Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.21.6
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyEngage Your Tendencies Toward Kṛṣṇa
“My dear Uddhava, although all material bodies are composed of the same five elements and are thus equal, the Vedic literatures conceive of different names and forms in relation to such bodies so that the living entities may achieve their goal of life.”
What the purport teaches
- Although bodies share the same material elements, the Vedic system assigns different names and roles according to people’s tendencies. These distinctions are meant to help living entities reach life’s goal.
- Material tendencies arise from the modes of nature, not from the pure soul. The pure soul is always absorbed in loving devotion to the Supreme Lord.
- The varṇāśrama system engages conditioned tendencies while guiding people toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Piety and restraint gradually bring one to goodness, where spiritual knowledge becomes visible.
Try this today
Identify one ability you already have and use it today in a small act of service to the Lord.
Ask yourself
How can my present abilities and tendencies help me advance toward loving devotion to 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.