Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.18.23
Ūti· What drives us to actMarriage Requires More Than Attraction
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Because such a marriage is not sanctioned by regular scriptures, King Yayāti did not like it, but because it was arranged by providence and because he was attracted by Devayānī’s beauty, he accepted her request.”
What the purport teaches
- Yayāti initially disliked a marriage not sanctioned by regular scriptures. Yet he accepted Devayānī's request because of providence and his attraction to her beauty.
- The purport explains that the Vedic system carefully examined compatibility through horoscopes and family considerations. Wealth or beauty alone did not determine a match.
- Its central teaching is that compatibility supports a happy marriage, whereas inequality can bring unhappiness. Śrīla Prabhupāda stresses careful consideration rather than marriage based merely on mutual liking.
Try this today
Write down one aspect of compatibility, beyond wealth or beauty, that deserves careful consideration in marriage.
Ask yourself
When considering a lasting relationship, do I look beyond attraction to genuine compatibility?
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.