Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.5.38
Sarga· CreationRespect the Demigods, Worship the Supreme Lord
“The controlling deities of all the above-mentioned physical elements are empowered expansions of Lord Viṣṇu. They are embodied by eternal time under the external energy, and they are His parts and parcels. Because they were entrusted with different functions of universal duties and were unable to perform them, they offered fascinating prayers to the Lord as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- The controlling demigods are empowered parts and parcels of Lord Viṣṇu. They are great devotees entrusted with duties in universal affairs.
- A devotee respects the demigods because they are the Lord’s appointed servants, but does not place them on the same level as Viṣṇu.
- Devotees worship the Supreme Lord for unalloyed devotion, not material benefit. Attaining love of God is the essential aim of human life.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer asking the Supreme Lord for pure devotion rather than material gain.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking material benefits from the Lord, or a loving relationship with Him?
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.