Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.5.27
Āśraya· The supreme shelterTake Shelter of the Always-Awake Lord
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead directly and indirectly knows how everything, including the living force, mind and intelligence, is working under His control. He is the illuminator of everything and has no ignorance. He does not have a material body subject to the reactions of previous activities, and He is free from the ignorance of partiality and materialistic education. I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal, all-pervading and as great as the sky and who appears with six opulences in three yugas [Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara].”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Lord directly and indirectly knows every activity within His creation. He knows the living entities, their senses, minds and intelligence.
- The Lord is always awake, witnessing our activities and giving direction. Unlike us, He has no material body formed by past deeds and is never covered by ignorance.
- In Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa appears as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, acting as a devotee rather than declaring Himself the Supreme Lord. Intelligent persons worship Him by saṅkīrtana-yajña, the congregational chanting of His names.
Try this today
Take one minute today to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa as an act of worship.
Ask yourself
How might remembering that the Lord is always aware of me deepen my willingness to take shelter of Him?
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.