Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.87.17
Āśraya· The supreme shelterDevotion Gives Human Life Its Purpose
“Only if they become Your faithful followers are those who breathe actually alive, otherwise their breathing is like that of a bellows. It is by Your mercy alone that the elements, beginning with the mahat-tattva and false ego, created the egg of this universe. Among the manifestations known as anna-maya and so forth, You are the ultimate one, entering within the material coverings along with the living entity and assuming the same forms as those he takes. Distinct from the gross and subtle material manifestations, You are the reality underlying them all.”
What the purport teaches
- Human life is a fortunate opportunity to worship our most well-wishing benefactor. Without becoming His faithful followers, our breathing is compared to that of a bellows.
- Material nature works under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The elements could not combine to produce the universe without His mercy.
- Reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness need not be difficult: despite our weaknesses, we can willingly become His trusting and trustworthy servants. He asks us to think of Him, become His devotees, offer obeisances and worship Him.
Try this today
Today, offer one deliberate bow to Kṛṣṇa, remembering His invitation to become His devotee.
Ask yourself
How can I use this human life to become a more trusting servant of Kṛṣṇa?
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.