Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.17.22
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Supreme Lord Is Equal to All
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally disposed toward all living entities. Therefore no one is very dear to Him, and no one is a great enemy for Him; no one is His friend, and no one is His relative. Being unattached to the material world, He has no affection for so-called happiness or hatred for so-called distress. The two terms happiness and distress are relative. Since the Lord is always happy, for Him there is no question of distress.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally disposed toward all living entities. He does not divide them into favorites, enemies, friends or relatives.
- The Lord is unattached to the material world. He has neither affection for material happiness nor hatred for material distress.
- Material happiness and distress are relative terms. The Lord is always happy, so there is no question of distress for Him.
Try this today
Spend one quiet minute reflecting that the Lord is equally disposed toward you and someone you find difficult.
Ask yourself
Do I mistakenly imagine that the Lord shares my material preferences and dislikes?
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.