Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.3.12
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKṛṣṇa Is the Supreme Controller
“Yamarāja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose.”
What the purport teaches
- Yamarāja immediately explained that he is not the supreme controller. His authority extends only to a department of living entities: human beings who perform sinful activities.
- Above Yamarāja and all other demigods is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. Those who manage the different departments of the universe are insignificant in comparison to Him.
- The Supreme Lord is the cause of all causes. Like the horizontal and vertical threads of a woven cloth, He supports the entire cosmic manifestation.
Try this today
Pause before one responsibility today and remember that Kṛṣṇa, not you, is the supreme controller.
Ask yourself
How does remembering Kṛṣṇa’s supreme authority change my view of my own control?
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.