Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.29.1a-2a
Mukti· LiberationUse Human Reason for Spiritual Understanding
“A desire to maintain body, wife and children is also observed in animal society. The animals have full intelligence to manage such affairs. If a human being is simply advanced in this respect, what is the difference between him and an animal? One should be very careful to understand that this human life is attained after many, many births in the evolutionary process. A learned man who gives up the bodily conception of life, both gross and subtle, will, by the enlightenment of spiritual knowledge, become a prominent individual spirit soul, as the Supreme Lord is also.”
What the purport teaches
- Animals also use intelligence to maintain their bodies and families. Human advancement in these affairs alone does not distinguish us from them.
- Human life is attained after many, many births. Spiritual knowledge helps one give up identification with both the gross and subtle body and understand oneself as an individual spirit soul.
- One should use one’s reason to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the perfection of human life.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today to study this passage with the aim of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Ask yourself
How am I using my intelligence for more than maintaining my body and family?
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.