Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.4.3-4
Mukti· LiberationMake Loving Service Your Prime Duty
“O great sages, the great soul Mahārāja Parīkṣit, constantly rapt in thought of Lord Kṛṣṇa, knowing well of his imminent death, renounced all sorts of fruitive activities, namely acts of religion, economic development and sense gratification, and thus fixed himself firmly in his natural love for Kṛṣṇa and asked all these questions, exactly as you are asking me.”
What the purport teaches
- Religion, economic development and sense gratification attract those seeking material prosperity. Knowing that death was near, Mahārāja Parīkṣit renounced these fruitive aims and firmly fixed himself in love for Kṛṣṇa.
- Through association with Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the King understood that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything. He depended wholly upon Him rather than upon activities performed for material results.
- The path of perfection is to accept transcendental loving service to the Lord as the prime duty, free from fruitive reaction. The prayers in the purport express devotion that remains firm whether the Lord gives comfort or difficulty.
Try this today
Spend one minute praying to serve Kṛṣṇa without asking for any material reward.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking material rewards from devotion, or learning to serve Kṛṣṇa without conditions?
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.