Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.24.22
Ūti· What drives us to actOpulence Finds Value in Service
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead did not award His mercy to Bali Mahārāja by giving him material happiness and opulence, for these make one forget loving service to the Lord. The result of material opulence is that one can no longer absorb his mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Material opulence arising from karma can make one forget loving service to the Lord. A surrendered soul does not seek wealth for sense gratification.
- When a pure devotee possesses opulence through bhakti, the Lord provides it so that His service can be performed easily and opulently.
- Material poverty can be the Lord’s special mercy for a beginner who might otherwise forget Him. Bali Mahārāja’s opulence, however, was an opportunity for continued service, free from māyā.
Try this today
Use one resource you already have for service to the Lord today.
Ask yourself
Do my possessions help me remember and serve the Lord, or distract me from Him?
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.