Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.10.6
Mukti· LiberationPure Devotion Surpasses Every Reward
“Lord Śiva replied: Surely this saintly brāhmaṇa does not desire any benediction, not even liberation itself, for he has attained pure devotional service unto the inexhaustible Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śiva explains that the saintly brāhmaṇa desires no benediction. Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi is uninterested in any reward available on any planet within the universe.
- He does not desire even liberation, because he has achieved the Supreme Lord Himself.
- He has attained pure devotional service unto the inexhaustible Personality of Godhead. Devotional service, rather than a separate reward, is his fulfillment.
Try this today
Offer one small act of devotional service today without asking for a reward.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking devotional service itself, or mainly hoping for something in return?
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.