Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.13.14
Ūti· What drives us to actHuman Life Is Meant for Devotional Service
“My dear King, on the forest path of material life, first a person is bereft of his father and mother, and after their death he becomes attached to his newly born children. In this way he wanders on the path of material progress and is eventually embarrassed. Nonetheless, no one knows how to get out of this, even up to the moment of death.”
What the purport teaches
- Family attachment continues from generation to generation: parents die, children marry and new children are born. This repetition alone does not bring liberation from material difficulty.
- Human life is meant for jñāna and vairāgya—knowledge and renunciation. These lead to bhakti-yoga, the platform of devotional service.
- People avoid sādhu-saṅga, the association of liberated people, and continue their habitual family life. They remain troubled by the exchange of money and sex.
Try this today
Make time today to hear spiritual instruction in the association of devotees.
Ask yourself
Am I making room for spiritual knowledge and devotional service, or only repeating familiar routines?
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.