Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.24.59
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionPlain Living and Advancement in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
“Although the demons who take possession of the government are dressed like men of government, they do not know the duty of the government. Consequently, by the arrangement of God, such demons, who possess great military strength, fight with one another, and thus the great burden of demons on the surface of the earth is reduced. The demons increase their military power by the will of the Supreme, so that their numbers will be diminished and the devotees will have a chance to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
What the purport teaches
- The real duty of government is to help people advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not to increase military power unnecessarily. The purport calls for protection of genuine brāhmaṇas and cows.
- Devotees work to release conditioned souls from birth and death, while demons obstruct that work. The verse describes Kṛṣṇa arranging conflict among such demons to reduce the earth’s burden.
- Civilization is not meant for unnecessary hard labor for temporary sense pleasure. Devotees teach plain living and Kṛṣṇa conscious advancement so that people can return home, back to Godhead.
Try this today
Replace one unnecessary pursuit of sense pleasure today with a few minutes of study about Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What unnecessary effort for temporary pleasure could you reduce to make time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
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.