Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.7.54
Āśraya· The supreme shelterPeace Through Unity in Diversity
“The Lord continued: One who does not consider Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva or the living entities in general to be separate from the Supreme, and who knows Brahman, actually realizes peace; others do not.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu are three and therefore distinct, yet they are also one. This simultaneous oneness and difference is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva.
- Milk and yogurt illustrate this relationship: yogurt comes from milk but has become changed. Oneness does not remove every distinction.
- Real peace comes from seeing everything in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with no one independent of Him. Diverse manifestations are one in Viṣṇu because everything expands from His energy.
Try this today
Look at three different things around you and remember that each is a manifestation of Viṣṇu’s energy.
Ask yourself
How could recognizing unity without denying differences help you cultivate peace?
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.