Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.12.29
Ūti· What drives us to actCorrect Wrongdoing Without Losing Respect
“Thus, finding their father so deluded in an act of immorality, the sages headed by Marīci, all sons of Brahmā, spoke as follows with great respect.”
What the purport teaches
- The sages headed by Marīci saw their father’s immoral intention and spoke with great respect.
- They were not wrong to protest against Brahmā’s conduct. Respect for a great personality did not require silence about his mistake.
- The sages understood that there might be a greater purpose behind this conduct, such as warning others about human frailty. They did not neglect or disrespect Brahmā.
Try this today
Write one sentence that respectfully raises a concern about wrong conduct without insulting the person.
Ask yourself
How can you speak clearly about wrongdoing without speaking disrespectfully?
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.