Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.15.32
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGoodness Begins With Serving the Supreme Lord
“The sages said: Who are these two persons who have developed such a discordant mentality even though they are posted in the service of the Lord in the highest position and are expected to have developed the same qualities as the Lord? How are these two persons living in Vaikuṇṭha? Where is the possibility of an enemy’s coming into this kingdom of God? The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no enemy. Who could be envious of Him? Probably these two persons are imposters; therefore they suspect others to be like themselves.”
What the purport teaches
- All residents of Vaikuṇṭha engage in the Lord’s service and possess His good qualities. There is no enmity between them and the Lord.
- The basic principle of goodness is to accept subordination to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- No one enters Vaikuṇṭha without fully developing a mentality of devotional service. The sages therefore found the doormen’s suspicion completely out of place.
Try this today
Before one act of devotional service, pause and consciously choose an attitude of humble service to the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
What would accepting your position as the Lord’s servant change in your attitude today?
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.