Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.30.21
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord’s Presence Purifies the Heart
“The great sage Maitreya said: After the Personality of Godhead spoke thus, the Pracetās began to offer Him prayers. The Lord is the bestower of all success in life and is the supreme benefactor. He is also the supreme friend who takes away all miserable conditions experienced by a devotee. In a faltering voice, due to ecstasy, the Pracetās began to offer prayers. They were purified by the presence of the Lord, who was before them face to face.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord is the bestower of the ultimate goal of life and the devotee’s greatest friend. Whatever success we seek depends on His mercy.
- The Lord’s presence removed the Pracetās’ material contamination, just as sunrise removes darkness. Purified and filled with ecstasy, they offered prayers with faltering voices.
- The Lord and His holy name are identical. By chanting and hearing, a devotee becomes purified, and Kṛṣṇa cleanses the desire for material enjoyment from the heart.
Try this today
Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for a few minutes, carefully hearing the names you speak.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord and His name are identical affect the way I chant?
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.