Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.13.8
Ūti· What drives us to actTake Shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Not Frustration
“Sometimes the merchant in the forest wants to climb the hills and mountains, but due to insufficient footwear, his feet are pricked by small stone fragments and by thorns on the mountain. Being pricked by them, he becomes very aggrieved. Sometimes a person who is very attached to his family becomes overwhelmed with hunger, and due to his miserable condition he becomes furious with his family members.”
What the purport teaches
- Seeking greatness and lasting happiness through family and society is compared to climbing a thorn-covered mountain. Material arrangements do not remove the conditioned soul's dissatisfaction.
- A person distressed by difficulty maintaining the family may unnecessarily chastise his dependent wife and children. His anger does not resolve the underlying distress.
- Merely leaving family life or moving to another forest cannot make one happy; one must take shelter of Govinda. The goal of planned retirement from family affairs is full dependence on Kṛṣṇa and a life of devotional service.
Try this today
If frustration arises with a family member today, pause before speaking and offer a brief prayer for shelter to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
When responsibilities frustrate me, do I turn toward Kṛṣṇa or take my distress out on others?
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.