Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.6.28
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyReceive Even Enemies Without Hostility
“Mahārāja Bali, a most celebrated king of the demons, knew very well when to make peace and when to fight. Thus although his commanders and captains were agitated and were about to kill the demigods, Mahārāja Bali, seeing that the demigods were coming to him without a militant attitude, forbade his commanders to kill them.”
What the purport teaches
- Vedic etiquette teaches that visiting enemies should be received so well that they forget the animosity between the two parties.
- Bali Mahārāja knew when to make peace and when to fight. Seeing the demigods approach without a militant attitude, he stopped his agitated commanders from killing them.
- Even during their fighting, the Pāṇḍavas and Kurus visited one another’s camps as friends when the day was over. During these meetings, they would offer what the other party wanted.
Try this today
Greet someone with whom you have tension calmly and courteously today.
Ask yourself
How can I receive someone with whom I disagree without making them feel threatened?
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.