Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.19.4
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesTake Shelter and Offer Simply
“[She should then pray to the Lord as follows.] My dear Lord, You are full in all opulences, but I do not beg You for opulence. I simply offer my respectful obeisances unto You. You are the husband and master of Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, who has all opulences. Therefore You are the master of all mystic yoga. I simply offer my obeisances unto You.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete. Although complete units emanate from Him, He remains complete.
- A pure devotee takes shelter of the Lord and does not ask Him for anything. The complete Supreme Lord supplies whatever His devotee needs.
- There is no need to artificially exert oneself in worship. One can be plain and simple, offering respectful obeisances and whatever one can secure, even a leaf, flower, fruit or water.
Try this today
Offer the Lord a little water with respectful obeisances, without asking for anything in return.
Ask yourself
Can I approach the Lord with respect rather than a request for opulence?
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.