Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.9.7
Ūti· What drives us to actThe Earth Accepts a Sinful Burden
“In return for King Indra’s benediction that ditches in the earth would be filled automatically, the land accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa. Because of those sinful reactions, we find many deserts on the surface of the earth.”
What the purport teaches
- The earth accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa. In return, Indra granted that ditches would fill automatically.
- The translation describes deserts as manifestations of those reactions. The purport calls them the earth’s diseased condition.
- The purport states that auspicious ritualistic ceremonies cannot be performed in deserts. It also understands those destined to live there as sharing the reactions of brahma-hatyā, the killing of a brāhmaṇa.
Try this today
Write one sentence identifying the earth’s benediction and the burden it accepted.
Ask yourself
How does this account emphasize the seriousness of killing a brāhmaṇa?
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.