Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.21.16
Ūti· What drives us to actLive Under the Supreme Lord’s Direction
“O my Lord, You are the master and leader of all living entities. Under Your direction, all conditioned souls, as if bound by rope, are constantly engaged in satisfying their desires. Following them, O embodiment of religion, I also bear oblations for You, who are eternal time.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord sustains and leads all living entities; no one is independent of His mercy. Since everything belongs to Him, one should accept one’s allotment without taking another’s property.
- One should live according to one’s present position, but under the direction of the Lord and the Vedas. Following these directions gradually elevates one toward freedom from material bondage.
- Religion consists of the Lord’s laws, not rules invented independently. Following His instructions and surrendering unto Him is the ultimate goal of perfection in human life.
Try this today
Before using something today, pause to acknowledge that it belongs to the Lord and check that it is rightfully yours to use.
Ask yourself
Where can I more willingly accept the Lord’s direction instead of acting as though I were independent?
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.