Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.26
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionDevotional Service Transcends Material Birth
“O my Lord, O Supreme, because I was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which was never offered even to Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva or the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī? You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have put it upon mine.”
What the purport teaches
- Prahlāda Mahārāja was astonished that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed His lotus hand on his head. The Supreme Personality of Godhead’s causeless mercy may be bestowed upon anyone, regardless of material position.
- Everyone is eligible to worship the Supreme Lord. Continuous, full devotional service carries one beyond the modes of material nature to the spiritual platform.
- The pure Vaiṣṇava’s body is spiritualized even in this life through full engagement in the Lord’s service. The purport compares this to iron becoming red-hot in fire.
Try this today
Set aside five minutes today for devotional service, remembering that your material background does not disqualify you.
Ask yourself
Do I let my background or material position discourage me from serving the Lord?
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.