Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.84.32-33
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Supreme Lord Is Never Covered
“The Supreme Lord’s awareness is never disturbed by time, by the creation and destruction of the universe, by changes in its own qualities, or by anything else, whether self-caused or external. But although the consciousness of the Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme one without a second, is never affected by material distress, by the reactions of material work or by the constant flow of nature’s modes, ordinary persons nonetheless think that the Lord is covered by His own creations of prāṇa and other material elements, just as one may think that the sun is covered by clouds, snow or an eclipse.”
What the purport teaches
- Created things decay, destroy themselves or are destroyed by external forces. Even while they continue to exist, their qualities constantly change.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead’s awareness is never disrupted by time, material distress, reactions of work or nature’s modes. Only ignorance makes Him seem like an ordinary human being.
- The Lord cannot be covered by His own expansions. Just as clouds appear to cover the sun to an observer, material conditions only seem to cover Him.
Try this today
Read the sun-and-cloud comparison once today, then reflect for a moment on the Lord’s undisturbed awareness.
Ask yourself
Do I sometimes project my own material limitations onto the Supreme Lord?
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.