Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.33.3
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord’s Will Is Fully Independent
“My dear Lord, although personally You have nothing to do, You have distributed Your energies in the interactions of the material modes of nature, and for that reason the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation take place. My dear Lord, You are self-determined and are the Supreme Personality of Godhead for all living entities. For them You created this material manifestation, and although You are one, Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is inconceivable to us.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord personally has nothing to do, yet everything is accomplished through His diverse energies. No one is greater than Him or equal to Him.
- We depend on Him to fulfill our desires, but His will depends on no one. What is inconceivable for ordinary living entities is easily done by Him.
- The Lord supplies the necessities of the many living entities through His inconceivable energy. Although unlimited, He allows Himself to be known through authoritative Vedic literature.
Try this today
Before beginning one planned task today, pause and acknowledge your dependence on the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How might recognizing your dependence on the Lord change the way you approach your plans?
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.