Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.8.37
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionDetachment Can Bring Happiness
“Although I most stubbornly hoped to enjoy the material world, somehow or other detachment has arisen in my heart, and it is making me very happy. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, must be pleased with me. Without even knowing it, I must have performed some activity satisfying to Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Piṅgalā had stubbornly hoped to enjoy the material world. Yet detachment has now arisen in her heart.
- This detachment is making her happy, rather than leaving her deprived.
- She concludes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, must be pleased with her. She wonders whether she unknowingly performed some activity that satisfied Him.
Try this today
Recall one desire that has weakened, and take a moment to appreciate the happiness that came with letting it go.
Ask yourself
Have I experienced relief when a strong desire for material enjoyment loosened its hold?
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.