Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.12
Mukti· LiberationOffer Prayers Regardless of Material Position
“Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories.”
What the purport teaches
- High birth, wealth, aristocracy and beauty are not qualifications for devotional service. One can offer prayers without considering one’s material position.
- The devotional attitude is, “God is great, and I am very small.” With this understanding, one accepts the duty of offering prayers to the Lord.
- Only through devotional service can one understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is. Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore decided to offer his best prayers according to his ability.
Try this today
Offer a short, sincere prayer to the Lord in your own words, using whatever understanding you have.
Ask yourself
Do you let your background or abilities make you feel unfit to offer prayers?
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.