Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.42
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionServe the Servants of the Lord
“O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, original spiritual master of the entire world, what is the difficulty for You, who manage the affairs of the universe, in delivering the fallen souls engaged in Your devotional service? You are the friend of all suffering humanity, and for great personalities it is necessary to show mercy to the foolish. Therefore I think that You will show Your causeless mercy to persons like us, who engage in Your service.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is especially favorable to those who follow His pure devotee’s instructions. Becoming the servant of His servant is more fruitful than proudly seeking to serve Him directly.
- We understand the science of the Supreme Lord through paramparā, the succession of spiritual teachers. Taking shelter of a pure devotee and serving that devotee brings perfection in devotional service.
- Prahlāda Mahārāja asks for the shelter of the Lord’s dear devotee so that he may serve and please the Lord. He seeks this mercy for all fallen souls, not only for himself.
Try this today
Choose one instruction from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport here and make a concrete plan to follow it today.
Ask yourself
How can I seek service to the Lord’s devotees rather than recognition for myself?
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.