Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.11.37
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKṛṣṇa Is Never Bound by Matter
“The common materialistic conditioned souls speculate that the Lord is one of them. Out of their ignorance they think that the Lord is affected by matter, although He is unattached.”
What the purport teaches
- Conditioned souls mistakenly compare Kṛṣṇa with themselves and think He is affected by matter. This misunderstanding comes from judging the Lord by their own limited capacity.
- Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, completely independent. His form and actions are full of knowledge, bliss and eternity.
- The Lord descends by His own potency and causeless mercy, not under the conditions of material nature. His apparently ordinary activities never diminish His divine power or independence.
Try this today
Reread the translation today and write down one difference between your limited capacity and the Lord’s independence.
Ask yourself
When do I assume that Kṛṣṇa must share my own limitations?
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.