Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.5.38
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPure Devotees Seek Service, Not Enjoyment
“Prajāpati Dakṣa continued: Thus committing violence against other living entities and yet claiming to be an associate of Lord Viṣṇu, you are defaming the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You needlessly created a mentality of renunciation in innocent boys, and therefore you are shameless and devoid of compassion. How could you travel with the personal associates of the Supreme Lord?”
What the purport teaches
- Fruitive workers seek enjoyment in this life and perform pious activities for further enjoyment in the next. This outlook can make them angry when young people take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- A pure devotee is not interested in yogic perfection, higher planetary systems or oneness with Brahman. The devotee seeks only to render service to the Personality of Godhead.
- Because Dakṣa was a fruitive worker, he could not appreciate Nārada Muni’s service to his sons. He wrongly accused Nārada of sinful action and of defaming the Lord.
Try this today
Do one small act of devotional service today without asking for material benefit in return.
Ask yourself
Am I drawn to devotional service for its own sake, or mainly for what I hope to gain?
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.