Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.19.8
Ūti· What drives us to actTemporary Affection Is Not True Care
“Aggrieved by her husband’s behavior with another, the she-goat thought that the he-goat was not actually her friend but was hardhearted and was her friend only for the time being. Therefore, because her husband was lusty, she left him and returned to her former maintainer.”
What the purport teaches
- The grieving she-goat judged her husband to be hardhearted and a friend only temporarily. She left him and returned to her former maintainer.
- The purport explains that svāmī means “caretaker” or “master.” Here it indicates Devayānī’s return from Yayāti to her former protector, Śukrācārya.
- The purport describes the Vedic arrangement of a woman receiving protection from her father, husband and grown son at successive stages of life, rather than living independently.
Try this today
Offer one small act of care today without seeking any enjoyment or favor in return.
Ask yourself
Does your care for others remain steady when your own enjoyment is not involved?
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.