Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.15.46
Ūti· What drives us to actTake Shelter of Gaura-Nitāi
“Otherwise, if one does not take shelter of Acyuta and Baladeva, then the senses, acting as the horses, and the intelligence, acting as the driver, both being prone to material contamination, inattentively bring the body, which acts as the chariot, to the path of sense gratification. When one is thus attracted again by the rogues of viṣaya — eating, sleeping and mating — the horses and chariot driver are thrown into the blinding dark well of material existence, and one is again put into a dangerous and extremely fearful situation of repeated birth and death.”
What the purport teaches
- Without shelter of Acyuta and Baladeva, the senses and intelligence can carelessly lead the bodily chariot toward sense gratification. Renewed attraction to material enjoyment keeps one in the fearful cycle of birth and death.
- The fallen soul must take shelter of the lotus feet of Gaura-Nitāi to emerge from the dark well of material existence. Their mercy and strength dispel the darkness of ignorance.
- Speculative knowledge alone is insufficient to escape the clutches of matter. One must depend on the protection and strength of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.
Try this today
Offer respectful obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda today, asking for Their shelter and strength.
Ask yourself
Where am I relying on my own intelligence instead of seeking the shelter and strength of Gaura-Nitāi?
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.