gain strength for serving Kṛṣṇa?
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.