Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.25.21
Ūti· What drives us to actIntelligence Depends on Consciousness
“The woman was protected on all sides by a five-hooded snake. She was very beautiful and young, and she appeared very anxious to find a suitable husband.”
What the purport teaches
- The five-hooded serpent represents the five vital airs: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna and udāna. This vital force protects the functioning of all the senses.
- The woman represents intelligence, and her search for a husband indicates that intelligence cannot act without consciousness. Her youth signifies that intelligence must remain fresh.
- Material enjoyment means using intelligence for form, taste, smell, sound and touch. The purport thus distinguishes intelligence from the sensory pleasures it pursues.
Try this today
Examine one plan today and identify whether it is mainly aimed at form, taste, smell, sound or touch.
Ask yourself
How much of my intelligence is occupied with arranging sensory enjoyment?
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.