Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.15.12
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionAll Favors Come Through Kṛṣṇa’s Grace
“It was by His influence only that in a fight I was able to astonish the personality of god Lord Śiva and his wife, the daughter of Mount Himālaya. Thus he [Lord Śiva] became pleased with me and awarded me his own weapon. Other demigods also delivered their respective weapons to me, and in addition I was able to reach the heavenly planets in this present body and was allowed a half-elevated seat.”
What the purport teaches
- By the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, all the demigods, including Lord Śiva, were pleased with Arjuna. One can achieve all favors simply by pleasing the Supreme Lord.
- Devotees of the Supreme Lord know how to respect the demigods without considering them equal to Him. Favor from a demigod does not necessarily mean favor from Kṛṣṇa.
- The benefits of demigod worship are partial and perishable, and heavenly enjoyment ends when the results of pious acts are exhausted. Arjuna’s entry into heaven in his present body was possible simply by the Lord’s grace.
Try this today
Before one devotional activity today, pause and make pleasing Kṛṣṇa your intention.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking temporary benefits, or making pleasing Kṛṣṇa my goal?
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.