Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.18.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesWelcome the Lord and Offer Service
“Bali Mahārāja then said to Lord Vāmanadeva: O brāhmaṇa, I offer You my hearty welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for You. We think of You as the personified austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.”
What the purport teaches
- Bali Mahārāja offered Lord Vāmanadeva a hearty welcome and respectful obeisances.
- He asked the Lord to let them know what they could do for Him. His welcome expressed a readiness to serve.
- Addressing Him as a brāhmaṇa, Bali Mahārāja regarded Him as the personified austerity of the great brāhmaṇa-sages.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer expressing your willingness to serve the Lord today.
Ask yourself
How can you cultivate Bali Mahārāja’s readiness to ask what service is needed?
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.