Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.8.49
Āśraya· The supreme shelterLoving Service Yields Perfect Knowledge
“My dear Lord, the Vedic literatures alone reveal confidential knowledge of Your supreme personality, and thus even such great scholars as Lord Brahmā himself are bewildered in their attempt to understand You through empirical methods. Each philosopher understands You according to his particular speculative conclusions. I worship that Supreme Person, knowledge of whom is hidden by the bodily designations covering the conditioned soul’s spiritual identity.”
What the purport teaches
- The Vedic literatures alone reveal confidential knowledge of the Lord’s supreme personality. Even Brahmā is bewildered by speculative attempts, and philosophers describe the Supreme Truth according to their material conditioning.
- The highest knowledge is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can understand Him only by fully surrendering to Him and serving Him with love.
- Worship mixed with speculation or activities aimed at personal rewards gives mixed and bewildering results. Pure loving service, free from these pursuits, yields perfect knowledge of the Supreme and satisfies the eternal soul.
Try this today
Offer one prayer to Kṛṣṇa today asking only for the opportunity to serve Him with love, without requesting a personal reward.
Ask yourself
Where am I mixing worship with a desire for personal rewards or reliance on my own speculation?
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.