Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.22.17
Ūti· What drives us to actDo Not Let Wealth Eclipse Self-Realization
“Material opulence is so bewildering that it makes even a learned, self-controlled man forget to search for the goal of self-realization. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of the universe, can see everything by His will. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Material opulence can bewilder even a learned, self-controlled person and make him neglect self-realization.
- The purport warns that absorption in material possessions makes people forget God, their relationship with Him and how they should act. It warns that continued neglect can lead to the Lord taking away material opulence.
- Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Lord of the universe, can see everything by His will. Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore offers Him respectful obeisances.
Try this today
Set aside one material pursuit for five minutes and reflect on your relationship with God and how you should act.
Ask yourself
Am I giving more attention to possessions than to my relationship with God?
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.