Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.3.39
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSeek Devotion Without Material Desires
“Being husband and wife but always sonless, you were attracted by sexual desires, for by the influence of devamāyā, transcendental love, you wanted to have Me as your son. Therefore you never desired to be liberated from this material world.”
What the purport teaches
- Vasudeva and Devakī wanted only the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their son. Their attachment arose through devamāyā, transcendental love, although it appeared like ordinary household desire.
- To go back home, back to Godhead, one must become niṣkiñcana, free from material desires. Intense love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes this possible.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us to seek causeless devotional service, birth after birth, rather than wealth, beauty or followers. We should not ask the Lord to fulfill materially tainted desires.
Try this today
Offer one prayer today asking for devotional service rather than a material reward.
Ask yourself
What material expectation could I begin to set aside in my prayers?
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.