Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.1.18
Mukti· LiberationTrain the Senses Before Moving Freely
“One who is situated in household life and who systematically conquers his mind and five sense organs is like a king in his fortress who conquers his powerful enemies. After one has been trained in household life and his lusty desires have decreased, he can move anywhere without danger.”
What the purport teaches
- The purpose of the four varṇas and four āśramas is to enable one to control the senses. Training in sense control begins before household life.
- Household life can be like a strong fortress from which one conquers powerful enemies. Within it, one should systematically overcome the mind, senses and lusty desires.
- Further training prepares a person for vānaprastha and then sannyāsa. A learned, renounced person can move freely without fear of being captured by material desires.
Try this today
Choose one unnecessary sense indulgence to refrain from today, and notice how your mind responds.
Ask yourself
How can I use my present circumstances as a place for steady training in sense control?
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.