Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.20.7
Mukti· LiberationKnow Yourself and the Supreme
“The individual soul is one, pure, nonmaterial and self-effulgent. He is the reservoir of all good qualities, and He is all-pervading. He is without material covering, and He is the witness of all activities. He is completely distinguished from other living entities, and He is transcendental to all embodied souls.”
What the purport teaches
- The purport explains that Lord Viṣṇu is describing Himself as Paramātmā. He is distinct from both the embodied soul and the material world.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is pure, self-effulgent and beyond the material modes. Uncovered by a material body, He witnesses all the living entity’s activities.
- The living entity and Paramātmā are both spirit and are one in quality, yet they differ in many ways. Full knowledge means understanding both one’s own position and the Supreme’s position.
Try this today
Write down one shared spiritual quality and one distinction between the living entity and Paramātmā described in the purport.
Ask yourself
Can I recognize my spiritual nature without overlooking the Supreme Lord’s unique position?
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.