Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.8.15-16
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBad Association Can Undermine Spiritual Progress
“Formerly, in his previous birth, Asamañjasa had been a great mystic yogī, but by bad association he had fallen from his exalted position. Now, in this life, he was born in a royal family and was a jāti-smara; that is, he had the special advantage of being able to remember his past birth. Nonetheless, he wanted to display himself as a miscreant, and therefore he would do things that were abominable in the eyes of the public and unfavorable to his relatives. He would disturb the boys sporting in the river Sarayū by throwing them into the depths of the water.”
What the purport teaches
- In his previous birth, Asamañjasa had been a great mystic yogī. Through bad association, he fell from that exalted position.
- In this life, he was born in a royal family and was a jāti-smara, able to remember his previous birth.
- Nevertheless, he deliberately displayed himself as a miscreant through activities disturbing to the public and his relatives. He troubled boys playing in the Sarayū by throwing them into deep water.
Try this today
Step back today from one interaction that encourages harmful behavior.
Ask yourself
Which associations in my life support spiritual progress, and which weaken it?
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.