Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.6.37-38
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyCharity as a Boat Across Danger
“By bathing at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, by offering sacrifice there to placate the forefathers and demigods, by feeding the worshipable brāhmaṇas with various delicious foodstuffs and by bestowing opulent gifts upon them as the most suitable candidates for charity, we will certainly cross over these terrible dangers through such acts of charity, just as one can cross over a great ocean in a suitable boat.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord proposes bathing at Prabhāsa-kṣetra and offering sacrifice there to satisfy the forefathers and demigods.
- He calls for feeding worshipable brāhmaṇas delicious food and giving them opulent gifts. They are described as the most suitable recipients of charity.
- These acts of charity are compared to a suitable boat that carries one across a great ocean. The Lord says they will cross over the terrible dangers in this way.
Try this today
Set aside a small gift today for a worshipable brāhmaṇa, following the verse’s emphasis on suitable recipients.
Ask yourself
How carefully do I consider who is a suitable recipient of my charity?
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.