Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.17.20
Mukti· LiberationRemember You Are Kṛṣṇa’s Eternal Servant
“This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets, and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness, and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect.”
What the purport teaches
- Material conditions resemble the waves of a constantly flowing river. Curses, favors, happiness and distress have no eternal effect.
- Even the world’s so-called temporary happiness is misery, though ignorance prevents us from recognizing this. Changing material conditions cannot provide lasting relief.
- The living entity should understand that he is Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant and surrender to Him. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer absorbed in distinctions between material happiness and distress.
Try this today
When your mood changes today, pause and remember, “I am an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa,” then do one small act of service.
Ask yourself
How would remembering that I am Kṛṣṇa’s servant change my response to today’s ups and downs?
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.