Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.6.48
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyForgiveness Is the Beauty of Saintliness
“My dear lord, if in some places materialists, who are already bewildered by the insurmountable illusory energy of the Supreme Godhead, sometimes commit offenses, a saintly person, with compassion, does not take this seriously. Knowing that they commit offenses because they are overpowered by the illusory energy, he does not show his prowess to counteract them.”
What the purport teaches
- A saintly person understands that materialists commit offenses because they are bewildered by the Supreme Lord's illusory energy. Out of compassion, the saint does not use personal power to retaliate.
- Parīkṣit Mahārāja had both spiritual and material power, yet accepted the brāhmaṇa boy's curse. Kṛṣṇa desired this so that the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam would be revealed to the world.
- Forgiveness is the beauty of a saintly person. A Vaiṣṇava's restraint is not a lack of strength, but tolerance for the welfare of others.
Try this today
Let one minor personal offense pass today without a retaliatory word.
Ask yourself
Where could restraint express compassion rather than weakness in your life?
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.