Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.11.20
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Supreme Lord Acts to Please Devotees
“Lord Rāmacandra’s reputation for having killed Rāvaṇa with showers of arrows at the request of the demigods and for having built a bridge over the ocean does not constitute the factual glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Rāmacandra, whose spiritual body is always engaged in various pastimes. Lord Rāmacandra has no equal or superior, and therefore He had no need to take help from the monkeys to gain victory over Rāvaṇa.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with no equal or superior. Everything is accomplished naturally through His many energies.
- The Lord has no duty to perform to oblige anyone; whatever He does is His pastime. He did not need the monkeys’ help to defeat Rāvaṇa.
- The Lord acts like a human being to display wonderful activities that please His devotees. His victories satisfy both Himself and those who love Him.
Try this today
Reread one activity described in the translation and reflect that the Lord performs it for pleasure, not from need.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord acts freely change my understanding of His pastimes?
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.