Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.10.28
Ūti· What drives us to actSee Consequences Through Eyes of Knowledge
“O pleasure of the Rākṣasa dynasty, because of you the state of Laṅkā and also we ourselves now have no protector. By your deeds you have made your body fit to be eaten by vultures and your soul fit to go to hell.”
What the purport teaches
- Rāvaṇa’s deeds left both Laṅkā and his wives without a protector. Mandodarī lamented the consequences he had brought upon them.
- The purport describes two consequences of following Rāvaṇa’s path: the body becomes food for scavengers, and the soul enters a hellish condition. Envy and cruelty bring condemnation under the laws of nature.
- Even while grieving, Mandodarī understood what would happen to Rāvaṇa’s body and soul. Such understanding comes through eyes of knowledge, not merely through material sight.
Try this today
Before acting on one envious or cruel impulse today, pause and consider its consequences.
Ask yourself
Do I consider the consequences of my actions beyond what I can immediately see?
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.