Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.7.20
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Remains Present and Separate
“Although a material object may assume various forms and names, its essential ingredient is always present as the basis of its existence. Similarly, both conjointly and separately, the Supreme Absolute Truth is always present with the created material body throughout its phases of existence, beginning with conception and ending with death.”
What the purport teaches
- Clay can be shaped and named as different kinds of pots, while earth remains their essential ingredient.
- Similarly, the Supreme Lord is present throughout every stage of the material body, from conception to death.
- The Lord is identical with material nature as its ultimate generating source. At the same time, He exists separately, aloof in His own abode.
Try this today
Look at a material object and distinguish its name and shape from its basic substance; then reread the verse’s comparison.
Ask yourself
How does the example of clay help me understand the Lord’s presence amid changing forms?
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.