Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.23.52
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesLasting Solace Comes Through Spiritual Instruction
“My dear brāhmaṇa, as far as your daughters are concerned, they will find their own suitable husbands and go away to their respective homes. But who will give me solace after your departure as a sannyāsī?”
What the purport teaches
- Devahūti indirectly asks Kardama Muni to leave a suitable son who can relieve her anxieties after his departure.
- The relief she seeks is spiritual instruction, not material comfort. Material comforts end with the body, but spiritual instruction continues with the spirit soul.
- Receiving faithful service brings a duty to reciprocate. The purport describes giving spiritual instruction as a reciprocation of love and duty.
Try this today
Spend five minutes studying the distinction here between material comfort and lasting spiritual relief.
Ask yourself
When I seek solace, do I look only for material comfort, or also for spiritual instruction?
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.