Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.1.26
Sthāna· The universe in orderSee the Universe With a Service Attitude
“Persons who have realized it have studied that the planets known as Pātāla constitute the bottoms of the feet of the universal Lord, and the heels and the toes are the Rasātala planets. The ankles are the Mahātala planets, and His shanks constitute the Talātala planets.”
What the purport teaches
- Everything in the manifested world rests on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet seeing the world as something to dominate is not God realization.
- Meditation on the universal form has little effect unless the service attitude is revived. The Lord always remains Supreme Spirit, unaffected by the three material qualities.
- The description begins with the Lord’s feet, as is fitting in devotion. Pātāla, Rasātala, Mahātala and Talātala are described as His soles, heels and toes, ankles, and shanks.
Try this today
Before using one material resource today, pause and consider how to use it in service to the Lord rather than merely for your own enjoyment.
Ask yourself
Where can I replace a desire to dominate with a willingness to serve?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.