Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.22.29-30
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesWork for the Satisfaction of Viṣṇu
“The city of Barhiṣmatī, rich in all kinds of wealth, was so called because Lord Viṣṇu’s hair dropped there from His body when He manifested Himself as Lord Boar. As He shook His body, this very hair fell and turned into blades of evergreen kuśa grass and kāśa [another kind of grass used for mats], by means of which the sages worshiped Lord Viṣṇu after defeating the demons who had interfered with the performance of their sacrifices.”
What the purport teaches
- A place directly connected with the Supreme Lord is called pīṭha-sthāna. Barhiṣmatī was exalted by its connection with Lord Varāha, not merely by its wealth.
- The Lord’s fallen hairs became grass used by the sages in worship. Yajña means Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Yajñārtha-karma means work done only for Viṣṇu’s satisfaction. Work for sense gratification or another purpose binds the worker; work for His satisfaction frees one from its reactions.
Try this today
Before one task today, pause and consciously undertake it for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu.
Ask yourself
Is my purpose in work my own gratification or the Lord’s satisfaction?
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.