Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.9.11
Mukti· LiberationDevotional Service Matures Through Devotee Association
“Dhruva Mahārāja continued: O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service I shall surely be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent.”
What the purport teaches
- Dhruva Mahārāja especially asked for the association of pure devotees. Without such association, devotional service does not mature or become fully relishable.
- Constant devotional activity is compared to the waves of an incessantly flowing river. Eagerly hearing the Lord’s qualities and pastimes makes the dangerous ocean of material existence easy to cross.
- Devotional service in this world and in the spiritual world is the same service, at different stages of maturity. Like a ripening mango, it becomes more relishable through the association of devotees.
Try this today
Arrange a short time today to hear or discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with a devotee.
Ask yourself
How can I make association with devotees a more regular part of my life?
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.