Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.14.16
Ūti· What drives us to actAccumulated Wealth Cannot Guarantee Security
“Government men are always like carnivorous demons called Rākṣasas [man-eaters]. Sometimes these government men turn against the conditioned soul and take away all his accumulated wealth. Being bereft of his life’s reserved wealth, the conditioned soul loses all enthusiasm. Indeed, it is as though he loses his life.”
What the purport teaches
- The verse compares hostile government officials to Rākṣasas, or carnivorous demons. They may take wealth that a person has carefully accumulated over many years.
- The purport describes income taxes being forcibly exacted at unfavorable times. Such losses make the taxpayer deeply unhappy.
- When the conditioned soul loses his treasured savings, he may lose all enthusiasm. His attachment is so strong that losing wealth feels like losing life itself.
Try this today
Spend a minute noticing how you would feel about an unexpected financial loss and name the attachment this reveals.
Ask yourself
How much of my enthusiasm depends on keeping my accumulated wealth untouched?
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.