Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.24.8
Ūti· What drives us to actSeek Spiritual Bliss Beyond Temporary Enjoyment
“In these seven planetary systems, which are also known as the subterranean heavens [bila-svarga], there are very beautiful houses, gardens and places of sense enjoyment, which are even more opulent than those in the higher planets because the demons have a very high standard of sensual pleasure, wealth and influence. Most of the residents of these planets, who are known as Daityas, Dānavas and Nāgas, live as householders. Their wives, children, friends and society are all fully engaged in illusory material happiness. The sense enjoyment of the demigods is sometimes disturbed, but the residents of these planets enjoy life without disturbances. Thus they are understood to be very attached to illusory happiness.”
What the purport teaches
- The subterranean heavens offer extraordinary wealth and sensual pleasure. Their residents are deeply attached to illusory material happiness.
- Prahlāda Mahārāja calls material enjoyment māyā-sukha, or illusory enjoyment. Wherever people live, material happiness is temporary, and they must change bodies and face birth, death, old age and disease.
- A Vaiṣṇava is concerned for the deliverance of living entities from false enjoyment. He wants bewildered materialists to receive the real happiness of spiritual bliss.
Try this today
Identify one temporary pleasure you pursue today, and pause to reflect on the need for real spiritual happiness.
Ask yourself
Where am I treating temporary enjoyment as though it could provide lasting happiness?
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.