Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.26.19
Ūti· What drives us to actRespect What Belongs to Others
“My dear King, a person who in the absence of an emergency robs a brāhmaṇa — or, indeed, anyone else — of his gems and gold is put into a hell known as Sandaṁśa. There his skin is torn and separated by red-hot iron balls and tongs. In this way, his entire body is cut to pieces.”
What the purport teaches
- The verse warns against robbing a brāhmaṇa—or anyone else—of gems and gold in the absence of an emergency.
- A person who commits this theft is sent to the hell called Sandaṁśa.
- There, red-hot iron balls and tongs tear his body apart. The description emphasizes the grave consequences of robbery.
Try this today
Before using something that belongs to another person today, ask permission.
Ask yourself
Do I respect others’ possessions even when I strongly desire them?
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.