Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.2.11
Āśraya· The supreme shelterRevive Devotional Culture Through Chanting
“The basic principle of brahminical culture is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu, the personification of sacrificial and ritualistic ceremonies. Lord Viṣṇu is the personified reservoir of all religious principles, and He is the shelter of all the demigods, the great pitās, and the people in general. When the brāhmaṇas are killed, no one will exist to encourage the kṣatriyas to perform yajñas, and thus the demigods, not being appeased by yajña, will automatically die.”
What the purport teaches
- The basic principle of brahminical culture is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu. He is the reservoir of religious principles and the shelter of living beings.
- Hiraṇyakaśipu planned to destroy brahminical culture and stop yajña, bringing disturbances throughout the world. Yet Hari is the cause of everything, including the brāhmaṇas and yajña, rather than dependent on them.
- Lord Caitanya recommended chanting the Lord’s holy name to revive brahminical culture. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement promotes this chanting so that people may become happy and peaceful and prepare for elevation in the next life.
Try this today
Spend a few attentive minutes chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra today, with the intention of pleasing the Lord.
Ask yourself
How can I keep satisfying the Lord at the center of my spiritual practice?
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.