Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.36
Ūti· What drives us to actSpiritual Training Considers Each Person's Tendencies
“My dear lord, I am very impudent for not accepting your instructions, but this is not my fault. It is due to my having been born in a kṣatriya family. My stepmother, Suruci, has pierced my heart with her harsh words. Therefore your valuable instruction does not stand in my heart.”
What the purport teaches
- Dhruva Mahārāja felt deeply wounded by Suruci's harsh words. His desire to counteract her insult made Nārada's valuable instruction difficult for him to accept.
- Dhruva frankly admitted his lack of brahminical humility and his strong kṣatriya temperament. A teacher should observe a child's tendencies and train that child accordingly.
- The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is open to everyone and offers training in brahminical qualifications. Such training is needed to raise society to spiritual consciousness.
Try this today
Write down one personal tendency you would honestly explain when seeking guidance from a spiritual teacher.
Ask yourself
What tendencies or hurts make it difficult for me to receive spiritual instruction?
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.