Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.30.23
Āśraya· The supreme shelterServe the Lord Without Material Attachment
“Dear Lord, we beg to offer our obeisances unto You. When the mind is fixed upon You, the world of duality, although a place for material enjoyment, appears meaningless. Your transcendental form is full of transcendental bliss. We therefore offer our respects unto You. Your appearances as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva are meant for the purpose of creating, maintaining and annihilating this cosmic manifestation.”
What the purport teaches
- A pure devotee whose mind is fixed on the Lord understands that the material world is temporary. Remaining unattached while performing material activities is called anāsakti.
- Everything in this world is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s energy. He accepts forms as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva for creation, maintenance and annihilation, while remaining unaffected by material nature.
- A devotee may appear to perform ordinary material activities, but performs them in the Lord’s service. With the mind fixed on His lotus feet, material enjoyment for sense gratification has no use.
Try this today
During one ordinary task today, remember the Lord and seek to perform it as service rather than for sense gratification.
Ask yourself
How could remembering the Lord change my purpose in an ordinary activity?
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.