Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.18.25
Ūti· What drives us to actThe Body Cannot Last
“When dead, the bodies of all the rulers known as kings and great leaders will be transformed into worms, stool or ashes. If one enviously kills others for the protection of such a body, does he actually know the true interest of life? Certainly he does not, for if one is envious of other entities, he surely goes to hell.”
What the purport teaches
- Even the body of a great king ultimately becomes stool, worms or ashes.
- Being too attached to the bodily conception of life is not a sign of intelligence.
- Someone who enviously kills others to protect this temporary body does not know life’s true interest. The translation warns that envy of other living entities leads to hell.
Try this today
When protecting your own comfort today, pause to make sure you are not harming someone else.
Ask yourself
How does remembering the body’s temporary nature change the way I treat 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.