Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.2.8
Ūti· What drives us to actAttraction Can Deepen Into Dependence
“Then Āgnīdhra observed the glancing eyes of Pūrvacitti and said: My dear friend, you have two very powerful arrows, namely your glancing eyes. Those arrows have feathers like the petals of a lotus flower. Although they have no shafts, they are very beautiful, and they have very sharp, piercing points. They appear very peaceful, and thus it seems that they will not be shot at anyone. You must be loitering in this forest to shoot those arrows at someone, but I cannot understand whom. My intelligence is dull, and I cannot combat you. Indeed, no one can equal you in prowess, and therefore I pray that your prowess will be for my good fortune.”
What the purport teaches
- Āgnīdhra compared Pūrvacitti’s glancing eyes to sharp arrows. Although beautiful like lotuses, her eyes also made him afraid.
- He was already captivated by her. The more captivated he became, the more impossible it seemed to remain without her.
- He prayed that her glances would be favorable and auspicious. In other words, he wanted her to become his wife.
Try this today
Pause today when an attraction feels urgent, and name the expectation you are placing on the other person.
Ask yourself
Have I noticed attraction growing into a feeling that I cannot do without someone?
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.