Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.27.48
Āśraya· The supreme shelterFaithful Deity Worship Deepens Devotion
“Whenever one develops faith in Me — in My form as the Deity or in other bona fide manifestations — one should worship Me in that form. I certainly exist both within all created beings and also separately in My original form, since I am the Supreme Soul of all.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exists within all beings and separately in His original form. One should worship Him in the Deity or another bona fide manifestation in which one develops faith.
- Deity worship is essential for spiritual progress. Through regulated, faithful worship, one gradually understands that the Deity is completely nondifferent from the Supreme Lord Himself.
- As devotion develops, one desires friendship with other devotees. Becoming firmly established in the community of Vaiṣṇavas helps one give up material life and progress toward perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Try this today
Today, make one respectful prayer to the Deity, remembering that the Deity is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How can I approach Deity worship with greater faith rather than seeing the Deity as merely material?
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.