Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.27.16
Nirodha· Winding upThe Soul Survives the Struggle for Existence
“The five-hooded serpent, the superintendent and protector of the city of King Purañjana, fought with the Gandharvas for one hundred years. He fought alone, with all of them, although they numbered 720.”
What the purport teaches
- The 360 days and 360 nights form Caṇḍavega's 720 soldiers. Fighting them from birth until death is called the struggle for existence.
- The living entity is eternal and is not slain when the body is slain. Birth and death do not belong to the soul itself.
- Throughout bodily life, the living entity faces the stringent laws of material nature and many miserable conditions. Yet illusion makes one think oneself well situated in sense gratification.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the purport's teaching: the soul does not die when the body dies.
Ask yourself
Where do I mistake temporary sense pleasure for security amid life's struggles?
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.