Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.26.18
Ūti· What drives us to actOffer Food and Share the Lord’s Mercy
“A person is considered no better than a crow if after receiving some food, he does not divide it among guests, old men and children, but simply eats it himself, or if he eats it without performing the five kinds of sacrifice. After death he is put into the most abominable hell, known as Kṛmibhojana. In that hell is a lake 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles] wide and filled with worms. He becomes a worm in that lake and feeds on the other worms there, who also feed on him. Unless he atones for his actions before his death, such a sinful man remains in the hellish lake of Kṛmibhojana for as many years as there are yojanas in the width of the lake.”
What the purport teaches
- All food is supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should acknowledge His mercy by performing yajña, or sacrifice.
- Kṛṣṇa teaches that work should be performed as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu; otherwise it binds us to this world. The goal is to serve the Lord for His satisfaction, not merely for personal enjoyment.
- One should offer food and distribute prasāda to dependents, including children, brāhmaṇas and old men, before eating. The verse warns that selfish eating without sacrifice or sharing leads to Kṛmibhojana unless one atones.
Try this today
Offer your food to the Lord today and share prasāda with someone before you eat.
Ask yourself
How can my meals become an expression of service and gratitude rather than only personal enjoyment?
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.