Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.8.29
Ūti· What drives us to actUse Every Moment for Devotional Service
“In the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja began to lament: What misfortune! I have fallen from the path of the self-realized. I gave up my real sons, wife and home to advance in spiritual life, and I took shelter in a solitary holy place in the forest. I became self-controlled and self-realized, and I engaged constantly in devotional service — hearing, thinking, chanting, worshiping and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. I was successful in my attempt, so much so that my mind was always absorbed in devotional service. However, due to my personal foolishness, my mind again became attached — this time to a deer. Now I have obtained the body of a deer and have fallen far from my devotional practices.”
What the purport teaches
- Bharata Mahārāja remembered his constant hearing, thinking, chanting, worshiping and remembrance of Vāsudeva. Through his own foolishness, attachment to the deer interrupted these practices.
- A devotee should not assume that spiritual advancement gives freedom to do anything. The Lord's correction increases the devotee's eagerness to attain His lotus feet.
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, teaches caution through Bharata Mahārāja's life. The secure course is to use every moment in devotional service rather than waste time in frivolous talk, excessive eating or unnecessary sleep.
Try this today
Use five minutes you would otherwise spend in idle talk to chant or remember Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What part of my day could I use more carefully for chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa?
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.