Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.5.16
Ūti· What drives us to actCross Māyā Through Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
“[Nārada Muni had said that there is a river flowing in both directions. The Haryaśvas understood the purport of this statement.] Material nature functions in two ways — by creation and dissolution. Thus the river of material nature flows both ways. A living entity who unknowingly falls in this river is submerged in its waves, and since the current is swifter near the banks of the river, he is unable to get out. What will be the benefit of performing fruitive activities in that river of māyā?”
What the purport teaches
- Material nature is like a river flowing toward both creation and dissolution. Temporary fruitive activities cannot free someone who is being tossed by its waves.
- Māyā acts under the Supreme Lord’s direction. The same māyā can help release the living entity when he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.
- Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes both knowledge from Vedic literature and the practice of austerity. Understanding how māyā works and how to become free is one’s first duty.
Try this today
Give up one small comfort today to make time for reading Vedic literature with attention.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking freedom from material life, or merely becoming busier within it?
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.