Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.11.16
Ūti· What drives us to actWrongdoing Strips Away Good Qualities
“Indra, you are bereft of all shame, mercy, glory and good fortune. Deprived of these good qualities by the reactions of your fruitive activities, you are to be condemned even by the man-eaters [Rākṣasas]. Now I shall pierce your body with my trident, and after you die with great pain, even fire will not touch you; only the vultures will eat your body.”
What the purport teaches
- Vṛtrāsura said that the reactions of Indra’s fruitive activities had deprived him of shame, mercy, glory and good fortune.
- He declared that Indra’s conduct deserved condemnation even from the man-eating Rākṣasas.
- Vṛtrāsura threatened to pierce Indra with his trident, saying that only vultures, not fire, would receive his body.
Try this today
Choose one opportunity today to act mercifully rather than harshly.
Ask yourself
Are my actions strengthening mercy and a healthy sense of shame, or weakening 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.