Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.11.15
Mukti· LiberationHuman Life Is Meant for Spiritual Awakening
“My dear King Rahūgaṇa, as long as the conditioned soul accepts the material body and is not freed from the contamination of material enjoyment, and as long as he does not conquer his six enemies and come to the platform of self-realization by awakening his spiritual knowledge, he has to wander among different places and different species of life in this material world.”
What the purport teaches
- When the mind is absorbed in material conceptions, one identifies with a particular nation, family, country or creed. These are designations, called upādhis.
- As long as one remains bound by these designations, conditioned life continues. The human form of life is meant for cleansing away these misconceptions.
- One must become free from the contamination of material enjoyment and awaken spiritual knowledge. Otherwise, one continues wandering through different places and species of life.
Try this today
Write down one designation you use for yourself and reflect that human life is meant for spiritual realization beyond it.
Ask yourself
Which material designation do I most often mistake for my essential identity?
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.