Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.35
Āśraya· The supreme shelterGive the Supreme Lord the Creative Credit
“My dear Lord, this cosmic manifestation and its creation, maintenance and annihilation are all but Your opulences. Since Lord Brahmā and the other creators are nothing but small portions of a portion of You, their partial power to create does not make them God [īśvara]. Their consciousness of themselves as separate Lords is therefore merely false prestige. It is not valid.”
What the purport teaches
- Living entities, from Lord Brahmā to the small ant, have a minute creative quality because they are parts of the Supreme Lord. Their limited power does not make them independent Lords.
- The Lord supplies both creative intelligence and the ingredients used to make things. As the Supersoul within the heart, He is the source of remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.
- Creation, maintenance and annihilation are the Supreme Lord’s opulences. A surrendered devotee recognizes Him as the original creator rather than claiming independent credit.
Try this today
Before using one skill today, pause and thank the Lord for both the intelligence and materials it requires.
Ask yourself
Where might you be taking independent credit for abilities or resources supplied by 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.