Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.8.6
Mukti· LiberationStay Steady Through Wealth and Poverty
“During the rainy season the swollen rivers rush into the ocean, and during the dry summer the rivers, now shallow, severely reduce their supply of water; yet the ocean does not swell up during the rainy season, nor does it dry up in the hot summer. In the same way, a saintly devotee who has accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the goal of his life sometimes will receive by providence great material opulence, and sometimes he will find himself materially destitute. However, such a devotee of the Lord does not rejoice in a flourishing condition, nor is he morose when poverty-stricken.”
What the purport teaches
- The ocean remains steady whether rivers bring much water or little. Similarly, a saintly devotee is neither elated by material wealth nor dejected by poverty.
- A sincere devotee longs to meet and serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Nārāyaṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure. His joy rests in Kṛṣṇa consciousness rather than material prosperity.
- Insults, temptations and arguments against the Personality of Godhead do not disturb a pure devotee. He remains detached and steady in his blissful Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Try this today
Give a few minutes to remembering and serving Kṛṣṇa today, regardless of whether your circumstances feel favorable.
Ask yourself
Does my happiness depend more on material circumstances or on remembering and serving Kṛṣṇa?
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.