Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.2.60
Mukti· LiberationKnow the Soul and Become a Devotee
“Therefore none of you should be aggrieved for the loss of the body — whether your own or those of others. Only in ignorance does one make bodily distinctions, thinking “Who am I? Who are the others? What is mine? What is for others?””
What the purport teaches
- Bodily distinctions such as “mine” and “others’” arise from ignorance of the spirit soul. Real advancement in civilization means advancement in spiritual knowledge.
- The body changes and eventually perishes, but the living entity within it is never annihilated. Our serious concern should be how to release the soul from material bondage.
- In all circumstances, the spirit soul should be a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. Steady devotion, rather than absorption in bodily friendships and enmities, is the proper spiritual concern.
Try this today
When a thought of “friend” or “enemy” arises today, pause to remember that both you and that person are souls, distinct from the body.
Ask yourself
Which bodily distinction is distracting me from understanding the soul and cultivating devotion?
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.