Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.3.13
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyPerfect Your Duties by Pleasing the Lord
“Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society [brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra]. In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective activities.”
What the purport teaches
- Everyone in the material world is controlled by the laws of nature. Behind nature’s workings is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The divisions of varṇa and āśrama guide human duties and support peaceful existence. Their aim is to please the Supreme Lord, not merely to maintain social order.
- Everyone can become perfect by worshiping the Lord according to their activities and ability, under a bona fide spiritual master’s direction. One must rise to the position of a brāhmaṇa and then transcend that position to become a Vaiṣṇava.
Try this today
Choose one duty today and carry it out carefully with the intention of pleasing the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
Am I treating my duties only as obligations, or as opportunities to please the Lord?
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.