Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.9.24
Āśraya· The supreme shelterDetermined Service Invites the Lord’s Mercy
“I create this cosmos by such penance, I maintain it by the same energy, and I withdraw it all by the same energy. Therefore the potency is penance only.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord creates, maintains and withdraws the cosmos through the same energy of penance.
- One should be determined to return home, back to Godhead, and accept difficulties for that purpose. An easygoing life and perfection in transcendental realization cannot go together.
- True penance is to carry out the Lord’s order, received directly or through a bona fide spiritual master, however painstaking it may be. Steady obedience brings success in attaining His mercy.
Try this today
Complete one small devotional commitment today, even if it requires extra effort.
Ask yourself
How willing am I to accept inconvenience for the sake of devotional service?
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.