Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.3.18
Ūti· What drives us to actLife Beyond the Body’s Outer Condition
“I have been very much astonished to see your endurance. In spite of being eaten and bitten by all kinds of worms and ants, you are keeping your life air circulating within your bones. Certainly this is wonderful.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmā was astonished by Hiraṇyakaśipu’s endurance. Though worms and ants had eaten his body, his life air continued circulating within his bones.
- The purport explains that the soul can remain even when only the bones remain, as shown by Hiraṇyakaśipu’s example.
- Great yogīs in samādhi can remain alive in a transcendental state despite being buried for long periods. Their outward bodily condition does not fully reveal their living state.
Try this today
Spend one quiet minute reflecting on the distinction between the soul and the body’s outer condition.
Ask yourself
How does this account challenge my tendency to identify life only with the visible body?
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.