Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.7.39
Mukti· LiberationLearn Devotion From Bona Fide Guides
“Spotless devotees of the Lord have mentioned the source of such knowledge. How could one have knowledge of devotional service and detachment without the help of such devotees?”
What the purport teaches
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not approve seeking self-realization without a spiritual master. Even Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted Sāndīpani Muni as His spiritual master.
- A spiritual master must be bona fide, belonging to the proper chain of disciplic succession called the paramparā system.
- Scholarship alone does not make someone spotless; an anagha-sūri is a pure devotee of the Lord. Serious seekers of pure devotion should take advantage of the authorized devotional literature prepared by pure devotees.
Try this today
Read a short passage from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam today and note one teaching about devotional service.
Ask yourself
Am I seeking devotional knowledge from pure devotees in the proper disciplic succession?
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.