Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.21.23
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyReligious Rewards Are Inducements, Not the Goal
“Those statements of scripture promising fruitive rewards do not prescribe the ultimate good for men but are merely enticements for executing beneficial religious duties, like promises of candy spoken to induce a child to take beneficial medicine.”
What the purport teaches
- Scriptural promises of material rewards encourage people to perform beneficial religious duties. They are like candy offered to persuade a child to take medicine.
- In fruitive sacrifices, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the real benefit, not the material reward. Mistaking the reward for the goal misses the purpose of scripture.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead desires conditioned souls to become purified and return to Him. His purpose is an eternal life of bliss and knowledge, not continued sense gratification.
Try this today
During one act of worship today, focus on worshiping the Lord rather than asking for a material reward.
Ask yourself
Do I approach worship mainly for material rewards or for purification and closeness to the Lord?
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.