Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.2.52
Mukti· LiberationGive Up Ownership, Serve with Equal Care
“When a devotee gives up the selfish conception by which one thinks “This is my property, and that is his,” and when he is no longer concerned with the pleasures of his own material body or indifferent to the discomforts of others, he becomes fully peaceful and satisfied. He considers himself simply one among all the living beings who are equally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a satisfied Vaiṣṇava is considered to be at the highest standard of devotional service.”
What the purport teaches
- A satisfied Vaiṣṇava gives up selfish ideas of “mine” and “someone else’s” and is not indifferent to others’ suffering. He sees himself as one among the living beings who are equally parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Seeing living beings equally does not mean considering them equal to the Supreme Lord. Living beings remain eternally individual servants, while Kṛṣṇa is the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Giving up personal ownership does not mean rejecting things useful in Kṛṣṇa’s service. A devotee uses favorable things for the Lord and cares about bringing others to devotional service, where their suffering can end.
Try this today
Choose one possession today and use it in a small act of devotional service.
Ask yourself
How could I use something I call “mine” for Kṛṣṇa’s service rather than only for my own pleasure?
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.