Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.19.20
Mukti· LiberationHuman Life Is Meant for Purification
“One who knows that material happiness, whether good or bad, in this life or in the next, on this planet or on the heavenly planets, is temporary and useless, and that an intelligent person should not try to enjoy or even think of such things, is the knower of the self. Such a self-realized person knows quite well that material happiness is the very cause of continued material existence and forgetfulness of one’s own constitutional position.”
What the purport teaches
- The living entity is a spiritual soul, and the material body is his confinement. The real mission of human life is freedom from this material bondage.
- Material happiness, whether here or on heavenly planets, is flickering and temporary. Pursuing it prolongs material existence and makes one forget one’s spiritual position.
- Kṛṣṇa descends to teach spiritual realization and freedom from bondage. Only a Kṛṣṇa conscious person who knows life’s true aim and is free from material desire is peaceful.
Try this today
Before pursuing one bodily pleasure today, pause and recall that human life is meant for purification, not merely temporary enjoyment.
Ask yourself
How would remembering that I am a spiritual soul change what I pursue today?
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.