Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.7.30
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionSurrender and Depend on the Lord’s Mercy
“Śrī Bhṛgu said: My dear Lord, all living entities, beginning from the highest, namely Lord Brahmā, down to the ordinary ant, are under the influence of the insurmountable spell of illusory energy, and thus they are ignorant of their constitutional position. Everyone believes in the concept of the body, and all are thus submerged in the darkness of illusion. They are actually unable to understand how You live in every living entity as the Supersoul, nor can they understand Your absolute position. But You are the eternal friend and protector of all surrendered souls. Therefore, please be kind toward us and forgive all our offenses.”
What the purport teaches
- Identifying the body as the self makes it very difficult to understand the Supersoul or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhṛgu included himself among those who had committed offenses.
- The remedy is to surrender to Viṣṇu and pray for forgiveness. One should depend on the Lord’s causeless mercy, not on one’s own strength.
- The Lord is everyone’s friend and is especially friendly to the surrendered soul. He protects those who remain surrendered to Him from material contamination.
Try this today
Offer a brief prayer acknowledging one offense, asking the Lord’s forgiveness and expressing dependence on His mercy.
Ask yourself
Where am I relying on my own strength instead of seeking the Lord’s mercy?
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.