Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.9.6
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPenance Leads Us Back to Godhead
“While thus engaged in thinking, in the water, Brahmājī heard twice from nearby two syllables joined together. One of the syllables was taken from the sixteenth and the other from the twenty-first of the sparśa alphabets, and both joined to become the wealth of the renounced order of life.”
What the purport teaches
- The syllables ta and pa form tapa, or penance, the wealth of the renounced order. Human life is meant for self-realization, not merely for sense gratification.
- Brahmā was initiated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself and became a devotee before constructing the universe. His example directs us toward devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The disciple receives initiation through disciplic succession and accepts the path of tapasya. Chanting the holy mantra is the shelter of the desireless pure devotee.
Try this today
Set aside one unnecessary pleasure today and use that time to chant the Lord’s holy name.
Ask yourself
Where could I give more attention to self-realization rather than sense gratification?
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.