Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.20.34
Ūti· What drives us to actFear of Rejection Led to Tragedy
“O King Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Bharata had three pleasing wives, who were daughters of the King of Vidarbha. When all three of them bore children who did not resemble the King, these wives thought that he would consider them unfaithful queens and reject them, and therefore they killed their own sons.”
What the purport teaches
- Mahārāja Bharata had three pleasing wives, all daughters of the King of Vidarbha.
- Their children did not resemble the King. The queens feared that he would consider them unfaithful and reject them.
- Because of this fear, they killed their own sons. The verse records the tragic harm caused by their response to anticipated rejection.
Try this today
If you fear someone’s judgment today, pause before acting and distinguish what you know from what you only fear.
Ask yourself
How can fear of what others might think distort your judgment?
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.