Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.29.38
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionService Rather Than Personal Enjoyment
“Therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show us mercy. To approach Your lotus feet we abandoned our families and homes, and we have no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are burning with intense desires generated by Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel among men, please make us Your maidservants.”
What the purport teaches
- Garga predicted that Kṛṣṇa would manifest all the opulences of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa. The gopīs ask Him to show that mercy by granting them direct service.
- They did not abandon their families and homes to secure a higher pleasure for themselves. Their simple plea for service reveals their pure-hearted devotion.
- Their concern is Kṛṣṇa’s happiness. If seeing His face makes them happy while He pursues His own happiness, they see no harm in that.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service today, pause and say, “Kṛṣṇa, may this be for Your happiness.”
Ask yourself
Am I seeking to serve Kṛṣṇa for His happiness or mainly for my own enjoyment?
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.