Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.9.14
Āśraya· The supreme shelterHonor the Lord’s Eternal Transcendental Distinction
“Let me offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Transcendence, who is eternally distinguished by His internal potency. His indistinguishable impersonal feature is realized by intelligence for self-realization. I offer my obeisances unto Him who by His pastimes enjoys the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord is eternally distinguished from the living entities by His internal potency. Self-realized intelligence can also understand His impersonal feature, which devotees respectfully honor.
- Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu creates, maintains and dissolves the material manifestation through His external potency. These activities are His pastimes of enjoyment.
- Brahmā indirectly offers respectful obeisances to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enjoys with the gopīs. Understanding the distinction between the Lord’s internal and external potencies helps one recognize His distinction from the living entities.
Try this today
Offer respectful obeisances to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa today, remembering that He is eternally distinguished from the living entities.
Ask yourself
How does recognizing the Lord’s eternal distinction from me deepen my respect for 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.