Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.36
Mukti· LiberationPurification Leads to Pure Devotion
“A brāhmaṇa observing the great vow of celibacy becomes brilliant like fire and by serious austerity burns to ashes the propensity to perform material activities. Free from the contamination of material desire, he becomes My devotee.”
What the purport teaches
- The spirit soul is more brilliant than the sun. As spiritual purification takes effect, even a devotee’s external form becomes effulgent.
- Spiritual knowledge burns the mentality of sense gratification, bringing austerity and disinterest in mundane enjoyment. The purport describes celibacy as the best austerity for loosening the shackles of material life.
- A pure devotee is amala, free from material desire. In pure devotion, the mind is trained to see only the interests of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service today, pause and consciously make the Lord’s interests your purpose.
Ask yourself
Am I thinking mainly of my own enjoyment, or of the Lord’s interests?
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.