Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.3.2 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Āśraya· The supreme shelterService Makes Material Things Spiritual
“The King of the elephants, Gajendra, said: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, Vāsudeva [oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya]. Because of Him this material body acts due to the presence of spirit, and He is therefore the root cause of everyone. He is worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahmā and Śiva, and He has entered the heart of every living being. Let me meditate upon Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Vāsudeva is the Supreme Person, the root cause of everyone, and present in every heart. Even Brahmā and Śiva worship Him.
- By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, material things become spiritual when engaged in His service. Therefore, the Deity should not be regarded as merely stone, nor the spiritual master as an ordinary human being.
- Oṁkāra is the sound representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It indicates the Supreme Person, not an impersonal or formless truth.
Try this today
Recite “oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya” slowly, offering your respects to the Supreme Person.
Ask yourself
How might remembering that service makes things spiritual change the way I use my body?
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.