Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.19.21
Nirodha· Winding upTreasure the Association of Great Devotees
“We shall all wait here until the foremost devotee of the Lord, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, returns to the supreme planet, which is completely free from all mundane contamination and all kinds of lamentation.”
What the purport teaches
- Beyond the material creation is the spiritual sky, full of Vaikuṇṭha planets. There is no material contamination, birth, death, old age or disease there.
- Goloka Vṛndāvana is the supreme spiritual planet, the abode of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His specific associates. The sages foresaw that Mahārāja Parīkṣit would reach this abode.
- A great devotee’s entrance into the kingdom of God is not a cause for lamentation, yet losing that devotee’s visible company brings sorrow. The sages therefore chose to remain with the King until his last moment.
Try this today
Spend a few attentive minutes today in a devotee’s company, appreciating the opportunity rather than taking it for granted.
Ask yourself
How can I better value the company of the Lord’s devotees while it is available?
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.