Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.52
Ūti· What drives us to actMaterial Association Shapes Future Birth
“Made to wander because of his fruitive work, the conditioned soul, by contact with the mode of goodness, takes birth among the sages or demigods. By contact with the mode of passion he becomes a demon or human being, and by association with the mode of ignorance he takes birth as a ghost or in the animal kingdom.”
What the purport teaches
- Fruitive work makes the conditioned soul wander. Association with the mode of goodness leads to birth among sages or demigods.
- Contact with the mode of passion leads to birth as a demon or human being.
- Association with the mode of ignorance leads to birth as a ghost or in the animal kingdom. Here, animal status includes lower forms of life such as beasts, birds, insects, fish and plants.
Try this today
Write one sentence reflecting on how your present associations and fruitive activities can shape future bodily existence.
Ask yourself
How does this teaching affect the importance I give to my associations and activities?
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.