Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.11.1
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesWorshiping the Supreme Lord Satisfies Everyone
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thereafter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rāmacandra, accepted an ācārya and performed sacrifices [yajñas] with opulent paraphernalia. Thus He Himself worshiped Himself, for He is the Supreme Lord of all demigods.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Rāmacandra accepted an ācārya and performed sacrifices with opulent offerings. As the Supreme Lord of all demigods, He was worshiping Himself.
- Worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead satisfies everyone, just as watering a tree’s root nourishes its branches and leaves.
- The living entity is always different from the Supreme Lord and should not imitate His worship of Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa meditated upon Himself, but this does not authorize us to consider ourselves the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Offer a brief prayer to the Supreme Lord, remembering that you are His worshiper, not His equal.
Ask yourself
How does the example of watering a tree’s root help me understand worship of the Supreme Lord?
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.