Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.9.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDirect Effort Toward the Lord’s Satisfaction
“The beautiful Personality of Godhead addressed Lord Brahmā: O Brahmā, impregnated with the Vedas, I am very much pleased with your long-accumulated penance with the desire for creation. Hardly am I pleased with the pseudo mystics.”
What the purport teaches
- Penance may be undertaken for one’s own sense gratification or for self-realization and the Lord’s satisfaction. Severe effort alone does not please Him.
- The Lord wants His parts and parcels to return home to Godhead and attain eternal life and bliss. Brahmā’s penance served this purpose, so the Lord was pleased with him.
- The ultimate purpose of Vedic knowledge is to know the Lord. Using it for ulterior motives instead of this purpose is the way of pseudo transcendentalists.
Try this today
Before studying today, pause and state your intention: “May this study help me know and satisfy the Lord.”
Ask yourself
Is my spiritual effort directed toward knowing and satisfying the Lord, or toward an ulterior motive?
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.