Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.7.33-35
Mukti· LiberationLearning the Science of the Self
“O King, I have taken shelter of twenty-four gurus, who are the following: the earth, air, sky, water, fire, moon, sun, pigeon and python; the sea, moth, honeybee, elephant and honey thief; the deer, the fish, the prostitute Piṅgalā, the kurara bird and the child; and the young girl, arrow maker, serpent, spider and wasp. My dear King, by studying their activities I have learned the science of the self.”
What the purport teaches
- The speaker has taken shelter of twenty-four gurus. These include the earth, air, water, animals, birds and people.
- By studying their activities, he has learned the science of the self. His learning comes from carefully observing these teachers.
- The purport explains that the wasp is called supeśa-kṛt because it causes the insect it kills to take a beautiful form in the next life.
Try this today
Choose one teacher from the list and spend a minute carefully observing it or recalling its activities.
Ask yourself
How might careful observation help me become more thoughtful about the self?
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.