Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.19.16
Mukti· LiberationReplace Lasting Desire with Devotional Happiness
“For those who are too attached to material enjoyment, sense gratification is very difficult to give up. Even when one is an invalid because of old age, one cannot give up such desires for sense gratification. Therefore, one who actually desires happiness must give up such unsatisfied desires, which are the cause of all tribulations.”
What the purport teaches
- Time weakens the body, but desires for sense gratification can remain strong even in old age.
- These unsatisfied desires cause tribulations. One who truly desires happiness should give them up through the practice of bhakti-yoga.
- In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one gains increasing happiness by performing duties for Kṛṣṇa. Advancement in this service subdues the strong desire for sexual enjoyment.
Try this today
Devote five minutes today to a duty for Kṛṣṇa instead of an unnecessary sense pleasure.
Ask yourself
Am I cultivating happiness in service to Kṛṣṇa, or waiting for material desires to fade by themselves?
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.