Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.10.7
Ūti· What drives us to actAnger Turns Authority into Threats
“Thereafter, when the King saw that his palanquin was still being shaken by the carriers, he became very angry and said: You rascal, what are you doing? Are you dead despite the life within your body? Do you not know that I am your master? You are disregarding me and are not carrying out my order. For this disobedience I shall now punish you just as Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, punishes sinful people. I shall give you proper treatment so that you will come to your senses and do the correct thing.”
What the purport teaches
- When the palanquin continued to shake, Rahūgaṇa became very angry and insulted Jaḍa Bharata.
- The King insisted that he was Jaḍa Bharata's master and treated his conduct as disobedience.
- Rahūgaṇa threatened punishment like that given by Yamarāja to sinful people. He claimed that this treatment would bring Jaḍa Bharata to his senses.
Try this today
If you need to correct someone today, make the request without an insult or threat.
Ask yourself
When frustrated, do I try to gain cooperation through insults or threats?
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.