Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.23.28
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionRecognize Mercy in Awakening Detachment
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, who contains within Himself all the demigods, must be satisfied with me. Indeed, He has brought me to this suffering condition and forced me to experience detachment, which is the boat to carry me over this ocean of material life.”
What the purport teaches
- The brāhmaṇa sees his suffering as the mercy of Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who contains all the demigods within Himself.
- The demigods award sense gratification through fruitive activities, but they cannot bestow life’s highest benefit. The Lord benefited him by saving him from the ocean of material enjoyment.
- Losing his property brought detachment, compared to a boat across material life. As he became detached, transcendental knowledge awakened within his heart.
Try this today
Reflect on one disappointment and write down whether it has helped loosen an attachment to material enjoyment.
Ask yourself
Has a loss helped me recognize the limits of material enjoyment?
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.