Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.9.10
Mukti· LiberationSeek Association Centered on Kṛṣṇa
“When many people live together in one place there will undoubtedly be quarreling. And even if only two people live together there will be frivolous conversation and disagreement. Therefore, to avoid conflict, one should live alone, as we learn from the example of the bracelet of the young girl.”
What the purport teaches
- The bracelet illustrates how living together can bring quarrels and frivolous conversation. Sages devoted to philosophical speculation therefore live alone to avoid endless arguments.
- The devotional lesson is to avoid intimate association with those opposed to devotional service, not to abandon the company of devotees. Pure Vaiṣṇavas freely gather to glorify Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- When everyone's purpose is the Lord's pleasure, competing material desires do not disrupt their association. Devotional service is the goal, and one who keeps the company of the Lord's devotees is understood to be living alone.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes today with a devotee glorifying Kṛṣṇa or chanting His holy name together.
Ask yourself
Does my close association help me seek Kṛṣṇa's pleasure or encourage competing material desires?
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.