Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.22.5
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord Removes Blinding False Prestige
“Since Your Lordship is indirectly the greatest well-wisher of us demons, You act for our best welfare by posing as if our enemy. Because demons like us always aspire for a position of false prestige, by chastising us You give us the eyes by which to see the right path.”
What the purport teaches
- Bali Mahārāja saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the demons’ greatest well-wisher, even when He appeared to be their enemy.
- Increasing material possessions can make a person increasingly blind to spiritual life.
- False prestige misguides us. The Supreme Lord’s removal of that prestige is a special favor that helps us see the right path.
Try this today
Identify one source of pride and offer a brief prayer for freedom from that false prestige.
Ask yourself
What possession or position makes it harder for me to see my need for spiritual life?
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.