Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.18.16
Ūti· What drives us to actDo Not Turn Dependence Into an Insult
“You beggar, since you don’t understand your position, why should you unnecessarily talk so much? Don’t all of you wait at our house, depending on us for your livelihood like crows?”
What the purport teaches
- The purport explains that crows depend on remnants of food thrown away by householders.
- Because a brāhmaṇa depends on his disciples, Śarmiṣṭhā compared Devayānī's family to crowlike beggars.
- Having been heavily rebuked, Śarmiṣṭhā answered with contempt. The exchange shows how provocation can lead to a verbal quarrel.
Try this today
Avoid one belittling remark today, especially about someone who needs support.
Ask yourself
Do I ever use someone's dependence on others as a reason to belittle them?
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.