Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.10.11
Mukti· LiberationKṛṣṇa Alone Is the Ultimate Master
“My dear King, you have unnecessarily accused me of being dead though alive. In this regard, I can only say that this is the case everywhere because everything material has its beginning and end. As far as your thinking that you are the king and master and are thus trying to order me, this is also incorrect because these positions are temporary. Today you are a king and I am your servant, but tomorrow the position may be changed, and you may be my servant and I your master. These are temporary circumstances created by providence.”
What the purport teaches
- The bodily conception is the basic cause of suffering in material existence. The body changes constantly, and positions such as king and servant are temporary.
- No one in the material world is an independent master. Everyone is controlled by material nature, which is under the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate master, and everyone else is His servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship brings suffering.
Try this today
Before one task today, pause and remember: “Kṛṣṇa is the master, and I am His servant.”
Ask yourself
Which temporary role do I sometimes mistake for my true identity?
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.