Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.5.35
Mukti· LiberationKnowledge Follows Loving Service
“Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service to the Lord, and what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor.”
What the purport teaches
- Work performed to satisfy the Lord’s mission is bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service. It is above both karma and jñāna and does not depend on them.
- The Lord wants living beings to return to Him rather than suffer material miseries. Work done for His satisfaction gradually purifies material attachment, and spiritual knowledge accompanies that purification.
- Knowledge without devotional service cannot lead one back to Godhead. A devotee engaged in pure service, especially hearing and chanting the Lord’s glories, becomes spiritually enlightened by divine grace.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes reading the Lord’s glories aloud, making His satisfaction your purpose.
Ask yourself
Is my study helping me serve the Lord, or am I treating knowledge as a goal by itself?
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.