Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.19.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Never Dies
“Unable to see Him, Hiraṇyakaśipu said, “I have searched the entire universe, but I could not find Viṣṇu, who has killed my brother. Therefore, He must certainly have gone to that place from which no one returns. [In other words, He must now be dead.]””
What the purport teaches
- Because Lord Viṣṇu was invisible to him, Hiraṇyakaśipu wrongly concluded that He was dead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead never takes birth or dies.
- Even the living entity, who is part of God, never dies. Both the Lord and the living entity are unborn and inexhaustible personalities.
- Those who complete their Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become free from material desire return to the Lord’s abode without returning here. An imperfect devotee receives a favorable birth to continue developing spiritual consciousness.
Try this today
Set aside a few minutes today for devotional service, remembering the goal of returning to Kṛṣṇa’s abode.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord and the soul never die affect your spiritual priorities?
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.