Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.13.15
Ūti· What drives us to actConquer the Senses, Not Merely Opponents
“There were and are many political and social heroes who have conquered enemies of equal power, yet due to their ignorance in believing that the land is theirs, they fight one another and lay down their lives in battle. They are not able to take up the spiritual path accepted by those in the renounced order. Although they are big heroes and political leaders, they cannot take to the path of spiritual realization.”
What the purport teaches
- Powerful leaders may conquer equally powerful enemies yet fail to subdue their own strong senses. These nearby enemies always accompany them.
- The illusion of “this is my land and my family” creates enmity and absorbs their lives. They die in the struggle without progressing in spiritual realization.
- Taking the appearance of a sannyāsī or calling oneself a mahātmā is not enough. Continued absorption in defeating political enemies prevents liberation from māyā.
Try this today
When you feel an urge to win an argument today, pause and practice restraint instead.
Ask yourself
Am I more concerned with defeating others than with controlling my own senses?
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.