Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.3.15
Ūti· What drives us to actWorship Without Personal Motives
“O Lord, You perform many wonderful activities. Our only aim was to acquire a son by performing this great sacrifice; therefore our intelligence is not very sharp. We are not experienced in ascertaining life’s goal. By inviting You to this negligible sacrifice for some material motive, we have certainly committed a great offense at Your lotus feet. Therefore, O Lord of lords, please excuse our offense because of Your causeless mercy and equal mind.”
What the purport teaches
- The priests regretted inviting the Supreme Lord for an insignificant material purpose. They asked Him to forgive them through His causeless mercy.
- A pure devotee does not demand to see the Lord for personal satisfaction. The devotee depends on His mercy and sees Him when He is pleased.
- Approaching the Lord in distress or for material gain is pious, but it is not pure devotion. A pure devotee worships without personal motives and is ready to carry out the Lord’s order.
Try this today
Examine one request you make in prayer, and add a sincere prayer for readiness to serve without personal gain.
Ask yourself
Where do I place personal demands ahead of readiness to serve the Lord?
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.