Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPure Hearing Requires Pure Motives
“O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are a learned and pure devotee of the Lord because the Personality of Godhead is your chief object of service. Therefore please describe to us the pastimes of the Lord, which are above all material conception, for we are anxious to receive such messages.”
What the purport teaches
- A qualified speaker has Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the sole object of worship and service. A qualified audience is eager to hear about Him.
- A speaker seeking income and an audience seeking material benefits cannot derive real benefit from such discourses. Their motives leave the hearing contaminated by material qualities.
- The discussions between Sūta Gosvāmī and the sages had no motive for material gain. Both speaker and audience relished unlimited transcendental pleasure and could continue hearing and speaking.
Try this today
Before reading today, pause and form the intention to hear about Kṛṣṇa for His service rather than for material gain.
Ask yourself
Am I hearing about the Lord to serve Him, or mainly to obtain something for myself?
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.