Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.12.21
Āśraya· The supreme shelterMaterial Life Blossoms but Bears Bitter Fruit
“Just as woven cloth rests on the expansion of lengthwise and crosswise threads, similarly the entire universe is expanded on the lengthwise and crosswise potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is situated within Him. The conditioned soul has been accepting material bodies since time immemorial, and these bodies are like great trees sustaining one’s material existence. Just as a tree first blossoms and then produces fruit, similarly the tree of material existence, one’s material body, produces the various results of material existence.”
What the purport teaches
- The universe rests on the Supreme Lord's potency as cloth rests on its lengthwise and crosswise threads. It is always dependent on Him and nondifferent from Him.
- Material life may seem to blossom with happiness, yet it eventually bears the bitter fruits of old age, death and other catastrophes. The material body is therefore compared to a tree sustaining material existence.
- Attachment to the body and its inclination toward sense gratification is the root cause of material existence. Understanding the world's dependence on the Supreme Lord can relieve the soul from endless wandering in māyā.
Try this today
When one desire for bodily enjoyment arises today, pause and remember that its pleasant results cannot last.
Ask yourself
What apparent blossom of material happiness am I expecting to provide lasting fulfillment?
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.