Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.30.13
Ūti· What drives us to actTake Shelter Before Old Age
“Seeing him unable to support them, his wife and others do not treat him with the same respect as before, even as miserly farmers do not accord the same treatment to their old and worn-out oxen.”
What the purport teaches
- When the attached family man can no longer earn, his relatives neglect him and no longer offer their former respect.
- The verse compares this treatment to that of miserly farmers toward old, worn-out oxen.
- The purport advises giving up family attachment before old age and taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should engage in the Lord’s service so that He can take charge.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today for the Lord’s service rather than seeking appreciation from others.
Ask yourself
Am I relying more on family approval than on the shelter of the Supreme Lord?
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.