Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.11.27
Āśraya· The supreme shelterSurrender Without Personal Ambition
“My dear boy Dhruva, please surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the ultimate goal of the progress of the world. Everyone, including the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā, is working under His control, just as a bull, prompted by a rope in its nose, is controlled by its owner.”
What the purport teaches
- Material existence begins when we forget the supreme controller and wish to lord it over nature. Everyone, including the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā, works under His control.
- Svāyambhuva Manu urged Dhruva Mahārāja to surrender in all respects without keeping personal ambition. His wish to annihilate the Yakṣas was a remaining trace of false ambition.
- The Lord is death for demons and eternal life for devotees. Those who continuously serve Him continue their service beyond this life, exchanging material bodies for spiritual bodies.
Try this today
Identify one controlling impulse today and pray for help to serve the Lord instead of pursuing that ambition.
Ask yourself
What personal ambition makes it difficult for me to accept the Lord’s control?
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.