Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.22.7
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHear Eagerly and Serve Faithfully
“I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words.”
What the purport teaches
- One should eagerly hear instructions from a bona fide spiritual master and carry them out. His purpose is to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness in those who have forgotten it.
- The spiritual master understands a person’s abilities and directs them toward suitable service. Cooking, writing, artistic work and other abilities can become service to the Lord.
- The spiritual master’s instruction and the disciple’s faithful execution together make the process perfect. The disciple should accept that instruction as his life and soul.
Try this today
Set aside a few uninterrupted minutes to hear a bona fide spiritual master’s teaching, and note one instruction to follow.
Ask yourself
Which ability of mine could be better engaged in service under spiritual guidance?
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.