Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.2.6
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSaintly Mercy Goes Beyond Karma
“Those who worship the demigods receive reciprocation from the demigods in a way just corresponding to the offering. The demigods are attendants of karma, like a person’s shadow, but sādhus are actually merciful to the fallen.”
What the purport teaches
- The demigods award happiness and distress according to a living being’s karma. Like a shadow following the body, they cannot reward or punish independently of the Lord’s laws.
- Pure devotees are merciful regardless of a person’s pious or impious actions. Their teaching can lead a person to give up fruitive activity and mental speculation and surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Through association with a pure devotee, we can understand our position as eternal servants of God. Devotional service dissolves material attachment and past reactions, bringing spiritual freedom in the Lord’s service.
Try this today
Reread one teaching from this purport about serving the Lord, and consider how to follow it today.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking rewards for my actions, or guidance toward becoming a surrendered servant of the Lord?
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.