Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.9.49
Mukti· LiberationUnderstand the Lord Through Devotional Service
“Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods nor the human beings can understand Your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service.”
What the purport teaches
- The modes of material nature, the elements, the mind, demigods and human beings all have a beginning and an end. They cannot understand the Supreme Lord by themselves.
- Only by devotional service can the Supreme Personality of Godhead be understood. Wise devotees therefore engage in practical devotional service.
- Once one understands the Lord and engages in His service, further study and severe austerities are not needed for that purpose. Austerities that do not lead to understanding Him are useless.
Try this today
After reading today, offer a brief prayer asking to understand the Lord through serving Him.
Ask yourself
Am I using my study to support practical devotional service?
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.