Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.25.7
Ūti· What drives us to actSeek Truth Beyond Ritual and Harm
“The great saint Nārada said: O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed without compassion and without mercy in the sacrificial arena.”
What the purport teaches
- Nārada showed the King the animals he had sacrificed without compassion. He wanted to awaken knowledge and a spirit of renunciation in the King’s heart.
- One should not remain satisfied with ritualistic animal killing simply because it is described in scripture. One should seek the actual truth and purpose of life.
- Knowledge is needed for detachment from material enjoyment, and detachment is needed for spiritual advancement. Those intent on sense gratification may commit sinful acts, including animal sacrifice.
Try this today
Choose one unnecessary sense pleasure to forgo today, and reflect on how attachment can lead to harm.
Ask yourself
Am I using outward religious practice to avoid examining my attachment to 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.