Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.3.28
Ūti· What drives us to actPassion Seeks Prestige Through Duty
“O most intelligent one, when the conditioned souls are devoted to their duties but have ulterior motives and seek personal prestige, you should understand such a situation to be the age of Tretā, in which the functions of passion are prominent.”
What the purport teaches
- In Tretā, conditioned souls are devoted to performing their duties.
- Their performance of duty includes ulterior motives and a desire for personal prestige.
- Such a situation shows the prominence of the mode of passion.
Try this today
Before one duty today, identify any desire for recognition, then complete the task without seeking praise.
Ask yourself
When you fulfill a duty, how much are you hoping to receive praise?
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.