Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.8.16
Ūti· What drives us to actAttachment Can Shape Our Judgments
“Bharata Mahārāja would think: Alas, the deer is now helpless. I am now very unfortunate, and my mind is like a cunning hunter, for it is always filled with cheating propensities and cruelty. The deer has put its faith in me, just as a good man who has a natural interest in good behavior forgets the misbehavior of a cunning friend and puts his faith in him. Although I have proved faithless, will this deer return and place its faith in me?”
What the purport teaches
- Bharata Mahārāja was noble and exalted, yet the deer's absence made him feel unworthy to protect it.
- Because of his attachment, he thought the deer was as noble and exalted as he was. The purport explains that everyone thinks of others according to their own position.
- He believed the deer had left because of his negligence. He also hoped that its noble heart would lead it to return.
Try this today
Examine one assumption about someone today, distinguishing what you know from what your affection leads you to imagine.
Ask yourself
When does affection lead you to assume what another being thinks or feels?
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.