Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.16.38
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionReceive Mercy Through the Spiritual Master
“O Lord, although this Kāliya, the king of the serpents, has taken birth in the mode of ignorance and is controlled by anger, he has achieved that which is difficult for others to achieve. Embodied souls, who are full of desires and are thus wandering in the cycle of birth and death, can have all benedictions manifested before their eyes simply by receiving the dust of Your lotus feet.”
What the purport teaches
- Although Kāliya was born in ignorance and controlled by anger, he received a benediction difficult for others to attain. The Lord personally danced upon his hoods.
- Freedom from illusion and perfect consciousness of the Absolute Truth are very rare for a conditioned soul. Kāliya attained this benediction through the Lord’s lotus feet.
- We can receive the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet through His representative, the bona fide spiritual master. Through this mercy, we can return to Godhead, forever free from material misery and ignorance.
Try this today
Reread the purport and offer a prayer for guidance from the Lord’s bona fide representative.
Ask yourself
How can I become more receptive to the Lord’s mercy through the bona fide spiritual master?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.