Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.14.11
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyShare Necessities and Give Up Ownership
“Dogs, fallen persons and untouchables, including caṇḍālas [dog-eaters], should all be maintained with their proper necessities, which should be contributed by the householders. Even one’s wife at home, with whom one is most intimately attached, should be offered for the reception of guests and people in general.”
What the purport teaches
- Householders should supply life's necessities to everyone, human or animal, regardless of good or bad qualities. No one is excluded from this provision.
- Help should provide what is needed rather than supply excess that may be misused. The purport emphasizes thoughtful provision of necessities.
- Engaging one's wife in receiving guests is explained as a way to loosen excessive attachment and the claim of ownership. Even the idea of owning one's family must gradually be abandoned.
Try this today
Share a needed food item with someone today without expecting anything in return.
Ask yourself
How can I care for my family and others without thinking of them as my possessions?
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.