Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.20.9
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyDo Not Abandon Duties Prematurely
“As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.”
What the purport teaches
- Unless firm faith in Kṛṣṇa has developed through association with pure devotees and one is fully engaged in His service, ordinary Vedic principles and duties should not be neglected.
- Advanced devotional service brings clear knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and detachment from nondevotional activities. Merely claiming to be a devotee does not justify violating the Lord’s instructions.
- One who fully surrenders to Lord Kṛṣṇa takes shelter of His promise to settle all other responsibilities and debts. Meditating on His protection makes the surrendered devotee fearless.
Try this today
Complete one duty you have been tempted to neglect, without using your devotional aspirations as an excuse.
Ask yourself
Do my knowledge and detachment support my claims of devotion, or am I using devotion to avoid responsibility?
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.