Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.5.30
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Rules Over Māyā
“No one can overcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s illusory energy [māyā], which is so strong that it bewilders everyone, making one lose the sense to understand the aim of life. That same māyā, however, is subdued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who rules everyone and who is equally disposed toward all living entities. Let us offer our obeisances unto Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Under māyā, living entities forget that the aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead.
- The external energy offers what appears to be happiness in this material world, but this promised fulfillment is a dream.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is beyond the material creation and controls even His powerful illusory energy. He rules all living entities and is equally disposed toward them.
Try this today
Offer respectful obeisances to the Lord today, remembering that returning to Him is life's aim.
Ask yourself
Where am I seeking lasting fulfillment while forgetting the aim of 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.