Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.15.23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPraise Qualities Only When They Manifest
“O gentle reciters, offer such prayers in due course of time, when the qualities of which you have spoken actually manifest themselves in me. The gentle who offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not attribute such qualities to a human being, who does not actually have them.”
What the purport teaches
- Gentle devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead know who is God and who is not. They do not attribute His qualities to a human being who lacks them.
- Although Pṛthu Mahārāja was truly an incarnation, he asked the reciters to wait until the qualities they praised became manifest.
- No one should engage followers in praising qualities merely expected to develop in the future. The purport explains that such praise is actually an insult.
Try this today
Choose one quality you wish to develop, and make one quiet effort to practice it today rather than seeking praise for it.
Ask yourself
Do I seek recognition for qualities I hope to develop but have not yet shown?
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.