Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.5.23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesServe the Lord Through His Devotees
“O Muni, in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brāhmaṇas who were following the principles of Vedānta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.”
What the purport teaches
- Despite humble parentage and a lack of proper education, Śrī Nārada Muni became an immortal sage through service to the Lord. Such is the power of devotional service.
- Service to the Lord begins with service to His bona fide servants. One should accept as spiritual master a genuine servant constantly engaged in the Lord’s service.
- The spiritual master is the transparent medium through whom the Lord reveals Himself in proportion to service rendered. Under such guidance, our energy and everything around us can be used to glorify the Lord.
Try this today
Offer practical help with one small task supporting the service of a genuine devotee.
Ask yourself
How could you direct more of your energy toward serving a genuine servant of the Lord?
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.