Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.8.18-20
Ūti· What drives us to actTemptation Enters a Holy Hermitage
“Groves of pious trees decorated the holy āśrama of Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, and many saintly brāhmaṇas lived there, enjoying the abundant pure, sacred ponds. The āśrama resounded with the buzzing of intoxicated bees and the cooing of excited cuckoos, while jubilant peacocks danced about. Indeed, many families of maddened birds crowded that hermitage. The springtime breeze sent by Lord Indra entered there, carrying cooling drops of spray from nearby waterfalls. Fragrant from the embrace of forest flowers, that breeze entered the hermitage and began evoking the lusty spirit of Cupid.”
What the purport teaches
- Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi’s holy āśrama was decorated with pious trees and inhabited by saintly brāhmaṇas. Its ponds were pure and sacred.
- Bees buzzed, cuckoos cooed, and peacocks danced. Many families of birds filled the hermitage.
- The springtime breeze sent by Lord Indra carried cooling spray and the fragrance of flowers. Even in this holy setting, it began evoking the lusty spirit of Cupid.
Try this today
Notice one sensory attraction today and pause before allowing it to interrupt your spiritual practice.
Ask yourself
How do pleasant surroundings affect my ability to remain spiritually attentive?
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.