Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.36
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Creates Yet Remains Unaffected
“The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always independent.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord is the creator, and the living beings are the created. His activities are spotless, and He remains independent while dwelling within every living being.
- He possesses all six opulences: wealth, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. Therefore He is the master of the senses and is beyond material afflictions.
- He creates the universes to reclaim the living beings suffering within them. He maintains and annihilates these universes without being affected, like someone smelling a fragrance without touching its source.
Try this today
Today, pause for one minute to reflect on the Lord’s six opulences and His independence.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s purpose of reclaiming suffering living beings shape my understanding of creation?
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.