Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.57
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesRemember the Lord’s Transcendental Activities
“My dear Dhruva, besides worshiping the Deity and chanting the mantra three times a day, you should meditate upon the transcendental activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His different incarnations, as exhibited by His supreme will and personal potencies.”
What the purport teaches
- Devotional service includes hearing, chanting, remembering and worshiping. Dhruva is advised to remember the Lord’s transcendental activities along with Deity worship and mantra chanting.
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears by His supreme will and internal potency. Unlike a conditioned soul, He is not forced by karma or material nature to accept a body.
- Meditating on the Lord’s pastimes is as valuable as meditating on His form. Chanting His different names is also valuable, and the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is especially recommended in this age.
Try this today
Chant once attentively: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord appears by His own will shape my remembrance of 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.