Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.7.9
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Is Never Overpowered by Māyā
“Śrī Maitreya said: Certain conditioned souls put forward the theory that the Supreme Brahman, or the Personality of Godhead, is overcome by illusion, or māyā, and at the same time they maintain that He is unconditioned. This is against all logic.”
What the purport teaches
- The material energy belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He is never overpowered by it. Calling Him both unconditioned and overcome by illusion contradicts logic.
- Living entities are the Lord’s energy, not the energetic source. Like sunrays covered by clouds, they can be overcome by material energy through misuse of their minute independence.
- The Lord remains apart from material influence while creating, maintaining and annihilating the universe through His agencies. Those who sincerely engage in His transcendental loving service can understand His difficult activities to some extent.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the sun-and-cloud example, then offer a brief prayer for sincere loving service to the Lord.
Ask yourself
How can I approach the Lord’s inconceivable activities with a sincere desire to serve rather than equating Him with myself?
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.