Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.22
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyReceiving a Share Brings Responsibility
“King Pṛthu replied to the earthly planet: My dear earth, you have disobeyed my orders and rulings. In the form of a demigod you accepted your share of the yajñas we performed, but in return you have not produced sufficient food grains. For this reason I must kill you.”
What the purport teaches
- The earth had argued that she was innocent and should not be killed. Mahārāja Pṛthu replied by identifying her offenses.
- First, he said that she had disobeyed his orders and rulings. The purport identifies this as her first sinful activity.
- Second, she had accepted her share of the yajñas, or sacrifices, without producing sufficient food grains in return. Pṛthu gave these failures as his reasons for threatening to kill her.
Try this today
Complete one responsibility today that you owe to someone whose support you have accepted.
Ask yourself
Am I fulfilling the responsibilities connected with the support I receive?
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.