Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.15.34
Mukti· LiberationDevotional Service Is Yoga’s True Perfection
“Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.”
What the purport teaches
- All mystic perfections available through birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can be achieved by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Pursuing these powers for their own sake wastes time and obstructs Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Yoga is meant to satisfy the Lord’s senses, not our own. Giving up Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet to seek happiness in mystic powers leads to frustration.
- By meditating exclusively on Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one achieves the ultimate goal of yoga. This means living on His planet and enjoying spiritual opulences there.
Try this today
Spend a quiet minute meditating on Lord Kṛṣṇa, with the intention of pleasing Him rather than gaining any power.
Ask yourself
Am I approaching devotional service to satisfy Kṛṣṇa or to gain something for myself?
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.