Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.31.14 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Āśraya· The supreme shelterServe Kṛṣṇa, the Root of Everything
“As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the root of everything. Serving Him automatically serves the demigods, just as watering a tree’s root nourishes its branches.
- Supplying food to the stomach satisfies the senses without separately feeding each one. Similarly, separate service to the demigods is unnecessary when one serves Kṛṣṇa.
- Although karma and jñāna need bhakti to succeed, bhakti does not require their help. Pure devotional service should remain free from their covering, with Kṛṣṇa at the center.
Try this today
Spend a minute contemplating the tree-root example, then offer a short prayer of devotion directly to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What would it mean for me to place Kṛṣṇa at the center of my efforts today?
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.