Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.9.30
Ūti· What drives us to actLet Go of Revenge and Material Ambition
“Dhruva Mahārāja thought to himself: To endeavor to be situated in the shade of the lotus feet of the Lord is not an ordinary task, because even the great brahmacārīs headed by Sanandana, who practiced aṣṭāṅga-yoga in trance, attained the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet only after many, many births. Within six months I achieved the same result, yet due to my thinking differently from the Lord, I fell down from my position.”
What the purport teaches
- Seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly is not easy. Great saintly brahmacārīs headed by Sanandana practiced yoga in trance for many births before seeing Him.
- Dhruva Mahārāja saw the Supreme Lord after only six months of devotional service. He had hoped that the Lord would immediately take him to His abode.
- Dhruva Mahārāja understood that his long rule of the world answered his earlier desire for a kingdom and revenge. He deeply regretted his wish to rule and his revengeful attitude toward other living entities.
Try this today
Identify one resentful thought today and offer a prayer to seek the Lord's shelter instead of revenge.
Ask yourself
Which ambition or resentment could distract me from seeking the Lord's shelter?
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.