Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.8.21
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyNurture What Helps Devotional Service
“Please explain unto me how the living beings are generated, how they are maintained, and how they are annihilated. Tell me also of the advantages and disadvantages of discharging devotional service unto the Lord. What are the Vedic rituals and injunctions of the supplementary Vedic rites, and what are the procedures of religion, economic development and sense satisfaction?”
What the purport teaches
- Conditional life is like traveling by boat across an uncertain ocean. Devotees take shelter of the Lord and cross the ocean of material existence by His grace.
- Overeating, dishonest efforts to accumulate wealth, and nonsense talk harm devotional service. A devotee should live honestly and glorify the Lord.
- Devotional service should be enthusiastic and guided by a bona fide spiritual master, not limited to formalities. A devotee should peacefully share devotion without being discouraged by apparent failure.
Try this today
Today, replace one unnecessary conversation with a few words glorifying the Lord’s wonderful creation.
Ask yourself
Which habit in my daily life helps devotional service, and which one hinders it?
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.