Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.14.19
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyMarriage Is Cooperation for Spiritual Advancement
“O respectful one, a wife is so helpful that she is called the better half of a man’s body because of her sharing in all auspicious activities. A man can move without anxiety entrusting all responsibilities to his wife.”
What the purport teaches
- A wife is called the better half because she shares her husband's auspicious duties. These include pañca-yajña, five sacrifices for relief from unavoidable sinful reactions.
- When a wife is treated merely as a source of sense gratification, personal beauty becomes the main consideration. Disappointment in enjoyment then brings disruption.
- Marriage is a duty of mutual cooperation, guided by authoritative scriptures, for spiritual advancement. Its foundation should not be personal enjoyment.
Try this today
Take responsibility for one shared duty today without seeking personal praise or enjoyment.
Ask yourself
Do I value close relationships for shared spiritual responsibility or mainly for what I receive?
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.