Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.20.1
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesTrue Guidance Leads to Kṛṣṇa
“Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, when Bali Mahārāja was thus advised by his spiritual master, Śukrācārya, his family priest, he remained silent for some time, and then, after full deliberation, he replied to his spiritual master as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- Bali Mahārāja remained silent and carefully considered his spiritual master's advice before replying.
- A spiritual master's duty is to help the disciple advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and return to Godhead. One who opposes devotion to Lord Viṣṇu should not be accepted as a guru.
- The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bali Mahārāja decided that the Lord should be pleased even when his guru advised otherwise.
Try this today
Pause before one important decision today and consider whether it supports your devotional service.
Ask yourself
Does the guidance I follow help me develop devotion to 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.