Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.12.5
Āśraya· The supreme shelterServe the Lord, Shelter of Everyone
“My dear Dhruva, come forward. May the Lord always grace you with good fortune. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond our sensory perception, is the Supersoul of all living entities, and thus all entities are one, without distinction. Therefore begin rendering service unto the transcendental form of the Lord, who is the ultimate shelter of all living entities.”
What the purport teaches
- The Absolute Truth is ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a specific transcendental form. His form is not material, and He is beyond material sensory perception.
- Living entities are His marginal energy: they are not different from Him, yet they are not equal to Him. Nothing exists independently of the Lord.
- Serving the supreme form includes service to other living entities. Just as watering a tree’s root nourishes its leaves, twigs, flowers and fruits, service to the Lord benefits all.
Try this today
Set aside a brief time today to offer service to the Lord, remembering Him as everyone’s ultimate shelter.
Ask yourself
How does the example of watering a tree’s root deepen my understanding of serving the Lord?
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.