Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.4.12
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyProtection Extends Even to Trees
“As the father and mother are the friends and maintainers of their children, as the eyelid is the protector of the eye, as the husband is the maintainer and protector of a woman, as the householder is the maintainer and protector of beggars, and as the learned is the friend of the ignorant, so the king is the protector and giver of life to all his subjects. The trees are also subjects of the king. Therefore they should be given protection.”
What the purport teaches
- By the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, helpless living entities have various protectors and maintainers.
- The king must protect all living entities in his kingdom, including trees. He must also see that parents and other protectors properly fulfill their duties.
- Householders should supply food and clothing to sannyāsīs and brāhmaṇas. The beggars mentioned here are not professional beggars.
Try this today
Do one concrete act of care today for someone or a tree entrusted to you.
Ask yourself
Who depends on my care, and how faithfully am I protecting them?
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.