Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.16.48
Āśraya· The supreme shelterAll Activity Depends on the Supreme Lord
“My dear Lord, it is after You endeavor that Lord Brahmā, Indra and the other directors of the cosmic manifestation become occupied with their activities. It is after You perceive the material energy, My Lord, that the senses begin to perceive. The Supreme Personality of Godhead holds all the universes on His heads like seeds of mustard. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, that Supreme Personality, who has thousands of hoods.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Brahmā, Indra and the other directors of the cosmic manifestation act only after the Lord endeavors. Their activities depend on Him.
- The senses begin to perceive only after the Lord perceives the material energy. Even perception depends on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The Lord holds all the universes on His heads like mustard seeds. The prayer offers respectful obeisances to that Supreme Personality, who has thousands of hoods.
Try this today
Before one activity today, pause to acknowledge your dependence on the Lord and offer Him respectful obeisances.
Ask yourself
How might remembering my dependence on the Lord change my attitude toward my abilities?
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.