Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.27.20
Mukti· LiberationRemove the Cause of Bondage
“Even if the great fear of bondage is avoided by mental speculation and inquiry into the fundamental principles, it may still appear again, since its cause has not ceased.”
What the purport teaches
- The desire to lord it over material nature and envy of Kṛṣṇa are the beginning causes of material bondage. As long as these remain, theoretical knowledge does not bring actual freedom.
- Mental speculation may temporarily lessen the fear of bondage, but that fear can return because its cause has not ceased. Theoretical freedom and actual freedom are very different.
- Knowledge reaches fulfillment when one surrenders to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Giving up devotional service for speculation alone is compared to husking empty paddy: there is labor but no grain.
Try this today
Notice one wish to control or be the greatest, and pause to acknowledge Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Ask yourself
Does my search for knowledge help me surrender, or feed my desire to be supreme?
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.