Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.1.18
Mukti· LiberationPurification Requires a Touch of Devotion
“My dear King, as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if washed in the waters of many rivers, nondevotees cannot be purified by processes of atonement even if they perform them very well.”
What the purport teaches
- Even carefully performed atonement cannot purify someone who remains turned away from devotional service. The verse compares this to washing a pot containing liquor with river water.
- Ritualistic activities and philosophical speculation cannot purify a person without at least some devotion.
- Hearing much about devotional service is not enough if one remains unattached to it. At least a slight touch of devotional service is necessary.
Try this today
After reading these notes, take one quiet minute to turn your attention toward Kṛṣṇa with a desire to serve Him.
Ask yourself
Am I only learning about devotion, or am I beginning to practice it?
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.