Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.20.12
Mukti· LiberationHuman Life Favors Spiritual Advancement
“The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates the achievement of transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently provide such opportunities.”
What the purport teaches
- Residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on earth. Human life offers an opportunity to attain transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead.
- In material heaven, extraordinary sense gratification absorbs one's attention. In hell, suffering absorbs one's attention.
- Both excessive enjoyment and excessive suffering hinder spiritual advancement. Neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently support this spiritual opportunity.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes of available time today to study teachings on love of Godhead.
Ask yourself
Am I valuing human life for spiritual growth or mainly for enjoyment?
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.