Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.6.31
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyTrue Protection Includes People and Animals
“Thereafter the power of protection was generated from the arms of the gigantic virāṭ form, and in relation to such power the kṣatriyas also came into existence by following the kṣatriya principle of protecting society from the disturbance of thieves and miscreants.”
What the purport teaches
- The power of protection arose from the arms of the Lord’s gigantic form. A kṣatriya is recognized by protecting society from thieves and miscreants, not simply by birth.
- Social divisions depend on actual qualities and duties. Birth is not the main qualification for belonging to a particular order.
- Kṣatriyas are meant to represent Lord Viṣṇu by protecting the prajās, all those born in the land and water. This protection includes both human beings and animals.
Try this today
Take one safe, practical step to protect a person or animal today, such as reporting a hazard.
Ask yourself
How can I show greater concern for the safety of both people and animals?
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.