Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.60
Ūti· What drives us to actDesire-Filled Plans Do Not End Distress
“As husband and wife, a man and woman plan together to attain happiness and decrease unhappiness, working jointly in many ways, but because their activities are full of desires, these activities are never a source of happiness, and they never diminish distress. On the contrary, they are a cause of great unhappiness.”
What the purport teaches
- A husband and wife work together in many ways to gain happiness and lessen unhappiness.
- Because their activities are full of desires, they neither attain the happiness they seek nor bring distress to an end.
- Instead, these desire-filled activities become a cause of great unhappiness. The verse asks us to examine what drives our efforts.
Try this today
Examine one plan for enjoyment today and ask whether the desire behind it is adding to your distress.
Ask yourself
Which desire am I expecting to fulfill before I can feel happy?
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.