Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.22.30
Ūti· What drives us to actPurify Desires Through Devotional Service
“When one’s mind and senses are attracted to sense objects for enjoyment, the mind becomes agitated. As a result of continually thinking of sense objects, one’s real consciousness almost becomes lost, like the water in a lake that is gradually sucked up by the big grass straws on its bank.”
What the purport teaches
- Continually thinking of sense gratification agitates the mind and makes us forget our relationship with the Supreme Lord. Gradually, it affects our intelligence and our taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Material desires drain clear consciousness like tall grass drawing water from a lake. These unwanted desires should be checked from the very beginning.
- We cannot kill desires, but we can purify them by directing them toward the Lord’s transcendental loving service. Keeping in touch with devotional service gradually burns material desires to ashes.
Try this today
When one desire for sense enjoyment arises today, pause and spend a minute thinking about how you could instead serve the Lord.
Ask yourself
Which recurring desire is drawing my attention away from serving the Lord?
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.