Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.11.12
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyLet Devotion Show Through Exemplary Behavior
“Because you are a pure devotee of the Lord, the Lord is always thinking of you, and you are also recognized by all His confidential devotees. Your life is meant for exemplary behavior. I am therefore surprised — why have you undertaken such an abominable task?”
What the purport teaches
- Dhruva Mahārāja was accustomed to always thinking of the Lord. The Lord reciprocally always thinks of His pure devotees.
- A pure devotee knows nothing beyond the Lord, and the Lord knows nothing beyond His pure devotee. This is their close, reciprocal relationship.
- Recognized by the Lord’s pure devotees, Dhruva was meant to act so that others could learn from him. Manu therefore questioned his killing of so many faultless Yakṣas.
Try this today
Before one interaction today, pause to remember the Lord and choose behavior that others could learn from.
Ask yourself
What example does my behavior offer to someone learning about devotion?
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.