Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.15.24
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyDo Not Accept False Praise
“How could an intelligent man competent enough to possess such exalted qualities allow his followers to praise him if he did not actually have them? Praising a man by saying that if he were educated he might have become a great scholar or great personality is nothing but a process of cheating. A foolish person who agrees to accept such praise does not know that such words simply insult him.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Brahmā and other demigods had testified that Pṛthu Mahārāja was an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Because Pṛthu had just been coronated, he had not yet manifested his godly qualities in action. He therefore would not accept the devotees’ praise.
- Praise for qualities a person does not actually possess is a form of cheating, not genuine honor. Those without godly qualities should learn from Pṛthu and refuse false praise.
Try this today
If someone overstates your accomplishments today, gently clarify what you have actually done.
Ask yourself
Am I willing to decline flattering words when my actions do not support them?
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.