Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.13.16-17
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGuard Against Becoming a Sense Enjoyer
“Seeing the saintly person to be quite fat, Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear sir, you undergo no endeavor to earn your livelihood, but you have a stout body, exactly like that of a materialistic enjoyer. I know that if one is very rich and has nothing to do, he becomes extremely fat by eating and sleeping and performing no work.”
What the purport teaches
- Prahlāda Mahārāja was surprised that the saint had a stout body while making no endeavor to earn his livelihood.
- Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura became anxious when he saw his disciples becoming very fat, concerned that they were becoming bhogīs, or enjoyers of the senses.
- The purport describes how acquiring money can lead to increased sense enjoyment. Its concern is that a life of eating, sleeping and enjoyment does not support spiritual advancement.
Try this today
Today, set aside one unnecessary indulgence and use that time for spiritual study.
Ask yourself
Am I using greater comfort or resources mainly to increase sense enjoyment?
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.