Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.13.31
Ūti· What drives us to actPast Actions Can Bear Present Results
“The head priests said: O King, in this life we do not find any sinful activity, even within your mind, so you are not in the least offensive. But we can see that in your previous life you performed sinful activities due to which, in spite of your having all qualifications, you have no son.”
What the purport teaches
- The priests found no sinful activity in King Aṅga's present life, even within his mind.
- They attributed his lack of a son, despite his qualifications, to sinful activities in his previous life.
- The purport explains that a son has the responsibility of delivering his father and forefathers from hellish conditions. It therefore places great importance on begetting a son in married life.
Try this today
Examine one choice today and deliberately avoid an action you know to be wrong.
Ask yourself
How does this account encourage me to take responsibility for my actions?
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.