Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.7.50
Āśraya· The supreme shelterViṣṇu Is the Origin and Inner Guide
“Lord Viṣṇu replied: Brahmā, Lord Śiva and I are the supreme cause of the material manifestation. I am the Supersoul, the self-sufficient witness. But impersonally there is no difference between Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Me.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Viṣṇu is the supreme cause: Brahmā appeared from His body, and Śiva appeared from Brahmā. Before creation, only Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, existed.
- As the Supersoul within everyone, Lord Viṣṇu directs from within. He first educated Brahmā from within the heart.
- Everything comes from the Lord, is maintained by Him and is dissolved by His energy. Because His energies come from Him, everything is simultaneously different from Him and the same.
Try this today
Pause before one task and remember that Lord Viṣṇu is the source, maintainer and witness of everything.
Ask yourself
How does remembering the Lord as your inner guide affect your sense of dependence on Him?
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.