Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.23.15
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Perfection of Duty Is Pleasing God
“Śukrācārya said: My Lord, You are the enjoyer and lawgiver in all performances of sacrifice, and You are the yajña-puruṣa, the person to whom all sacrifices are offered. If one has fully satisfied You, where is the chance of discrepancies or faults in his performances of sacrifice?”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord is the supreme proprietor and the enjoyer of all sacrifices. He is the actual person to be satisfied by their performance.
- All divisions of society and orders of life are meant to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu. The highest perfection of prescribed duty is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Since Bali Mahārāja had satisfied the Lord, he had no faults. Śukrācārya admitted that cursing him was not good.
Try this today
Before one duty today, pause and consciously make pleasing the Lord your purpose.
Ask yourself
How would my attitude toward daily duties change if pleasing the Lord were my aim?
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.