Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.1.21
Nirodha· Winding upSaintly Mercy Quenches the Fire of Conflict
“At the place of pilgrimage at Prabhāsa, it came to his knowledge that all his relatives had died due to violent passion, just as an entire forest burns due to fire produced by the friction of bamboos. After this he proceeded west, where the river Sarasvatī flows.”
What the purport teaches
- Vidura heard that his relatives, both the Kauravas and the Yādavas, had perished through war among themselves.
- Violent passion among conditioned souls is like friction between forest bamboos. It can produce a fire of war that consumes society.
- Such a worldly fire can be extinguished only by the mercy of saints, just as a forest fire is extinguished by rain from a cloud.
Try this today
Before responding to one tense situation today, pause and reread the purport’s teaching about saintly mercy.
Ask yourself
Where do I see passionate friction growing in my own dealings with others?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.