Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.13.10
Ūti· What drives us to actPlanned Atonement Cannot Excuse Deliberate Sin
“Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Encouraged by the words of the sages, Indra killed Vṛtrāsura, and when he was killed the sinful reaction for killing a brāhmaṇa [brahma-hatyā] certainly took shelter of Indra.”
What the purport teaches
- Encouraged by the sages, Indra killed Vṛtrāsura. The reaction for killing a brāhmaṇa immediately took shelter of him.
- Indra had previously killed Viśvarūpa out of circumstantial anger, but this killing was deliberate. Therefore, his sinful reaction was greater than before.
- Indra could not gain relief simply through sacrifices; he first had to undergo severe suffering. Planning sinful deeds while relying on chanting or atonement cannot give anyone relief.
Try this today
Identify one excuse you use for knowingly doing wrong, and choose not to act on it today.
Ask yourself
Do I ever justify a wrong action by promising to make amends afterward?
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.