Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.40
Ūti· What drives us to actPurify the Senses Through Devotional Service
“My dear Lord, O infallible one, my position is like that of a person who has many wives, all trying to attract him in their own way. For example, the tongue is attracted to palatable dishes, the genitals to sex with an attractive woman, and the sense of touch to contact with soft things. The belly, although filled, still wants to eat more, and the ear, not attempting to hear about You, is generally attracted to cinema songs. The sense of smell is attracted to yet another side, the restless eyes are attracted to scenes of sense gratification, and the active senses are attracted elsewhere. In this way I am certainly embarrassed.”
What the purport teaches
- The senses pull us in different directions, each seeking its own satisfaction. These material attractions disturb the purpose of human life: God realization.
- Devotional service means purifying the senses. Restraining their activities, especially those of the greedy tongue, is necessary for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- God realization begins with hearing and chanting the Lord’s holy name. The purport identifies this hearing and chanting as the only method of controlling the senses.
Try this today
Replace a few minutes of entertainment listening today with hearing and chanting the Lord’s holy name.
Ask yourself
Which sense most often pulls my attention away from devotional service?
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.