Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.14.22
Ūti· What drives us to actSmall Pleasures Can Bring Great Misery
“The conditioned soul is sometimes attracted to the little happiness derived from sense gratification. Thus he has illicit sex or steals another’s property. At such a time he may be arrested by the government or chastised by the woman’s husband or protector. Thus simply for a little material satisfaction, he falls into a hellish condition and is put into jail for rape, kidnapping, theft and so forth.”
What the purport teaches
- For a little sense gratification, the conditioned soul may commit acts that bring punishment and severe suffering. Illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and meat-eating keep him in danger.
- The purport warns that illicit sex can cause even devotees to fall from spiritual life. The pursuit of money to support sense enjoyment can lead to theft and other harmful acts.
- Human life should be used for spiritual emancipation, not merely sense gratification. Misusing this opportunity is compared to a miser’s failure to use wealth properly.
Try this today
Decline one opportunity for harmful sense gratification today and use that time for spiritual study.
Ask yourself
Is any short-lived pleasure drawing me away from spiritual realization?
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.