Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.26.19-20
Mukti· LiberationServe the Lord Rather Than Exploit
“One can never decide whose property the body actually is. Does it belong to one’s parents, who have given birth to it, to one’s wife, who gives it pleasure, or to one’s employer, who orders the body around? Is it the property of the funeral fire or of the dogs and jackals who may ultimately devour it? Is it the property of the indwelling soul, who partakes in its happiness and distress, or does the body belong to intimate friends who encourage and help it? Although a man never definitely ascertains the proprietor of the body, he becomes most attached to it. The material body is a polluted material form heading toward a lowly destination, yet when a man stares at the face of a woman he thinks, “What a good-looking lady! What a charming nose she’s got, and see her beautiful smile!””
What the purport teaches
- One cannot definitely establish whose property the body is, yet one becomes deeply attached to it. Parents, spouse, employer, friends and the indwelling soul all have different relationships with it.
- The body is headed toward a lowly destination: worms, ashes or consumption by animals. Yet Māyā bewilders the mind through bodily beauty and attraction.
- Human beings should rise beyond the ignorance of bodily consciousness. The goal is to become enlightened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and serve the Supreme Lord, rather than falsely trying to exploit His potencies.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today for devotional service to Kṛṣṇa rather than for an unnecessary bodily indulgence.
Ask yourself
How could I shift today from seeking bodily enjoyment to serving the Supreme 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.