Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.22.3
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyValue Truthfulness More Than Personal Comfort
“I do not fear being deprived of all my possessions, living in hellish life, being arrested for poverty by the ropes of Varuṇa or being punished by You as much as I fear defamation.”
What the purport teaches
- Bali Mahārāja feared defamation more than losing his possessions, poverty, imprisonment or punishment.
- Although fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not tolerate being known for cheating a brāhmaṇa-brahmacārī.
- The Lord’s counsel was to prevent defamation by offering his head. A Vaiṣṇava does not fear punishment.
Try this today
Review one promise you have made and take a concrete step to keep it.
Ask yourself
Am I willing to accept discomfort rather than leave my word unfulfilled?
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.