Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.8.27 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Is the Devotee’s Greatest Treasure
“My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.”
What the purport teaches
- A devotee renounces material possessions not for nothing, but to gain something spiritually superior: service to the Lord. The devotees have their treasure at His lotus feet.
- Material hankerings and spiritual advancement go poorly together. Attention spent on unwanted things wastes energy needed for spiritual realization.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-satisfied and never attracted by the material modes. The Lord and His pure devotees are transcendentally attached to one another.
Try this today
Set aside one unnecessary material pursuit today and spend that time repeating the holy name of the Lord.
Ask yourself
What material desire draws my attention away from the treasure of serving 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.