Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.15.42
Mukti· LiberationAim Your Life at the Supreme Lord
“The ten kinds of air acting within the body are compared to the spokes of the chariot’s wheels, and the top and bottom of the wheel itself are called religion and irreligion. The living entity in the bodily concept of life is the owner of the chariot. The Vedic mantra praṇava is the bow, the pure living entity himself is the arrow, and the target is the Supreme Being.”
What the purport teaches
- The ten kinds of life air supply energy for bodily activities and are compared to the spokes of the chariot’s wheels. Religious and irreligious activities are represented by the upper and lower portions of those wheels.
- In conditioned life, one seeks happiness in this material world without understanding that Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the goal. Purification means giving up the bodily conception and false identification with community, nation or family.
- The purified living entity is the arrow, and transcendental chanting of praṇava or the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the bow. Through this devotional service, one aims toward the Lord and receives the benefit of returning home, back to Godhead.
Try this today
Spend a few quiet minutes chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, remembering the Supreme Lord as your goal.
Ask yourself
How clearly is reaching the Supreme Lord the target of my daily efforts?
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.