Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.16.17
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyTrue Learning Leads to Respectful Service
“The King will respect all women as if they were his own mother, and he will treat his own wife as the other half of his body. He will be just like an affectionate father to his citizens, and he will treat himself as the most obedient servant of the devotees, who always preach the glories of the Lord.”
What the purport teaches
- A learned person treats women other than his wife as his mother, disregards others’ property, and treats others as himself. Education means practicing what one has learned, not merely holding degrees.
- Pṛthu would treat his wife as half of his own body and his citizens with a father’s affection. Although king, he considered himself an obedient servant of the Lord’s devotees.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The ideal state serves His devotees and follows their instructions.
Try this today
Offer one small act of help today to a devotee who shares the glories of the Lord.
Ask yourself
Is what I have learned becoming visible in my respect for others and service to devotees?
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.