Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.53
Ūti· What drives us to actServe Kṛṣṇa Rather Than Imitate Material Intelligence
“Just as one may imitate persons whom one sees dancing and singing, similarly the soul, although never the doer of material activities, becomes captivated by material intelligence and is thus forced to imitate its qualities.”
What the purport teaches
- People become captivated by singers and dancers, imitating their rhythms and emotions. Similarly, the conditioned soul becomes captivated by the material mind and intelligence.
- Although distinct from the body and never the actual performer of its activities, the soul is persuaded that he can enjoy the material world. He then engages the body in activities that entangle him in birth and death.
- One should reject the illicit propositions of material intelligence. Instead, one should engage fully in the service of the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Try this today
Notice one urge to imitate material enjoyment today, and use that moment for a small act of service to Kṛṣṇa instead.
Ask yourself
Which suggestions of my mind draw me toward material enjoyment rather than service 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.