Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.26.32
Ūti· What drives us to actNever Betray a Creature’s Trust
“In this life some people give shelter to animals and birds that come to them for protection in the village or forest, and after making them believe that they will be protected, such people pierce them with lances or threads and play with them like toys, giving them great pain. After death such people are brought by the assistants of Yamarāja to the hell known as Śūlaprota, where their bodies are pierced with sharp, needlelike lances. They suffer from hunger and thirst, and sharp-beaked birds such as vultures and herons come at them from all sides to tear at their bodies. Tortured and suffering, they can then remember the sinful activities they committed in the past.”
What the purport teaches
- Some people gain the trust of animals and birds seeking protection, then cause them great pain. They treat living creatures like toys.
- After death, the assistants of Yamarāja bring such people to Śūlaprota. There they suffer piercing, hunger, thirst and attacks from birds.
- While suffering, they remember their past sinful activities. The verse warns against betraying the trust of creatures that depend on us.
Try this today
If you encounter an animal or bird today, avoid frightening it or treating it as a plaything.
Ask yourself
How do I treat living creatures that depend on me for safety?
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.