Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.15.8
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Devotee’s Mercy Opens Service
“Because He was near me, it was possible for me to conquer with great dexterity the powerful King of heaven, Indradeva, along with his demigod associates and thus enable the fire-god to devastate the Khāṇḍava Forest. And only by His grace was the demon named Maya saved from the blazing Khāṇḍava Forest, and thus we could build our assembly house of wonderful architectural workmanship, where all the princes assembled during the performance of Rājasūya-yajña and paid you tributes.”
What the purport teaches
- Maya took shelter of Arjuna when threatened by the fire and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s wheel. Both ceased pursuing him when they saw that Arjuna had given him protection.
- Maya wished to repay Arjuna, but Arjuna declined anything in exchange. Kṛṣṇa, pleased that Maya had taken shelter of a devotee, asked him to build an assembly house for King Yudhiṣṭhira.
- By a devotee’s grace, one obtains the Lord’s mercy. By the Lord’s mercy, one receives an opportunity to serve His devotee.
Try this today
Offer one small, practical help to a devotee today as an expression of gratitude.
Ask yourself
How could gratitude for a devotee’s kindness become an opportunity for service?
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.