Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.2.5
Ūti· What drives us to actBe Saintly Rather Than Appear Saintly
“A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has merely taken a bath.”
What the purport teaches
- Dambha means being more concerned with appearing saintly than with being saintly. In Kali-yuga, poverty is judged unholy and hypocrisy passes for virtue.
- The purport contrasts religious pretension with the conduct of followers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They avoid illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and animal killing, and dedicate their lives to glorifying God.
- Marriage loses its spiritual purpose when commitment and responsibility are discarded. Religious bodily markings are also neglected; Vaiṣṇavas mark their bodies with tilaka blessed with God’s holy name.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes glorifying God today without seeking anyone’s notice or praise.
Ask yourself
Where might I be seeking an appearance of devotion rather than sincere devotion?
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.