Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.27.24
Mukti· LiberationWelcome the Lord With Full Attention
“The devotee conceives of the Supersoul, whose presence surcharges the devotee’s body, in the form corresponding to his realization. Thus the devotee worships the Lord to his full capacity and becomes fully absorbed in Him. By touching the various limbs of the Deity and chanting appropriate mantras, the devotee should invite the Supersoul to join the Deity’s form, and then the devotee should worship Me.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord pervades the devotee’s body just as the glow of a lamp pervades a house. The devotee worships according to realization and full capacity.
- By touching the Deity’s limbs and chanting appropriate mantras, the devotee enthusiastically invites the Supersoul to enter the Deity’s form. The purport compares this to welcoming a guest.
- The Deity and the Supersoul are not different: both are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One form of the Lord can immediately become manifest in another.
Try this today
Before worship today, pause and remember that the Deity and the Supersoul are the same Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How can I bring a more welcoming and attentive spirit to worship?
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.