Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.44
Nirodha· Winding upReturn Home to Loving Service
“Knowing that Bhīṣmadeva had merged into the unlimited eternity of the Supreme Absolute, all present there became silent like birds at the end of the day.”
What the purport teaches
- Entering the unlimited eternity of the Supreme Absolute means returning to the living being’s original home. As parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead, living beings are eternally related to Him as servants.
- Devotional service revives this original position through practice. Devotees enter the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where they live in freedom while rendering loving service to the Lord.
- Bhīṣmadeva entered a Vaikuṇṭha planet where the Lord’s eternal form of Pārtha-sārathi predominates. His unfailing remembrance and the Lord’s personal presence at his departure reveal the love binding the Lord and His devotee.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service today, pause and remember: “I am eternally related to the Lord as His servant.”
Ask yourself
What does seeing loving service as your original position mean for your life today?
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.