Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.8.48
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyPeace Through Following the Lord's Directions
“All the Manus offered their prayers as follows: As Your order carriers, O Lord, we, the Manus, are the law-givers for human society, but because of the temporary supremacy of this great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu, our laws for maintaining varṇāśrama-dharma were destroyed. O Lord, now that You have killed this great demon, we are in our normal condition. Kindly order us, Your eternal servants, what to do now.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, teaches varṇāśrama-dharma so that society can live peacefully and advance in spiritual knowledge. It includes four social divisions and four spiritual divisions.
- The Manus compiled the Manu-saṁhitā, giving directions for human life based on varṇa and āśrama. Under rulers like Hiraṇyakaśipu, these systems of law and order are broken, and society loses its peace.
- The purport concludes that real peace requires following the principles of Manu-saṁhitā confirmed by Kṛṣṇa. The Manus identify themselves as the Lord's eternal servants and ask for His next orders.
Try this today
Before one responsibility today, pause and pray for the willingness to follow the Lord's directions.
Ask yourself
How can I approach my responsibilities as service to the Lord rather than as independent activity?
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.