Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.31.25
Ūti· What drives us to actDependent on Care, Unable to Refuse
“After coming out of the abdomen, the child is given to the care of persons who are unable to understand what he wants, and thus he is nursed by such persons. Unable to refuse whatever is given to him, he falls into undesirable circumstances.”
What the purport teaches
- Within the womb, the child’s nourishment was supplied by nature’s arrangement, although his surroundings were unpleasant.
- After birth, the child depends on people who may not understand what he wants. He may receive something quite different from what he needs.
- Unable to refuse what is given, the child falls into awkward and undesirable circumstances. His suffering continues despite being cared for.
Try this today
Before offering help to someone today, pause to understand what that person actually needs.
Ask yourself
How can I be more attentive to someone who cannot clearly express a need?
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.