Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.20.38
Visarga· Brahmā's creationResponsibility Passed Back and Forth
“Bṛhaspati said to Mamatā, “You foolish woman, although this child was born from the wife of one man through the semen discharged by another, you should maintain him.” Upon hearing this, Mamatā replied, “O Bṛhaspati, you maintain him!” After speaking in this way, Bṛhaspati and Mamatā both left. Thus the child was known as Bharadvāja.”
What the purport teaches
- Bṛhaspati told Mamatā that she should maintain the child.
- Mamatā replied that Bṛhaspati should maintain him. Each directed the responsibility toward the other.
- After this exchange, both Bṛhaspati and Mamatā left. The translation connects their words with the child’s name, Bharadvāja.
Try this today
Choose one small duty you have been passing back to someone else, and take a concrete step to fulfill it today.
Ask yourself
Am I passing a responsibility to someone else while leaving a real need unmet?
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.