Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.2.26
Ūti· What drives us to actFamily Attachment Without Spiritual Knowledge
“Like a human being who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to the members of his family, the elephant, being illusioned by the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, had his wives and children bathe and drink the water. Indeed, he raised water from the lake with his trunk and sprayed it over them. He did not mind the hard labor involved in this endeavor.”
What the purport teaches
- The elephant is compared to a human being who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to family members.
- Illusioned by the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, he had his wives and children bathe and drink.
- He drew water with his trunk and sprayed it over them. In his attachment, he did not mind the hard labor.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes amid family duties today to reread this verse and consider its warning about attachment.
Ask yourself
Does attachment ever make me neglect the need for spiritual knowledge?
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.