Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.7.34
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyCharity, Penance and Duties in Difficulty
“Please also describe the fruitive results of charity and penance and of digging reservoirs of water. Please describe the situation of persons who are away from home and also the duty of a man in an awkward position.”
What the purport teaches
- The verse asks about the fruitive results of charity, penance and digging reservoirs of water.
- Digging reservoirs for public use is described as a great work of charity. Retiring from family life after fifty is described as a great act of penance performed by a sober person.
- The inquiry also concerns the situation of people away from home and a person's duty in an awkward position.
Try this today
Identify one opportunity to support a public water resource, and note a small contribution you could make.
Ask yourself
How can I give more attention to charity that meets a public 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.