Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.3.9
Ūti· What drives us to actPure Devotion Seeks No Material Reward
“One who desires domination over a kingdom or an empire should worship the Manus. One who desires victory over an enemy should worship the demons, and one who desires sense gratification should worship the moon. But one who desires nothing of material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Different desires lead to different modes of worship and different results. Worshiping any demigod does not bring the same destination.
- One who desires no material enjoyment should worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This worship is called devotional service.
- Pure devotional service is service to the Lord without any tinge of material desire, including desires for fruitive activity and empiric speculation. The conclusion is to minimize desires for material enjoyment by worshiping the Supreme Lord.
Try this today
Offer one brief prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa asking only to serve Him, without requesting a material reward.
Ask yourself
What material reward do I still hope to receive through my worship?
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.