Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.27.54
Ūti· What drives us to actNever Take Back Sacred Gifts
“Anyone who steals the property of the demigods or the brāhmaṇas, whether originally given to them by himself or someone else, must live as a worm in stool for one hundred million years.”
What the purport teaches
- One must not steal property belonging to the demigods or the brāhmaṇas.
- This applies whether the property was originally donated by oneself or by someone else. Having given it does not make taking it back acceptable.
- The verse warns that such theft leads to life as a worm in stool for one hundred million years.
Try this today
Before using any property given to the demigods or brāhmaṇas today, check that you have permission.
Ask yourself
Do I fully respect the ownership of property that has been given to the demigods or brāhmaṇas?
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.