Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.27.2
Ūti· What drives us to actFreedom Through the Supreme Lord’s Direction
“When the soul is under the spell of material nature and false ego, identifying his body as the self, he becomes absorbed in material activities, and by the influence of false ego he thinks that he is the proprietor of everything.”
What the purport teaches
- False ego makes the soul identify the body as the self and think himself the proprietor. Although he thinks he acts independently, he is under the pressure of material nature’s modes.
- The false sense of proprietorship can be avoided through devotional service under the direction of the Supreme Lord or His bona fide representative. Under the Lord’s direction, the living entity is free.
- Even a person acting in material goodness remains conditioned by nature. Arjuna became free from proprietorship and the reactions of fighting when he acted under Kṛṣṇa’s direction.
Try this today
Choose one instruction on devotional service from today’s reading and put it into action.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking independence through sense enjoyment, or freedom through the Lord’s direction?
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.