Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.3.21
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyFaithfulness Matters; Know the Facts
“O my daughter, who were born in a respectable family, how have you degraded your consciousness in this way? How is it that you are shamelessly maintaining a paramour? You will thus degrade the dynasties of both your father and your husband to hellish life.”
What the purport teaches
- Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Vedic culture strictly protects faithfulness in marriage. Accepting another partner while one's husband is present is described as degrading both families.
- The purport says these marriage rules are strictly observed in respectable families of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas.
- King Śaryāti did not know the real facts of Cyavana Muni’s transformation. His rebuke of his daughter arose from this misunderstanding.
Try this today
Before criticizing someone today, ask one calm question to clarify the facts.
Ask yourself
Do I sometimes judge someone's conduct before knowing the real facts?
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.