Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.21.2-3
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesLearning and Self-Control Meet in Worship
“Among the great personalities who came to worship the lotus feet of the Lord were those who had attained perfection in self-control and regulative principles, as well as experts in logic, history, general education and the Vedic literature known as kalpe [dealing with old historical incidents]. Others were experts in the Vedic corollaries like Brahma-saṁhitā, all the other knowledge of the Vedas [Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg and Atharva], and also the supplementary Vedic knowledge [Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, etc.]. Others were those who had been freed of the reactions to fruitive activities by transcendental knowledge awakened by practice of yoga. And still others were those who had attained residence in Brahmaloka not by ordinary karma but by advanced Vedic knowledge. After devotedly worshiping the upraised lotus feet of the Supreme Lord with oblations of water, Lord Brahmā, who was born of the lotus emanating from Lord Viṣṇu’s navel, offered prayers to the Lord.”
What the purport teaches
- Great personalities perfected in self-control and regulative principles came to worship the Lord’s lotus feet. Experts in logic, history and Vedic knowledge also came.
- Among the worshipers were those freed from reactions to fruitive activities through knowledge awakened by yoga. Others had reached Brahmaloka through advanced Vedic knowledge, not ordinary karma.
- Lord Brahmā devotedly worshiped the Supreme Lord’s upraised lotus feet with offerings of water and then offered prayers.
Try this today
After studying today, spend one minute offering a prayer to the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How can my learning support devoted worship of the Lord?
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.