Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.23.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Glories Cannot Be Measured
“One who is subject to death cannot measure the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Trivikrama, Lord Viṣṇu, any more than he can count the number of atoms on the entire planet earth. No one, whether born already or destined to take birth, is able to do this. This has been sung by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.”
What the purport teaches
- Vasiṣṭha Muni teaches that no one in the past could measure Lord Viṣṇu’s glories, and no one in the future can do so.
- One should be satisfied with seeing the glorious activities of the Supreme Lord’s creation rather than trying to measure them fully by speculation.
- The Lord pervades and supports the entire universe with a single fragment of Himself. The material creation is only one fourth of His creation; the other three fourths constitute the spiritual world.
Try this today
Observe one feature of creation today and offer a brief expression of praise to the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
Can I appreciate the Lord’s creation without expecting to measure all His glories?
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.