Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.24.61
Āśraya· The supreme shelterUse the Lord’s Energies in His Service
“My dear Lord, You have manifold energies, and these energies are manifested in manifold forms. With such energies You have also created this cosmic manifestation, and although You maintain it as if it were permanent, You ultimately annihilate it. Although You are never disturbed by such changes and alterations, the living entities are disturbed by them, and therefore they find the cosmic manifestation to be different or separated from You. My Lord, You are always independent, and I can clearly see this fact.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Kṛṣṇa’s many energies are grouped as external, internal and marginal. He creates, maintains and destroys the cosmic manifestation without Himself being changed or disturbed.
- The conditioned soul forgets the Lord and tries to enjoy independently. This false idea of separation makes material energy troublesome, although it never troubles the independent Supreme Lord.
- A devotee knows how to use material energy in the Lord’s service and therefore finds no disturbance in it. Material existence means forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Use a few minutes of your time today for the Lord’s service, consciously remembering that this energy belongs to Him.
Ask yourself
What could I use in the Lord’s service instead of treating it as something for my independent enjoyment?
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.