Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.10.22
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesUnity Within the Supreme Lord’s Potency
“These devotees do not differentiate between Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā and me, nor do they differentiate between themselves and other living beings. Therefore, because you are this kind of saintly devotee, we worship you.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva manifest the creating and annihilating potencies of the Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Thus unity exists among these three ruling deities.
- The Supreme Lord’s ruling potency appears in three divisions as Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. One should not find material duality within that potency on the basis of the modes of nature.
- These devotees also do not differentiate between themselves and other living beings. Lord Śiva says that they worship Mārkaṇḍeya because he is such a saintly devotee.
Try this today
Write one sentence recalling that Brahmā and Śiva manifest the creating and annihilating potencies of Viṣṇu.
Ask yourself
How does understanding a shared source help you avoid seeing only material divisions?
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.