Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.42
Ūti· What drives us to actReligion Should Awaken Devotion, Not Harm
“How can a religious system that produces envy of one’s self and of others be beneficial for oneself and for them? What is auspicious about following such a system? What is actually to be gained? By causing pain to one’s own self due to self-envy and by causing pain to others, one arouses Your anger and practices irreligion.”
What the purport teaches
- Bhāgavata-dharma is service as an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious practices that cause pain to oneself and others are inauspicious and displease the Lord.
- Permission for animal sacrifice is a restriction on meat-eating, not the Supreme Lord’s order. True sacrifice means satisfying Him; in this age, intelligent persons do so by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
- Kṛṣṇa’s final instruction is to give up other duties and surrender to Him. Religious duties that do not awaken attraction for the Supreme Lord’s message are merely wasted time and labor.
Try this today
Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra for two minutes today with the intention of satisfying the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
Are my religious practices awakening attraction to Kṛṣṇa and helping me avoid causing pain to others?
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.