Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.2.46
Mukti· LiberationLove, Friendship, Mercy and Wise Distance
“An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikārī, offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- The intermediate devotee offers love to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sincere friendship to His devotees. Such a devotee shows mercy to innocent people who lack spiritual knowledge.
- The intermediate devotee avoids those who are envious of the Lord, without cultivating hatred toward them. This distance protects the devotee from disturbing association and helps prevent further offenses.
- Careful discrimination does not mean a lack of mercy. A devotee may remain distant from an unreceptive person while still considering how to help that person return to the Lord’s service.
Try this today
Make one sincere gesture of friendship toward a devotee today, such as asking how you can help with their service.
Ask yourself
How can I care for someone’s spiritual welfare without forcing a message they are unwilling to hear?
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.