Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.61
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionLoving Service Gives Strength to Tolerate
“O soul of the universe, the conditioning of one’s personality in material life is very strong, and therefore it is very difficult even for learned men to tolerate the offenses committed against them by ignorant people. Only Your devotees, who are fixed in Your loving service and who have achieved peace by residing at Your lotus feet, are able to tolerate such offenses.”
What the purport teaches
- The conditioned personality is very strong because of long material association. Even learned people find it difficult to tolerate offenses committed against them.
- Devotees fixed in the Lord’s loving service find peace at His lotus feet and can tolerate such offenses. Theoretical learning alone cannot make one actually saintly.
- One should advance in hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord and humbly take shelter at His lotus feet. He has explained the real meaning of knowledge to Śrī Uddhava.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes hearing or chanting the Supreme Lord’s glories, humbly seeking shelter at His lotus feet.
Ask yourself
Am I relying only on what I know, or also seeking peace through the Lord’s loving service?
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.