Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.3.20 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPurify the Senses Through the Lord’s Service
“One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like the holes of snakes and a tongue like the tongue of a frog.”
What the purport teaches
- Devotional service can engage every limb and sense. The senses become purified when used in the Lord’s service rather than only for sense gratification.
- Spiritual understanding involves intellect, full senses and sincere, submissive hearing. It is a sensible and logical exchange between teacher and disciple, not an electrical charge.
- The ears are meant to hear the Lord’s messages from Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the tongue is meant to chant His glories. Devotees who have heard from perfect sources should help others hear these messages.
Try this today
Read this verse’s translation aloud, listening carefully as you speak about the Lord.
Ask yourself
How could I use my ears and tongue more fully in the Lord’s service today?
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.