Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.19.40
Ūti· What drives us to actCare for the Body Engaged in Service
“When a tree is uprooted it immediately falls down and begins to dry up. Similarly, if one doesn’t take care of the body, which is supposed to be untruth — in other words, if the untruth is uprooted — the body undoubtedly becomes dry.”
What the purport teaches
- Rejecting things without understanding their relationship to Kṛṣṇa is incomplete renunciation. A body fully engaged in His service should not be neglected as material.
- An uncared-for body falls and dries up like an uprooted tree, which can no longer produce flowers and fruit. Proper maintenance and protection are therefore necessary.
- Activities performed to satisfy the Absolute Truth are everlasting, even when performed through a temporary body. Caring for the body supports this service.
Try this today
Attend to one neglected bodily need today, such as a proper meal or adequate rest, with the intention of supporting your service to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How can I better protect and maintain my body for Kṛṣṇa's 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.