Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.26
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyCompassion Reaches Beyond Personal Welfare
“Any cruel person — be he a man, woman or impotent eunuch — who is only interested in his personal maintenance and has no compassion for other living entities may be killed by the king. Such killing can never be considered actual killing.”
What the purport teaches
- Pṛthu Mahārāja condemns cruel self-maintenance without compassion for others. His argument concerns the king’s responsibility toward such citizens.
- A devotee who is personally satisfied but does not preach Kṛṣṇa’s glories is not considered first-class. A superior devotee compassionately tries to help innocent people who have no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa.
- Prahlāda Mahārāja did not seek liberation for himself alone. He wished that all fallen souls could be delivered.
Try this today
Gently share one teaching about Kṛṣṇa with someone willing to hear.
Ask yourself
Does my spiritual life include concern for people who do not know Kṛṣṇa?
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.