Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.5.41 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Āśraya· The supreme shelterServing Kṛṣṇa Fulfills All Obligations
“O King, one who has given up all material duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even one’s forefathers who have passed away. Since all such classes of living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one who has surrendered to the Lord’s service has no need to serve such persons separately.”
What the purport teaches
- One who has not fully surrendered to the Lord’s devotional service still has material duties to perform. We receive countless benefits from other living beings, family, society and forefathers.
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate source of every benefit. Those who help us act through His mercy, not independently of Him.
- Serving Kṛṣṇa is like watering a tree’s root: all its branches and leaves are nourished. One who takes full shelter of Mukunda and serves Him fulfills all these obligations without serving each recipient separately.
Try this today
Identify one benefit you received today, and thank Kṛṣṇa as its ultimate source.
Ask yourself
How can recognizing Kṛṣṇa as the source of every benefit deepen my gratitude and 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.