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Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.25.53

Ūti· What drives us to act

Greed Brings Unnecessary Bodily Pain

“Another gate on the western side was known as Nirṛti. Purañjana used to go through this gate to the place known as Vaiśasa, accompanied by his friend Lubdhaka.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda · Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.53, translation

What the purport teaches

  • The gate Nirṛti represents the rectum and is called the painful gate. The purport also describes it as the passage through which an ordinary living entity leaves the body.
  • Purañjana’s companion Lubdhaka means greed. Greed leads us to eat unnecessarily, and such gluttony causes pain during evacuation.
  • The living entity feels well when evacuation takes place properly. The purport connects unnecessary eating with avoidable bodily discomfort.

Try this today

At one meal today, pause before taking extra food and consider whether it is necessary.

Ask yourself

When do I eat from greed rather than bodily need?

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.

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