Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.13.11
Ūti· What drives us to actMaterial Opulence Cannot Remove Sinful Misery
“Following the advice of the demigods, Indra killed Vṛtrāsura, and he suffered because of this sinful killing. Although the other demigods were happy, he could not derive happiness from the killing of Vṛtrāsura. Indra’s other good qualities, such as tolerance and opulence, could not help him in his grief.”
What the purport teaches
- Although the other demigods were happy, Indra suffered from killing Vṛtrāsura. His tolerance and opulence could not relieve his grief.
- People accused Indra of killing a brāhmaṇa for the sake of enjoying heavenly material happiness.
- One cannot become happy by committing sinful acts, even with material opulence. Despite being King of heaven, Indra remained unhappy under these accusations.
Try this today
Before pursuing one material comfort today, check whether obtaining it would involve doing something wrong.
Ask yourself
Am I expecting comfort or success to give happiness while overlooking a wrong action?
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.