Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.9.17
Ūti· What drives us to actDevotional Service Is Our Real Benefit
“People in general all engage in foolish acts, not in the really beneficial activities enunciated directly by You for their guidance. As long as their tendency for foolish work remains powerful, all their plans in the struggle for existence will be cut to pieces. I therefore offer my obeisances unto Him who acts as eternal time.”
What the purport teaches
- The truly beneficial work is devotional service to the Lord, expressed through the arcanā regulations He gives. The highest goal of life is to reach Lord Viṣṇu.
- Those absorbed in material happiness neglect their real self-interest and struggle in the wrong direction. Eternal time cuts their plans to pieces.
- Guidance from great souls free from material attachment helps one become attracted to the Lord’s activities. Knowledge and yoga are accepted within devotional worship when their ultimate aim is Viṣṇu.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today for worship of the Lord rather than an activity pursued only for material enjoyment.
Ask yourself
Which of my daily activities genuinely aims at pleasing the 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.