Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.3.9
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord Makes Himself Accessible Through Mercy
“O Lord of lords, we are completely ignorant of the execution of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, the process of liberation, because we do not actually know the goal of life. You have appeared personally before us like a person soliciting worship, but actually You are present here just so we can see You. You have come out of Your abundant and causeless mercy in order to serve our purpose, our interest, and give us the benefit of Your personal glory called apavarga, liberation. You have come, although You are not properly worshiped by us due to our ignorance.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Viṣṇu appeared at the sacrifice for the worshipers’ benefit, not His own. His presence was an expression of abundant, causeless mercy despite their imperfect worship.
- Because we lack transcendental vision, the Lord accepts a Deity form of stone or wood that we can see. In this way, He allows us to offer Him service in the temple.
- The Lord needs none of our offerings, yet He agrees to receive our loving service. His merciful appearance gives us the opportunity for liberation.
Try this today
Offer a prayer of thanks today for the Lord’s willingness to accept loving service despite your limitations.
Ask yourself
How does seeing the Deity as the Lord’s mercy change my attitude toward worship?
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.