Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.11.31
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyPerform Duties Suited to Your Nature
“My dear King, brāhmaṇas well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sections of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death.”
What the purport teaches
- Brāhmaṇas well versed in Vedic knowledge prescribe duties according to people's material modes of nature and the age concerned. Such conduct is described as auspicious in this life and after death.
- The purport teaches that performing one's own prescribed duties, even imperfectly, is better than performing another person's duties well.
- The purport distinguishes the standards applied to different sections of society and to animals and humans. It uses these distinctions to explain why occupational duties vary.
Try this today
Choose one responsibility that is yours and complete it carefully today, even if you cannot do it perfectly.
Ask yourself
Am I neglecting my own responsibilities while wishing to perform someone else's?
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.