Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.81
Āśraya· The supreme shelterTake Shelter of the Lord in Difficulty
“The demigods said: Dear Lord, You are the refuge of all moving and nonmoving living entities. We feel all living entities to be suffocating, their breathing processes choked up. We have never experienced such a thing. Since You are the ultimate shelter of all surrendered souls, we have therefore approached You; kindly save us from this danger.”
What the purport teaches
- The influence of Dhruva Mahārāja’s devotional service reached even the demigods. Facing an unfamiliar danger, they approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead for shelter.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls both material and spiritual entities and is master of both worlds. Therefore it is better to approach Him in every problematic situation.
- Fully surrendered devotees know how to use everything in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. In this way, everything in the world becomes very pleasing to them.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer about one difficulty you face, asking the Lord to help you use the situation in His loving service.
Ask yourself
How might taking shelter of the Lord change the way you respond to a difficulty 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.