Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.24.27
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesServing the Supreme Lord Pleases the Demigods
“Lord Śiva said: You are all the sons of King Prācīnabarhi, and I wish all good fortune to you. I also know what you are going to do, and therefore I am visible to you just to show my mercy upon you.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śiva knew that the princes intended to worship Lord Viṣṇu through severe austerities and penances. Pleased with their intention, he appeared to show them mercy.
- Even someone who is not yet a devotee but desires to serve the Supreme Lord receives the demigods’ blessings. Worshiping the Supreme Lord pleases them without separate efforts to win their favor.
- The demigods are servants of the Lord and are ready to help His devotees. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa need not separately strive for material opulence or liberation, because devotional service brings all these benefits.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer today expressing your desire to serve the Supreme Lord, without asking for material gain or liberation.
Ask yourself
Am I making devotional service my goal, or treating it as a means to gain something else?
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.