Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.31.17
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesUse Human Intelligence for Spiritual Realization
“Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother’s gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, “O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?””
What the purport teaches
- The embodied soul experiences a precarious condition within the womb. Anxious for release, he counts the months and prays to the Lord.
- Human intelligence should be used to escape the cycle of birth and death. Failing to use it for this purpose is like possessing great wealth but leaving it unused.
- A magnanimous person uses intelligence for spiritual realization. Sharing Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of others is also a generous use of this human gift.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today to study a teaching on Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the aim of applying it.
Ask yourself
Am I using my intelligence only for material concerns, or also for spiritual realization?
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.