Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.17.9
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKnow the Lord’s Glories and Surrender
“My Lord, You are the all-pervading universal form, the fully independent creator, maintainer and destroyer of this universe. Although You engage Your energy in matter, You are always situated in Your original form and never fall from that position, for Your knowledge is infallible and always suitable to any situation. You are never bewildered by illusion. O my Lord, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord independently creates, maintains and destroys the universe through His energy. He always remains in His original form and is never bewildered by illusion.
- To become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, one should understand the Lord’s glories as far as possible. Everything in the universe is an expansion of His potency, like sunshine and heat expanding from the sun.
- One who surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead surpasses the influence of illusion. The Lord within the heart gives the intelligence needed to remain free from illusion.
Try this today
Notice one thing around you and remember it as an expansion of the Lord’s potency; then offer Him a short prayer for guidance.
Ask yourself
How can understanding the Lord’s glories deepen my willingness 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.