Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.1.31
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionDevotion Brings Kṛṣṇa’s Personal Association
“My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the gopīs by their lusty desires, Kaṁsa by his fear, Śiśupāla and other kings by envy, the Yadus by their familial relationship with Kṛṣṇa, you Pāṇḍavas by your great affection for Kṛṣṇa, and we, the general devotees, by our devotional service, have obtained the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.”
What the purport teaches
- Different persons receive different kinds of liberation according to their intense desire, called bhāva. The verse describes several ways people obtained Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
- The gopīs’ desires were based on intense love for Kṛṣṇa, not material lust. Their love and worldly lust are compared to gold and iron.
- Kaṁsa and other enemies merged into Brahman. Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, however, attain His association as constant companions in Vṛndāvana or the Vaikuṇṭha planets.
Try this today
Offer a brief prayer expressing your desire to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What does the distinction between liberation and personal companionship with Kṛṣṇa mean to me?
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.