Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.20
Āśraya· The supreme shelterRevive Spiritual Life Through Devotional Service
“My dear Lord, everyone in this material world is under the modes of material nature, being influenced by goodness, passion and ignorance. Everyone — from the greatest personality, Lord Brahmā, down to the small ant — works under the influence of these modes. Therefore everyone in this material world is influenced by Your energy. The cause for which they work, the place where they work, the time when they work, the matter due to which they work, the goal of life they have considered final, and the process for obtaining this goal — all are nothing but manifestations of Your energy. Indeed, since the energy and energetic are identical, all of them are but manifestations of You.”
What the purport teaches
- Everything happens under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His various energies. As the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, He gives inspiration for action according to each person’s mentality.
- Working according to the material senses keeps us in material life. Acting according to the Lord’s transcendental direction places us in spiritual life.
- Bhakti, devotional service, means giving up material designations and serving directly under the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This revives our original spiritual position and is real liberation.
Try this today
Pause before one action today and ask whether it serves only your senses or can be done in service to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Am I shaping my goal around material desires or the Lord’s direction to surrender to Him?
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.