Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.12.4
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKṛṣṇa Is the Supreme Controller
“Lord Mahādeva said: O chief demigod among the demigods, O all-pervading Lord, master of the universe, by Your energy You are transformed into the creation. You are the root and efficient cause of everything. You are not material. Indeed, You are the Supersoul or supreme living force of everything. Therefore, You are Parameśvara, the supreme controller of all controllers.”
What the purport teaches
- Although Lord Viṣṇu is present alongside Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, He is not in the same category. He is the chief of all the demigods.
- Lord Śiva addresses Lord Viṣṇu as the master of the universe. Lord Viṣṇu rules the spiritual world and also controls the material world.
- The supreme controller is Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything works in proper order because of His presence, even within the smallest atoms.
Try this today
Reread Lord Śiva’s prayer and pause at the words “the supreme controller of all controllers.”
Ask yourself
How does Lord Śiva’s acknowledgment of the supreme controller shape your understanding of Kṛṣṇa?
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.