Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.13.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGuard Devotional Service Against False Pride
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, Brahmā himself, who is born directly from the body of the Lord and who is the creator of all living entities within the material world, being the best of the demigods, seriously contemplated the question of his sons headed by Sanaka. The intelligence of Brahmā, however, was affected by his own activities of creation, and thus he could not discover the essential answer to this question.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmā seriously considered his sons' question, but his intelligence was affected by his activities of creation, and he could not find the essential answer.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa had blessed Brahmā with realized knowledge and instructed him to follow His injunctions carefully. Brahmā had also affirmed his zealous shelter at the feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Brahmā's bewilderment gives a grave lesson to the Lord's empowered representatives. Even an exalted position in devotional service does not remove the danger of false pride.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service today, pause and check whether pride is entering your attitude.
Ask yourself
When you do something well in service, how do you guard against false pride?
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.