Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.7.23
Āśraya· The supreme shelterOne Lord Behind Three Cosmic Functions
“O lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation.”
What the purport teaches
- The prayer describes the lord as self-effulgent and supreme, creating the material world through his personal energy.
- Creation, maintenance and annihilation are associated with the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this prayer is actually offered to Lord Viṣṇu, the puruṣa. He assumes these names in His incarnations as the guṇa-avatāras.
Try this today
List creation, maintenance and annihilation beside their corresponding names, then note that the prayer is offered to Lord Viṣṇu.
Ask yourself
How does seeing Lord Viṣṇu behind these three functions change your reading of the prayer?
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.