Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.16.42-43
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKnow the Lord Beyond Material Identification
“Obeisances unto You, who are the ultimate soul of the physical elements, of the subtle basis of perception, of the senses, of the vital air of life, and of the mind, intelligence and consciousness. By Your arrangement the infinitesimal spirit souls falsely identify with the three modes of material nature, and their perception of their own true self thus becomes clouded. We offer our obeisances unto You, the unlimited Supreme Lord, the supremely subtle one, the omniscient Personality of Godhead, who are always fixed in unchanging transcendence, who sanction the opposing views of different philosophies, and who are the power upholding expressed ideas and the words that express them.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord is the ultimate soul of the physical elements, perception, senses and vital air. He is also the ultimate soul of mind, intelligence and consciousness.
- By His arrangement, infinitesimal spirit souls falsely identify with the three modes of material nature. This identification clouds their perception of their true selves.
- The unlimited, omniscient Personality of Godhead remains fixed in unchanging transcendence. He sanctions opposing philosophical views and upholds both expressed ideas and the words expressing them.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the distinction between your true self and your changing thoughts, then offer obeisances to the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How might identification with my mind and senses be clouding my understanding of my true self?
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.