Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.16.7
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Lovingly Serves His Devotees
“The Lord continued: Because I am the servitor of My devotees, My lotus feet have become so sacred that they immediately wipe out all sin and I have acquired such a disposition that the goddess of fortune does not leave Me, even though I have no attachment for her, while others praise her beauty and observe sacred vows to secure from her even a slight favor.”
What the purport teaches
- The devotee attributes good qualities to serving the Lord, while the Lord attributes His increased glories to His affection for His devotee. Their relationship is transcendentally beautiful.
- As the devotee is eager to serve the Lord, the Lord is eager to serve the devotee. He connects the purifying greatness of His lotus feet with this affection.
- The goddess of fortune does not leave Him, although He is unattached to her. He cannot tolerate His devotee’s inconvenience and is therefore known as bhakta-vatsala.
Try this today
Take one small step to ease a devotee’s inconvenience today.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s affection encourage me to serve Him willingly?
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.