Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.4.17
Āśraya· The supreme shelterDedicate Your Qualities to the Lord
“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-auspicious Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa again and again because the great learned sages, the great performers of charity, the great workers of distinction, the great philosophers and mystics, the great chanters of the Vedic hymns and the great followers of Vedic principles cannot achieve any fruitful result without dedication of such great qualities to the service of the Lord.”
What the purport teaches
- Learning, charity, leadership, philosophy and religious practices lead to perfection only when employed in the Lord’s service. Without this dedication, even great qualities can become sources of trouble.
- Personal selfishness and extended selfishness have no qualitative difference. Our true self-interest reaches perfection when it agrees with the Lord’s interest.
- The aim of work, charity and other endeavors should be the Lord’s pleasure. Hearing about Him in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam helps us become God conscious.
Try this today
Choose one task today and, before beginning, explicitly dedicate your effort to the Lord’s service and pleasure.
Ask yourself
How could one of my abilities or daily efforts be directed toward the Lord’s pleasure rather than my own satisfaction?
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.